MY YOGA MISSION

Hi guys. My name is Claire!

 Let me tell you a story.

I wasn’t always BRAVE. I didn’t always follow my dreams. I doubted myself. I doubted that I was good enough to achieve my goals.

But then I found yoga. Then everything changed.

Before I discovered yoga, I tried many other types of fitness genres – I am a qualified Personal Trainer, Less Mills RPM instructor, kick-boxing fanatic, weightlifting lady and HIIT training maniac. 

But essentially, I trained because I hated my body, not because I loved it. I wanted to be different, I wanted to be skinnier, prettier, more attractive… But no matter how skinny or pretty I was, it was never enough. Truth was, I had body image and food issues, undiagnosed anxiety and my subconscious internal dialogue was proof that I hated myself. I was in a bad relationship with myself and with my partner at the time. I accepted being treated badly because unconsciously, I believed I did not deserve any better.

Writing this is very hard for me. I feel vulnerable sharing this, and I look back and I am saddened about at the relationship I had with my body and myself… But I share this so I can help others who may relate.

But this is a good story – this is where yoga comes in to saves the day!

When I first started Hot Power Yoga, the physical intensity captured my attention. This was not the type of yoga I had done before – it was hard work! I was sweating and physically challenged! I noticed the more I practiced, the more I was in the present moment, feeling into my body and breath through moving meditation. I began developing body awareness, and with that, I began to heal through self-love and acceptance. Once feeling your body, and respecting it, you begin to think differently as to how you treat it. Our body is a wonderful complex machine that enables us to get through life and do amazing things, being grateful for this vessel was the beginning of a new relationship with myself.

I couldn’t get enough!

Soon I was enrolled in a teacher training and discovering layers of my own psychology that I never knew existed. I started to realise that my fear and self-doubt were running my life, and I was captive in my own head. Mental illness is not a ‘sexy’ subject, but truth is that almost half of all Australians will suffer mental illness at one point in their life. But whether we acknowledge it, label it, and move through it is another thing. Yoga is not a silver bullet that fixes everything, but it gives you tools to manage your energy and mood better.

So if you are seeking to increase your physical strength and flexibility, personal healing, or mental clarity then Hot Power Yoga could be for you!

I hope by sharing my story, some will connect to elements of it. My goal is to share the gift of yoga with as many people as I can. Because I believe in the strength of the healing it offers, as I have experienced it in myself and in others around me.

Be BRAVE. Be Yourself.

Namaste