LBY (Life Before Yoga)
I spent a large part of my 20's working through that check list of life and trying to do things the right way. I moved from a small town in Vermont to New York City when I was 17 to go to college. I graduated at the top of my class and started a career in the fast paced corporate world of NYC. The years after college were marked by many promotions, moves to bigger apartments and a relationship that seemed destined for marriage. I can remember thinking "I've got my sh*t together," (pardon my language :-).
I look back at that moment now and laugh. The truth was that outwardly I achieved many of the things the world defines as success but inwardly lived with self doubt, scrutiny, and fear of not living up to the idea of what I THOUGHT I should be and what others expected of me.
Picking up the Practice
Not long after that relationship ended, I reestablished a yoga practice that I picked up in college. It started as something I did once a week to relieve the stress of the office. I kept up with it because I just liked the way I felt after.
It was a weekend at a yoga retreat, something I had never done, that flipped a switch. It was there that I discovered the deeper practices of yoga and meditation, the foundations of a healthier life through Ayurveda and the guiding philosophy of yoga that opened up an entirely new way to experience life. It pulled together everything I learned in classes over the years and I went from practicing once a week to everyday.
Discovering Ayurveda
One of the most life changing practices I picked up was the sister science to yoga, Ayurveda. It is an approach to health and well-being that considers the unique make up of each person and that one size does NOT fit all. Once we understand our individual make up or Prakriti as it is known, we can then choose the foods, routines, and products that will bring us into balance.
I realized things like why every Fall I was having a stressed out mini melt down and why my skin was always so dry. It gave me the tools to find balance with every choice I made and made me realize how the foods I was eating, though considered healthy, were actually throwing me out of balance.
Experiencing the Effects
The practice made me conscious of my posture, the ebb and flow of my energy and the incessant stream of thoughts. I started to realize how hard I was on myself and how much I let others moods affect me. Slowly, I stopped trying to control every aspect of my life and began to find a deeper trust in myself.
Sharing the Practice with Others
I joined the teacher training initially to learn more for myself but quickly found joy sharing these incredible tools with others. As I teach the physical postures I also share how the practices can shift our energy, emotions and consciousness. It's these hidden gems of the practice and the deeper experiences of yogic meditation that can create the most profound shifts in our lives. This is what motivates me to share it with others.
After more than a decade in the corporate world and teaching part time, I made the transition that seemed impossible and began sharing yoga and natural wellness with others full time. I continue to offer classes in NYC through my network of like-minded teachers. Since welcoming a son into our family, most of my time is spent in the Mendham NJ area sharing the light of yoga in studios, offices, schools and homes.
What's your story? Drop me a line to talk about how we can make yoga and ayurveda part of your next chapter.
Christin@ChristinScarcello.com
