Context: I used to be depressed, and I turned to alcohol and smoking for comfort. I used to be angry ALL.THE.TIME.
New year’s resolutions don’t work for me, so I decided to have monthly resolutions instead. In 2013, some months were more successful than others – I remember not being able to cut down to 4 cigarettes a day and one fine day I got so angry I smoked an entire pack of cigarettes. Other months were successful and I still keep up with some of the habits till now – I drink at least 2 litres of water every day.
One month, I decided (or rather, some divine intervention happened) to try yoga for 1 month, every day. Being broke from cigarettes and alcohol, I decided to do follow some youtube videos in June 2013.
I stumbled upon Erin Motz and her 30 day yoga challenge. Each video was 15 minutes, how bad could it get when 5 of those 15 minutes were warm ups and savasana?
Now, at this point of time I was exercising a lot – swimming, lifting weights, and running. But what I remember doing yoga was having such a difficult time to stay in a pose and then dealing with the incessant muscle aches that 15 minutes (only?!) of yoga gave me. Call me a masochist, I was hooked.
Fast forward 3 years later, I’ve quit smoking and drinking. I am no longer angry all the time. I have stopped wanting to kill myself – although sometimes my past ghosts still haunt me, but at way lower frequency now.
Thank you all who have been part of my yoga journey. It’s amazing how a physical practice can transcend the physical and transform your life so profoundly.
– Nathalie Rachel Fernandez, 24 Oct 2016
