(Photo credit: @Jenna_Walker...@nappyco)

YOGA CHOSE ME, by our Yoga teacher Renee Traylor...

When the pandemic hit, I was stirred and looking for answers like everyone else. The unknown variables were causing high levels of fear and most people were abruptly forced to live differently. My personal life became a whirlwind of organizing how to productively work at home while my three sons attended class remotely and the initial chaos was real. 

(Photo credit: @bodybendyoga)

I found myself going inward more often, seeking answers through internal dialogue that blocked out external sounds. This became my form of meditation and it consistently led me back to getting on my yoga mat. At some point, this wasn't enough to sustain me. I was grasping for so type of security for balance as the pandemic still held a strong charge of uncertainties and my region skyrocketed from the red to purple tier. Yoga was helping but I needed more to hold on to so I decided to do a yoga teacher training.

I chose a studio I'd been on a newsletter subscription list for about two years. I liked the variety of information I received and the writer had good energy. What came next was an internal liberation like I never could've imagined. In YTT, I learned about my relationship with self and how I relate to others. I released blockages and built the confidence of surrendering to the unknown. When we build on our greatest self, our best practices align us to go in confidence and stop second guessing ourselves. I began to feel a shift that arose in me as an unstoppable force. This is what helped me understand that becoming a yoga instructor unlocked a whole part of me I never knew existed.

At the end of my program, I had a final project of teaching a one hour class and I decided to do Yoga and Meditation. We had the chance to invite family and friends to join and I used this opportunity to let people know I'd decided to become a yoga instructor. 25 family and friends joined my class and I was overwhelmed with the feedback. My family loved the class and I was asked to keep it going. 

This is how my current Sunday classes started. I wanted to make a change in my life and it snowballed to sharing that change with others. Now, my family logs in weekly and different generations are moving together, checking in to say hi and visibly see each others lives in motion. The togetherness of seeing my grandmother, cousins and friends show up to stretch with me was a game changer. I've tapped into my purpose and love sharing the benefits of yoga. Intuitively, I chose yoga and now I realize how yoga continues to choose me.

Written by: Renee Traylor

To sign up for Renee's public classes, email her at: niesha.yoga.fit@gmail.com

Renee's Yoga classes are also provided FREE weekly to each of our BGFC Members. To join our membership, visit www.blackgirlfitclub.com/join