Your practice, your story – Transformation through trauma

We asked you, our members, how yoga has helped you overcome challenges or transform your lives. This is a story of emotional healing and finding a yoga home...

rolling out a the yoga mat for practice

We asked how practicing yoga helped our members overcome challenges, change limiting beliefs, heal and grow… And we received extraordinary tales of transformation.

Each story is significant and has the power to inspire others – we are yoga practitioners, friends, family, humans… And together we share the happiness and sadness, positivity and challenge, success and loss that have composed the chapters of our yoga stories. This is Jane Richards’ story.

Solitary to safety

I have a longtime history of trying yoga classes. I found it difficult to be in a group setting and began to think I was wrong in some way or just not suited to yoga.

Trauma and turmoil

I have also struggled with PTSD, for 20 years. Since a personal trauma it was extremely difficult to be in my body and feel safe enough to practice yoga. I was always drawn to yoga, but I didn’t find group classes to be trauma-sensitive and it was never a good experience for me. 

Finding home

When I found EkhartYoga, I felt I’d found my place, my yoga home.

Being able to practice at home helped me feel safe enough to gently learn to move my body – my healing was definitely supported. This was the first time I’d come across so many teachers who were open-hearted and accepting, and I felt safe.

I began to learn that I could practice yoga with the sensitive care I needed. I felt totally accepted and ok to practice however I could manage to do on a particular day. I felt so welcome, so held, even though the classes were recordings. Somehow there is a deep connection with the teachers. 

Growing with yoga

I started mainly with Yin classes, which I’d not heard of before. These were so gentle and safe for me. Over time I’ve been able to do more active classes as well, such as hatha and vinyasa.

During lockdown my husband started practicing with me, doing some of the live classes. He’s now an Ekhart yoga convert too!

My practice with EkhartYoga has become such an important resource for my ongoing emotional healing. My body feels much stronger and able to support me. There’s a warmth that shines out of every teacher and I am so grateful to be part of the EkhartYoga family. .

~ Jane Richards, UK

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EkhartYoga Written by one of the EkhartYoga staff or guest writers. A dedicated team of yoga teachers, yoga students, anatomy geeks, and recipe creators.