Finally, I start writing again.
Well it has been a hot second and a lot of months since I had a consistent space to write in. I started up my Yoga business in the beginning of January 2022, and have been enjoying a slow, slow, slow start up. I have a general direction and a general goal and I will talk about that here along with some other VERY important things in my life: My family, moving to Montana, going through the “change” and a variety of other things like food which is another of my passions.
Yoga was there for me when I was not there for myself. I first started a truly consistent practice (2 days a week) back in 2010 when Jason and I realized I was, to be frank, infertile. I believe it was due to my age, I was 37, and we tried EVERYTHING. But I started practicing with a local tiny yoga studio owned by a chiropractor and was given the gift of a yogi named Cara. She was gentle, but pushed me and was a hands on instructor. If you have been lucky enough to have a yoga teacher who uses their hands you know what I mean….she would adjust my hips in twists, gently press my lower back deeper into childs pose. To be able to do this is magical and I have yet to find another instructor that could give me this comfort. I strive to be like Cara, I hope she knows how gifted she is. I fell deeply in love with yoga, but of course, I ended up getting pregnant ( with twins via IVF) and that set me on a path of my body starting to sort of ease into my 40s. I had the twins at 42 and I felt a slow decline, my vision, my joints, you name it. I tried walking, weights, everything but over the few years after I had the twins I could feel my physical health decline. By the grace of the sky I stumbled back into a yoga studio. I quickly fell apart and then fell back together. I cried during yin, I lunged deep, I twisted further than I ever had twisted and felt my inner goddess wake up. Leading up to this re-yogaing was a long slumber, maybe 7 years, but opening up every hip, shoulder and heart brought me closer to feeling like my body was mine.
If you have given birth you know about the change of your internal body followed by the external shell you live in after you have delivered you likely understand. My skin was not my own, my muscles felt like they had deteriorated, my vision declined, and my bones felt brittle. Yoga changed all of this. Of course, as I became stronger I ate better, health feeds itself. The more you put into your movement the more you can hear your internal voice asking for better nutrition. It is beautiful.
Well, then Pandemic hit and the studio I attended was closed. I started to use online Youtube classes and the Downward Dog app to keep up with my practice. It truly saved me, and I felt those people in my virtual and recorded class were a life line. During all of this we decided to Move to Montana (from Oregon) and I brought my practice with me. In a crazy twist of fate I got a very bad case of Covid. I was pretty sock for a while and as I started to feel better my appendix burst causing an open surgery. I had a slow recovery and started walking once I had a release from my Dr. I felt like I was NEVER going to feel good again. I felt older than my years. I had never felt this before.
As I slowly regained my strength I took an honest inventory. I had gained an unhealthy amount of weight and I was not as physically strong as I used to be and I was RIGHT in the middle of perimenopause. I knew this was NOT how I wanted to live. I wanted to feel strong, flexible and to move around with ease. I remembered feeling so great inside of a consistent Yoga asana and started back up with a slow gentle practice. I realized I wanted to know more so I enrolled in a 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training. I finished and enrolled in the 300 hour training to get me to my 500 level.
That brings me to the end of 2021. I set some goals: Start a business, start teaching, and never look back. I have a full time job working remotely so this was something to slowly put together as a hobby, and here I am now. I take mini courses on website development and am slowly growing my group of yogis. My focus is on people like me, people who just need to find their way back to themselves, to feel strong and free in their bodies. That is what Yoga Maki is: Yoga for everyBODY. I welcome everyone and I am an ally and supporter of equal rights. All pronouns are welcomed and loved in my classes.
Love, Missy