YOGA, SELF-AWARENESS AND HAPPINESS
By Ashley Bergeron
Yoga has played a huge role in my life. I first became curious about yoga when I was searching for a cure for my anxiety. I needed a healthy distraction to help let go of my past, stop worrying about the future and learn to be present. I didn’t have the easiest upbringing but, in order to cope, I tried different therapies, like writing and cardio, but nothing worked like yoga.
Yoga helped me become mindful of not only my body but also the quality of my thoughts. I had felt like I was a victim for so long, and I didn’t realize I could free myself from the weight I had been carrying my whole life by simply letting go. With each inhale and exhale I became the best version of myself.
When I began to see the positive effects of yoga — physically, mentally, and spiritually — I knew it was my life's purpose to share and teach it. I could not imagine my life without my practice or what it would have been like had I not taken my teacher training.
I was afraid of taking the next step to becoming a teacher, but I knew it was a necessity for my growth and my future. The program was everything I hoped it would be and more. Not only did I learn what spirituality meant to me, but it also changed my perception dramatically.
While I was in school I had done a project on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. I had to translate a specific part of the Sanskrit into my own words. Too be honest, initially I was baffled. But I began to understand the philosophy by applying it to my own life.
The power of the mind and the soul and their connection. The soul vs. the ego. I saw it much like the devil vs. the angel, like what you see in cartoons, one on each shoulder, both promising to know what’s best for you. But only one truly coming from the source. Understanding and living by the Yoga Sutras’ teachings could help bring one closer to enlightenment and maybe even beat a life long battle with depression.
I began to see myself more clearly after that. I knew listening to the voice within, that my soul was a voice I had been ignoring. I wasn’t as self-aware as I thought. I knew that more work had to be done, and there would always be more spiritual work ahead of me. I’ve embraced this knowledge.
Life still knocks me sideways sometimes, but with my new perspective I never fall too far from the line. And, I don’t waste as much time as I used to being carried away by negativity, there is too much to be grateful for.
I could not imagine who I would be without these experiences, and I owe much of my happiness to yoga. But I also owe my happiness to myself because yoga has taught me that it comes from within. The answers I had been seeking and the peace I’ve yearned for was always right here, all I had to do was listen and decide.
Ashley Bergeron
Yoga helped me become mindful of not only my body but also the quality of my thoughts. I had felt like I was a victim for so long, and I didn’t realize I could free myself from the weight I had been carrying my whole life by simply letting go. With each inhale and exhale I became the best version of myself.
When I began to see the positive effects of yoga — physically, mentally, and spiritually — I knew it was my life's purpose to share and teach it. I could not imagine my life without my practice or what it would have been like had I not taken my teacher training.
I was afraid of taking the next step to becoming a teacher, but I knew it was a necessity for my growth and my future. The program was everything I hoped it would be and more. Not only did I learn what spirituality meant to me, but it also changed my perception dramatically.
While I was in school I had done a project on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. I had to translate a specific part of the Sanskrit into my own words. Too be honest, initially I was baffled. But I began to understand the philosophy by applying it to my own life.
The power of the mind and the soul and their connection. The soul vs. the ego. I saw it much like the devil vs. the angel, like what you see in cartoons, one on each shoulder, both promising to know what’s best for you. But only one truly coming from the source. Understanding and living by the Yoga Sutras’ teachings could help bring one closer to enlightenment and maybe even beat a life long battle with depression.
I began to see myself more clearly after that. I knew listening to the voice within, that my soul was a voice I had been ignoring. I wasn’t as self-aware as I thought. I knew that more work had to be done, and there would always be more spiritual work ahead of me. I’ve embraced this knowledge.
Life still knocks me sideways sometimes, but with my new perspective I never fall too far from the line. And, I don’t waste as much time as I used to being carried away by negativity, there is too much to be grateful for.
I could not imagine who I would be without these experiences, and I owe much of my happiness to yoga. But I also owe my happiness to myself because yoga has taught me that it comes from within. The answers I had been seeking and the peace I’ve yearned for was always right here, all I had to do was listen and decide.
Ashley Bergeron