I am an adventure seeker, heart-on-my-sleeve wearer, student of yoga, world traveler, laughter advocate, dream chaser, fruit addict and compassion preacher.
Originally a Vancouverite, I now reside in Calgary, moving here with the love of my life on the best adventure yet. Yoga came to me while I was training to play professional beach volleyball when my beach partner suggested we do hot yoga for cross-training. My first impression of yoga was very humbling, so humbling that I didn’t enjoy the experience at all. I walked into a humid, extremely sweaty, hot room expecting to be good at yoga since I thought myself to be so strong and athletic. I soon realized I could do none of the postures properly and I was always one step behind the Baptiste sequence. How were all these people who I believed I was fitter than doing all these amazing arm balances and headstands? I was frustrated when I left, comparing myself to everyone else in the room. I continued to practice once a week, determined to ‘win’ the competition of being the ‘best yogi’ in the room. Unfortunately this hugely competitive ego of mine got in the way of my enjoyment of yoga and my understanding of what yoga is truly about. After a few weeks I stopped practicing and did not try yoga again for almost a year. This time, November of 2013, I tried yoga when I was living in Alabama while supporting my boyfriend’s pursuits. I wanted to find something that was my own passion so I went to a local yoga studio, and from the first class was in love. The environment of this studio had an amazing community and no competitive environment. The teachers wanted to actually get to know me and watch my practice grow. It was such a wonderful feeling to walk into this studio and from the first class I was a daily visiter, I was welcomed as part of the family. I quickly learned that yoga is much more than just the physical asana practice, that there is a whole other side of meditation, breath, spirituality, and finding true self. As soon as my eyes opened to this journey of endless growth, I was so excited for a life full of learning! The idea that this ancient practice of love, healing and life has so much to offer that it cannot be learned in just one lifetime is such an exhilarating thought, it’s a life of endless adventure!
Ever since I fell in love with yoga, I have taken a step away from volleyball, realizing I did not have the same passion I used to for the sport but was just playing because volleyball was all I had known and identified with. I had pushed my body to its breaking point through volleyball; I had knee surgery, I almost needed shoulder surgery, I have overuse injuries that potentially could cause me pain for the rest of my life. Yoga was the first athletic experience I have had that finally healed my body instead of hurting it. It was also the first athletic activity that had me focus on my internal development versus my development in comparison to others. It was healing for both my mind and body. I am not saying I will never play volleyball again because I’m sure I will! I will just play for fun with renewed joy in the sport, leaving the extreme competition and negativity in the past.
Yoga rekindled my love for learning, love for my body and love for my inner-self. After all of this realization, I decided I wanted to grow my practice and share it with others so I enrolled in a Yoga Teacher Training 200hr program at Yoga Passage in Calgary. I graduated as a completely improved being, an unexpected 7 month journey I explain in one of my blog posts. Which brings me today, a certified yoga teacher with lots of passion for this lifetime of sharing, loving and growing. I cannot wait to meet each of you that I cross paths with on this journey. Thank you everyone for your incredible support! Each person I’ve met has added value to my life in ways I cannot explain; no matter how small or long our interaction was, you helped me become who I am today, which is the happiest chapter of my life so far.
May each of you feel the joys of compassion, be blessed with love and find your true light.
Namaste,
Nicole
NictheHappyYogi 