What does yoga mean to me? How has yoga enhanced my life?
When my father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2018, I called my yoga teacher for guidance. After a philosophical discussion about dharma, it became clear my life’s duty was to support my father’s spirit through this transition.
He was the one who sponsored my 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training in 2013 with Eoin Finn in Bali, Indonesia. It was because of my father that I gained the tools that would help me through this challenging time. As my heart broke from the cruelty that is cancer, I turned to my meditation cushion to feel the ache coursing through my veins. I read the Tibetan Book of the Dead and saw this life for what it is: Temporary.
At the same time, I was planning my wedding. The concept of “attachment vs. aversion” had become a daily practice; witnessing the attachment to pleasure and aversion to pain allowed me to zoom-out and experience my humanity and all complexities of life. I embraced the inevitability of death so that when he left his body, I was able to say goodbye.
I have chosen to devote my life to Yoga because Yoga saved my life. For every trauma, there is guidance and the journey is never-ending. After receiving my certification, I managed a yoga studio in the San Francisco Bay Area. I completed another 100-hour training in 2014 and quit my management position to focus on developing my craft: I read philosophy, formulated playlists to synchronize with asana sequences, and practiced inversions every day… if it wasn’t yoga, I didn’t want to do it.
I moved to Encinitas, California, in 2015 — where Yogananda created the Self-Realization Fellowship and wrote The Autobiography of a Yogi. In this magical beach town, my practice became my religion. I learned from amazing yoga teachers and led classes, retreats and teacher trainings all across North County San Diego. I achieved my dream!
And then COVID happened. My practice kept me sane; I created a “Morning Ritual” that I practiced every day. My spare bedroom transformed into a virtual yoga studio, and in this safe space I connected with my students, family, and friends with online classes. It had been a goal of mine to move onto a digital platform and the pandemic pushed me to take a leap of faith. I now have over 50 online classes you can find on youtube.com/arielleonyoga. Yoga is my lifeline to the outside world as I continue to stream weekly on Fridays.
I have since moved to Hawaii with my husband, dog, and adopted a kitten. My mother had a mental breakdown due to grief from my father’s passing and despite having a tumultuous relationship throughout my youth, I invited her to stay with me. Over the past six months, I have witnessed the healing practice of yoga, meditation and pranayama. This has been a “full-circle” moment for me, as if all along, my father prepared me to care for his beloved widow by supporting my yoga training.
The secrets of life are answered in the ancient teachings of yoga; I am simply living the questions.
This was written for my entry into the Yoga Warrior challenge, which takes place on March 9th, 2021. Please vote for me here and I could be featured in Yoga Journal Magazine and win $10,000!