It was almost an year ago, I was siting down on my laptop in my bedroom having just my left my job as a Walgreens clerk, where I opened an email that would change my life forever.
When you’re a female, your weight matters to you just as much as it matters to look into the mirror and see what you like based on your physical appearance. It also deals with the fact that I used to have a mindset that I wouldn’t find true love if I looked a certain way.
Those thoughts are what most people feel like, but they’re untrue and complete nonsense.
When I opened an email from CorePower yoga about a free week, I was beyond excited. It was a free week of yoga and I had already practiced yoga for the last five years (basic stretching). I hopped on a train to Manhattan on a cloudy day, and headed to the Flatiron District. There I met my first teacher, and later friend, Danielle.
It was my first yoga sculpt with weights and more hardcore stretches. The studio was tiny, but right away I was treated with such generosity and kindness. It was like I was in one of those fancy yoga places — I never been to a place where people were so nice to me.
Danielle wasn’t hard on me throughout the entire class, even though I kept messing up and didn’t know what I was doing; being completely clueless and trying to grab weights and pretending like I was doing. Danielle didn’t care and told me I didn’t even need the weights. She didn’t care that I hadn’t memorized how a sculpt class is supposed to go. She let me take the class anyway.
After that class, I headed home feeling like a Victoria’s Secret model — from just one sculpt class. It was then for the next couple of months I kept going to CorePower Yoga. I liked the feeling of people being nice to me, despite me looking like a freaking mess and having no makeup.
I loved being around yogis who brought out the best in me, and liked me not only for my physical appearance. Yogis who see me for who I am. Those people who eventually became my friends and those who show me that there are two sides to every story.
I’ll always be a yogi and a fierce one. I’m grateful for other teachers such as Jessica, Stephanie and Chen who have inspired me to do things not only with yoga, but with my inner strengths. CorePower not only changed my life, but helped me be my better self and build more relationships with people.
