This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at CU Boulder chapter.
5 or so years ago I began on my yoga journey. At the time, I was never planning on making it a major piece of my life, but now I can’t imagine where I would be without it.
High school wasn’t a piece of cake for me. I went through my rebellious years, and if you ask my mom, I’m sure she would tell you I wasn’t the most pleasant human to be around. Looking back on those years where I was feeling incredibly lost, as so many teenagers are, the major thing that got me through it all was yoga.
One fateful day I took one of my mom’s old workout mats and made it my own. It was pink with a floral design, and it was there that I grew into the person I am today.
And now, as I’m midway through my second semester of college, yoga has continued to be consistent presence in my life. When I feel stressed, I can unroll my mat and release all that pent up frustration or confusion or anger from a bad test grade. When I feel homesick, I can go through a familiar flow, and when I close my eyes, I’m transported back to my backyard in the summertime. I can practically hear my dog barking, and I swear my cat curls up at the top of my mat. (Worst thing about college, no pets in the dorms.)
All of this is why I practice yoga, and what will remind me to continue to practice. Yoga is a welcoming practice, the teachers aren’t going to turn you around at the door because you aren’t flexible enough or can’t balance on your nose. With yoga, comes love. A love that is unfamiliar for some of us, as it’s unconditional and full of light and growth.
I would love if each and every person who comes across this article were to give yoga a chance. Whether you’ve been skipping your practice for the past two years, or if you don’t have a clue what downward facing dog is, yoga could be the thing you need. It was for me, and countless others.
Borrow a mat from a friend or take your mom’s like I did, it will become a safe haven for you. A foundation where you can grow and learn more about yourself than you could ever imagine.
And if you’re feeling nervous before going into your first practice, or your first in a while:
If this avocado can do it, so can you!