What if I told you that you already have everything you need to find inner peace?
You don’t need to go anywhere or achieve anything.
There’s no special way to eat or dress.
We find inner peace by learning who we are and living in alignment with that truth.
There are many paths to self discovery and self mastery.
My path started in church, where I learned that I am a child of the Divine. As a Freedom Writer, I learned deep introspection and how to transmute trauma into action.
But it was yoga that taught me to regulate my nervous system using my breath. And it was through the practice of yoga that I learned to love myself and others unconditionally. Nothing added. Nothing taken away.
It was coming to understand that I have inherent value. That I am not lacking in any way. That my worth is not tied to my skin, my hair, my job, my service, or my sexuality.
Yoga is a Journey Back to Yourself
We live in a society overrun with the idea that we must seek happiness externally. Sure there’s some truth to the idea that we must connect with community and that our achievements manifest externally. But ultimately, peace must be found within.
For me, the journey of self master led me to self love and the Universal truth that all beings have inherent value. That meant that I didn’t need to seek the approval of church, family, friends or anyone else to make decisions about my life.
This realization was so liberating.
If you’ve ever found a way to let go of the shackles of how others perceive you and their expectations of how you should show up, you know how freeing it can be.
Yoga invites us to go through this process over and over. It asks us to look at the patterns of our lives, root out the ones that keep us bound and limited, and establish new habits that allow us to live in harmony with ourselves and the world around us.
This is how yoga is a practice of self love. It’s a process of learning yourself, learning to love who you are, and loving yourself enough to show up in the world as your whole self.
And because I have cultivated such a loving relationship with myself, I am able to show up with love for those around me as well.
My commitment is that all beings be able to live happy and free, and that my words, thoughts and actions contribute to the happiness and freedom of all.