Northern California Photographer| Namaste.

For awhile in the middle of last year I started doing yoga at home to my DVD video’s.  It was hard at first.  The first 15 minutes I thought seriously of  just hitting the stop button and  calling it a work out.  But I pressed on.  Twice a week became every other day and that evolved into almost everyday.  I grew stronger, more flexible and I felt really, really good.  I mixed my at home yoga practice with my nightly jogs.  As my business got busier, I was taking on more jobs while maintaining being a mom and wife.  My life got chaotic.  I was trying to balance everything without asking for help and I fell into a really bad place emotionally.  What was wrong with me?  I could do THIS!  I was trying to keep up with the pace but it was outpacing me and I started to lose my balance, in every sense of the word.  I felt tangled, mentally and physically.  I needed help to get untangled.  I needed to slow down.  I couldn’t do it.  My kids were getting older and finding their voices.  No longer was it to simply tell them, “Because mommy said so.”  They were all too ready to challenge me.   Add this to an already rocky boat.  I realized that I could NOT do ALL this alone, I was not happy and I made myself  ill.  Mentally and physically.  I made the decision to get some help and I made an appointment with my doctor.   She moved offices and it was there that I saw a big sign in the distance that said YOGA.  VEERA YOGA.  

I heard angels sing and my heart raced… I had to go check it out.  After my doctor’s appointment,  I dropped by to get some information.  It seemed like a nice enough place.  Would I like going to a studio?  Would I get my money’s worth?  Would it be anything like my home DVD’s or would I make a fool out of myself.  I decided to sign up and take the studio up on it’s introductory offer.  I knew after my first session at Veera Yoga that this was what I needed.  I went everyday that first week, I think I went twice in one day one time.  For me, Yoga was not just something to do to burn some calories and find flexibility.  Yoga was the pill I needed to find some calm to my mind and my body.   It’s the 75 minute slice of my day that I look forward to.  It’s the time that I can find inner solitude in my busy day to day, to slow down and find my center.  It’s the honoring of ME that I somehow let get run down and tired not too long ago.  Since my first day,  I have been attending almost religiously for almost 5 months now.  At least 5 days a week.  Yoga will now always be a part of my life.  I will always make room for it. 

Veera Yoga in Rocklin is a wonderful community.  The instructors are wonderful, helpful, genuine.  They love giving and sharing.  I love that I get to photograph them out of the studio and seeing them have some fun.  We had some fun this afternoon and I just wanted to tell Veera Yoga that I appreciate you and everything that you’ve done for me.  Luring me out of my little room, to drive the 15 minutes to stretch me out on my yoga mat, to breathe, to lift my heart, to be present with myself.

When we met on this beautiful afternoon, Veera’s proprietress, Gangotri, wanted to capture the community and spirit of Veera Yoga instead of concentrating and photographing yoga poses.  I think everyone was happy to be silly, cool off in the water and genuinely being happy that yoga has brought wonderful, beautiful people into each other’s lives.

Gangotri, Tristina, Summer, Emily, Andrea, Jessie, Jessica, Andrew, Kristi, Tiffany, Emily R… thank you… Please know that you are just not coming in to instruct, you are giving someone like me room to find reflection, find positivity, find calm, find center, find breath in a busy, busy world.  I appreciate you all.  Namaste.

To see more of Veera Yoga’s session, click here. Allow a few seconds to load and refresh your screen to replay.

Music~ One Republic, Good Life

xo,

~j