We asked how practicing yoga helped our members overcome challenges, change limiting beliefs, heal and grow… And we received extraordinary tales of transformation. We’re honoured to share Juliet’s story.
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 Juliet Milward’s story.
Savour the silence
“My yoga mat is my battle ground, my safe space, my secret weapon.”
In 2019, I switched from practicing hot yoga and discovered Vinyasa flow and Yin and Yang yoga. I had no idea how practicing these new (to me) types of yoga would invoke changes in me and in my outlook on life.
Pandemic and practice
Throughout the many lockdowns of the pandemic, EkhartYoga became increasingly important to my physical and mental wellbeing.
Initially I enjoyed trying out lots of different teachers, but kept coming back to Anna Sugarman’s classes. I had come to EkhartYoga through her, as she teaches at a studio I go to in Brighton, and so was pleased to be able to carry on practicing with her when the studios were shut.
I found myself picking a few classes and then doing them in rotation. As I became more able to do the flows, I was able to trust my body to just relax into movement and turn down the chatter in my brain too. I would imagine my body being poured into the poses and the sensation of moving through breath really did start to feel fluid.
I would imagine my body being poured into the poses and the sensation of moving through breath really did start to feel fluid.
Being able to relax into movement was new to me. I used to have a block about left and right, and would panic if asked to follow a dance routine. My brain just couldn’t do it!
Discovering myself
It was like the layers of an onion gradually started to peel away. By starting to connect my body and brain as a whole, I was discovering more about myself. And rather than running away from the deeper layers, I found myself wanting to get to know the person underneath – with a sense of curiosity I hadn’t felt for a long time.
I am finally learning not to let my mind rule everything. By focusing on the centre of the physical body, the noise in my brain seems less overwhelming.
Stillness of Savasana
I often lie in Savasana with my hands on my belly to remind myself of this. Anna’s class The Hara: Flow from your centre, introduced me to this and I now love having my hands in a triangle shape resting on my belly, connecting to the core of me and my creativity. Letting the thoughts in my head glide on by. In theory anyway, as it’s still very much work in progress….
Having a regular yoga practice gives me the space to clear out the mental clutter of decades, allowing for growth and change. I now actively enjoy the stillness of Savasana and meditation. Just being with my whole self on my mat. Two years ago I could never have imagined enjoying being in stillness.
Powerful, pleased and proud
In September 2021, I started a teacher training course with Anna. Being able to practice so regularly on EkhartYoga helped give me the confidence to join the training and was also really useful as the course progressed. Even though I almost pulled out at various points, through a fear of failure and lack of self belief, I have just completed the training and am so pleased and proud to have done so.
More than ever I now feel yoga is essential to every part of my life. It has been a gradual but powerful force behind the scenes, encouraging a sense of ease in being.
~ Juliet, UK
Throughout June, we’re sharing stories of transformation from members of our EkhartYoga community leading up to a special class with Esther on International Day of Yoga 21st June. We invite you to follow along on Facebook and Instagram or via our weekly newsletter.
Register here for Esther’s free yoga class. We’ll send you the link to the class on 21st June 2022
