I started practicing yoga during a time of emotional imbalance. I was going to talk therapy and slowly understanding what needed to shift in order for me to feel like me. As I dedicated more time to my yoga practice, I was able to find more inner balance through a healthier body. Vinyasa yoga gave me a different access point within my body to begin to notice my mind and emotions more clearly. It gave me physical strength which also gave me inner strength to continue seeking what is best for my whole being.

I have since learned about the vagus nerve, the 10th cranial nerve which sends messages between the body and the brain. It runs parallel with the spinal column and passes by key organs related to the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems (fight/flight/freeze/rest/digest/fawn.) 20% of the vagus nerve’s messages move from brain to body and 80% move from body to brain. Yoga tones the vagus nerve and supports balancing the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. This is just one way that yoga can help improve mental health.

About 3 years into practicing yoga, I started experiencing muscular weakness along with some other nervous system symptoms that seemed to come out of nowhere. I sought medical support across the country with hardly any answers or clarity for almost 10 years.

I was close to giving up hope and accepting that my body would continue to become weaker and weaker. But my yoga nidra practice elevated the voice of my inner guide and inner wisdom to keep searching for a solution.

Finally, after many MRIs, muscle biopsies, EMGs, genetic testing, and other tests I found a doctor who gave a name to my condition and started me on a treatment.

The condition I have is CIDP (chronic inflammatory demyelanating polyneuropathy) and my treatment is IVIG (intravenous immunoglobulins).

This treatment restored my strength and ability for my neuromuscular system to operate functionally again. I am so grateful for my physical body and her resilience.

The experience of pregnancy and postpartum gave me a new awareness of my anatomy, brain, and hormones. I navigated pregnancy later in life and with a chronic autoimmune condition. I was both grateful for the opportunity to have my baby and nervous about her health and wellbeing. During pregnancy, yoga practice looked more like meditation and being present with sensations in my body.

Postpartum healing was a journey. I had a lot of inflammation around my womb and gut. I also had diastasis recti, which took time to resolve. I was fortunate to work with a personal trainer in addition to my yoga practice to regain strength and balance.

My pregnancy and postpartum experience led me to take a deeper dive into pre and post natal yoga. I have since complete 80 hours of training in this area. I continue to educated myself on the core, breath, pelvis, spine and more that play a role in how the body heals after carrying baby in the womb for 9 months.