05/14/2025
Finding Healing on the Mat – My Journey with Mental Health
When I was 13, I experienced a traumatic assault that would unknowingly shape the way I responded to the world for years. Fast forward to 2017, I found myself on a business trip, managing a large event for a new company. In the chaos of planning, I accidentally forgot to book my own hotel room. The only nearby option was a Super 8 across the street, where I ended up alone in a room next to a group of men with an adjoining door.
That night, I felt an overwhelming sense of panic. I pushed the small table against the adjoining door, called my husband, and stayed on the phone with him until 3 am. I didn’t realize it then, but this was a PTSD trigger – my body was sounding an alarm from a deeply buried wound.
Returning to work, I felt disconnected, unable to focus, and emotionally withdrawn. I eventually opened up to my best friend, who gently urged me to seek therapy. In those first sessions, the layers began to peel back, revealing the unhealed trauma from my past. My therapist and psychiatrist worked closely together to help me find my footing again. I was diagnosed with PTSD and anxiety, and I began to understand the ways these had silently shaped my life.
It was during this time that a friend invited me to a restorative yoga class. I didn’t quite understand it at first, but I kept showing up. Each class felt like a small exhale for my nervous system, slowly teaching me how to relax and be present again. Over time, that hour on the mat became a lifeline. I felt the weight of my worries lift, my mind calm, and my heart settle. It was a space where I could breathe, release, and simply be.
Today, I share this story not to dwell on the past but to encourage others to find their path to healing. This is why I teach restorative yoga – to offer others the same peace, strength, and quiet surrender I found on my mat.
You are not alone. Healing is possible. Take that first step.
