September Student of the Month: Eliana M.

What brought you to your yoga practice? 
To be honest, I started practicing yoga by signing up for a class at school for (what I thought would be) a really easy way to earn college credit. I ended up earning much more than that! 

What benefits did you notice once you started practicing consistently? 
Beyond gaining flexibility and strength, consistent yoga practice significantly improved my mental health, which transformed my life and outlook completely. Practicing yoga activated my body awareness and ability to engage with effective mindfulness and genuine contentment. It kindly and frequently reintroduces me to myself and demonstrates that with persistence, I can achieve beyond what I thought I'd ever be capable of mentally and physically. 
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What would you now tell yourself before you started practicing yoga?
I would tell myself that the goal of yoga is not perfection in asana, but making the choice every day to pursue earnestness, strength and ease in all facets of life. And I would remind myself, even now, that the secret to maintaining a regular practice is setting achievable goals and generating tons of self-compassion!