Off the Mat with Cheryl
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After more than twenty-five years practicing yoga, Cheryl knows how powerful the practice can be in helping to realize change in all aspects of her life.
“Because you can’t really escape the negative mental patterns and the self-critical thoughts you have on the mat, yoga helps you notice and become aware of these self-defeating ideas,” she says. “I’ve learned to move towards them, and not away from them, in order to ultimately free myself from those patterns.”
A strong believer in the healing power of community, yoga has helped Cheryl through life’s inevitable ups and downs.
“It’s helped me trust the universe and recognize that I’m a transcendent being in a physical body having a human experience, which is extremely helpful when life gets challenging,” she says. “I’ve experienced the loss of close friends and family in the last couple of years, and my yoga practice has helped me be present with them when they passed.”
Looking back on the last twenty-five years, Cheryl is grateful for yoga’s effect on her life.
“I’ve developed a self-loving relationship with my body, and I’m much healthier in my mind; I’m less afraid now and more able to trust in the flow of life,” she says. “It’s helped me become more of who I am and freer within myself. And most importantly, it’s opened my life to so many amazing people and provided me with a beautiful community where I was able to find my tribe."
