Almost four years ago a friend invited me to join her in a yoga class. I liked it so much that as I was leaving I picked up a schedule of classes.  took it home, looked it over and decided that I would like to try a Forrest Yoga class. That is when I met Kim, and was thoroughly impressed with her teaching style.

I was dealing with an autoimmune disorder that would cause flare-ups and wanted to find something that I could do that would not exacerbate the flare-ups but still let me get exercise and help alleviate stress (which also triggered flare-ups). These flare-ups could last anywhere from several days to several weeks, and there was always a chronic level of discomfort in my muscles. That discomfort kept me from doing many activities that I used to do, and depression came along with it.

I have to say that when I first started going to class I would just “go through the motions” of the poses, but as I continued going I would really try to listen to what my body was telling me. There were times when I thought I was never going to learn the poses correctly or get the breathing down. However, with gentle guidance from Kim along with patience, and perseverance, I began to feel a difference over time. I was not only feeling a difference in the way I was doing the poses, but I had also noticed a difference in my health. I was feeling better both physically and mentally and the flare-ups were happening less often and with less intensity. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I had some control over my health.

By seeing the impact that yoga has had on my health, I have committed to making yoga a priority in how I take care of myself.