Do you have something that makes you forget the past, the future, your worries? For me, that’s yoga.

After diving into my TEFL (Teaching English as Foreign Language) course to become a certified teacher, I went from Shannon to Miss Shannon. Landing in a role as a second grade teacher in Colombia had its challenges, but was life-changing. What a gift it is to teach children. But its also very much like being a mom to twenty-plus children. That’s a lot of work.

What kept me sane during the insanity of teaching, was yoga. Yoga brought a new-found connection to myself. It was my one moment of peace. I knew something it was something I wanted to pursue as a career, but I didn’t think I was ‘good enough.’

When arriving in Vietnam to teach at an English center, I decided that I was going to be ‘good enough.’ So I spent every day in Vietnam practicing yoga. It was the calm in my storm. From practice and determination, I found my inner light. I discovered that my abilities come from within. I went from a person who could never touch her toes, to someone who could slide her hands under her feet. I proved to myself that I can. And now, I’m a yoga instructor. It’s my turn to teach others that they are capable of finding empowerment within themselves.

Yoga is more than a physical practice. It’s a mental haven.

What is yoga – really? This is yoga.