My first yoga class began in the scout hut with twenty other hopeful students. I set my mat up towards the back of the room and tried to follow along. Most everything the teacher instructed the class to do was foreign to me. Terms were in a language that I didn’t understand and some poses brought on pain. What had I gotten myself into? I had signed up for a 12-week course for health reasons, so stopping was not an option. I was on a yoga path now and even though I stumbled my way through the first class, it was the direction I was determined to take. The relaxation part challenged me. I was told to still my mind. I thought the teacher must be crazy! How could I still my mind? It was always busy. I tried, but with minimal success. On my walk home I evaluated what had just happened to me. I noticed a spring in my step. It surprised me. I started feeling incredibly euphoric! What was happening? Did yoga do this to me? The subsequent weeks brought familiarity and confidence with the yoga process. I was learning, but stilling my mind continued to be difficult. One night as I walked home from my yoga class, I burst into tears. I loved yoga! How could that have happened? I was being challenged with using my body, stilling my mind, opening my heart and getting in touch with myself. Slowly, things started changing. I felt an incredible peace within myself, a connection. Yoga encapsulated me, just like a giant and loving hug. I started with one class a week, then two, then three. I went to workshops and retreats. I read books. I loved my classes and was happy when doing them! I thought mylife was complete. Then it fell apart. I found myself in the midst of a long, difficult divorce. My emotions were out of control. My self-esteem evaporated. Luckily, I had tremendous support from loving friends, family and my spiritual faith. Yoga became my go to place, my safe haven. I was taken away from problems and issues that I had no control over. Yoga was my healing space. Yoga continued to help me as I faced my mother's cancer and death. My daily routine of yoga asanas, various breathing strategies, and meditation helped me tremendously as I moved through the grieving process. These yoga practices helped me achieve clarity to my vision of life. I found myself wanting to share what I had learned. This meant taking my yoga training further and eventually I became a yoga teacher of both children and adults. Teaching yoga opened my awareness to the need for yoga therapists and I knew this was something I must do. I dedicated my practice and training to my mum. For her, I teach, I share, and the yoga journey continues.