Celebrating International Yoga Day

By Macey & Haley

Haley’s Journey with Yoga

It is crazy to think about how much my life has changed since incorporating yoga into my daily routine. With a story similar to Macey’s, my journey started with my mom. My mom started practicing yoga when I was about 17. I would attend classes with her early mornings before high school and on Saturday mornings when my schedule allowed. 

As a competitive distance runner, practicing yoga helped me stretch and keep my mobility keen. The only part I never got into was mindfulness. I remember feeling uncomfortable when the instructor would encourage us to start our practice with an intention. To be honest I had no idea what that even meant. I also found myself uncomfortable holding poses for long periods of time. I would just sit there and think “Is this ever going to end?”. After every class I would leave feeling amazing. Without fail. 

It wasn’t until I started my yoga journey again last August after moving home from Cleveland. I loved attending cycle classes and using the ‘sign-up’ as motivation to move my body and get out of the house. I spent time searching around town and decided to give Studio Oxygen a shot. They have a membership option for unlimited cycle and yoga. 

I started attending the 6:15 am Sunrise Yoga classes with Jenny and felt it was a perfect opportunity to learn the practice. I ran into the same problem: keeping my mind quiet. With Jenny’s upbeat music and cardio-type flows there weren’t a lot of times where I was uncomfortable holding poses. It was at the end of the practice during Shavasana. Shavasana is also known as corpse pose and is a basic yoga pose that is often performed at the end of your practice to calm the body and mind. 

Now, almost a year later I can say with complete confidence that my yoga practice is an escape. It is an hour I can dedicate to myself and focus on me. I highly recommend yoga to anyone ready to go through a self-love journey. I have completely shifted my mindset, I am able to calm my mind, I feel stronger than ever before (even as a collegiate athlete), I now have an understanding behind intentional thinking, and I learn something new in every single practice. Most importantly, I leave every class now thinking “Why’d it have to go by so fast?”

Namaste 🧘🏼‍♀️

Macey’s Journey with Yoga

As we celebrate International Yoga Day, I find myself reflecting on my own yoga journey—a path that hasn't always been smooth.

My mom's deep dive into yoga began when I was in junior high, eventually leading her to become a yoga instructor after experiencing its transformative power.

Yoga pictures I took of my beautiful momma after she got her yoga teacher certification.

Watching her life-changing wellness journey was inspiring, even if I didn't fully appreciate it at the time.

Back then, I was a three-sport athlete with aspirations of becoming a college cheerleader.

To become the best athlete I could be, I was willing to try any workout, including yoga.

I attended hot yoga classes with my mom every Saturday, whenever my schedule allowed. Yet, I only enjoyed it half the time.

Calming my mind and embracing the mindfulness of yoga was challenging. As a busy-body, having to listen to the teacher and hold certain poses for extended periods tested my focus and mental control.

My first real breakthrough with yoga came when my mom started incorporating it into my high school cross-country team’s routine.

Haley and I were among the only few who had prior yoga experience. Using yoga as a cool down after long runs and workouts, I noticed immediate improvements in my recovery.

In college, as I lived my dream of being a college cheerleader, the physical demands began to take their toll on my body.

Maintaining the same level of tumbling and stunting skills for four years, two-a-days and team workouts wore my body down. At 22, I no longer moved or felt like I did at 18. 

Once my senior season was over, I spent the Spring semester reconnecting with yoga at Toledo Yoga.

It was restorative, challenging, and provided a fantastic workout.

I even got my coach, several teammates, and my roommate, a college gymnast, to join me.

Those moments of practicing yoga with loved ones are cherished memories, especially now that we rarely get to see each other.

Sharing the practice of yoga is something I'm passionate about, as many people still haven't experienced its benefits.

Many are still unfamiliar with yoga. I believe it's a practice everyone can benefit from.

Yoga has been a rock amidst the chaos of my 20s, offering stability and peace. 

As we honor International Yoga Day, I hope to inspire others to give yoga a try. It has changed my life, my mom's life, my friends lives, and I believe it can do the same for you.