Growing Up Yogi

Growing Up Yogi

What I have learned & where I took my practice..

Growing up, my step-father meditated daily and often…he’s been in my life ever since my birth…long story & for another page.

I would watch Lloydy (that’s what I called him) sit cross-legged in silence, and I fell in love with the calm feelings he exuded. He rarely spoke, but when he did, he was always so cool and especially calm. I felt he knew everything and he was my hero. Meditation was his language, and even in silence, it was a way of telling stories about him that I loved.

The only thing I loved as much as the meditation was the way he was good at stretching. He practiced yoga, it was the meditative type of yoga, where he would pause in a pose for what seems like very long minutes and it was something magical about that …very cool strengthening poses, both mentally & physically.

As he did his yoga I saw the increased flexibility that came with repeated and lingering movements. It is an art form of its own that can be seen in my dad as he practiced yoga & meditation, and yes he was great at every pose. He was called the Crab Man. He would place his legs over his shoulders and walk around on hands like a crab. If you see this you think it’s a cool thing, just my thought all my life.

I started practicing playfully as a child while watching my dad’s yoga performance. Then I would practice due to my backaches as a teen and young adult and after finding out that I have curvature of the spine – the doctor calls this scoliosis.

After my yoga teacher certification in 2015, I mostly practiced for the physical benefits…and now I am addicted. I really wanted to stay in shape, and at almost age 60, yoga is the key. I knew there were other benefits to yoga, but that was not my initial focus.

I didn’t know much about this…but as I continued my training and practice, I learned more and more that when you combine Yoga with breathing techniques, (yogic breathing or ujii breathing), and meditation, it is the best way to practice. The connection of the breath and the movements (both internal and external)… you will find out the longer you practice.

Yoga is the Sanskrit word for union and refers to a variety of unions, including the union between our bodies and our minds. As my practice continues to grow and evolve, I understand that yoga is never going to be just one thing and it is a practice because the work is never-ending.

It took about a year of growth in my physical practice before I had the capacity and foundation to start receiving the spiritual component. Now it’s been many years practicing, and it made me think about how long I had been practicing. While I did not feel “advanced,” it forced me to acknowledge how far my practice has come. However, it is still a practice that continues to grow every time I get on my mat because there is always a little higher to climb, a little further to push, something new to learn.

Learning is continuous which is why yoga & meditation is a practice; there’s no finish line and you can continue your practice until you leave this earth.

I now teach at youth centers and schools. I now know it is a fact that teaching young people yoga could make a massive difference in their lives that they can carry with them wherever they go.

I am now a trained, certified Wellness Youth Teacher (thanks to my mom the artist & herbalist & my step-dad the Buddhist yogi) and i have served hundreds of youth and adults through yoga, mindfulness, environmental-based programs, and trauma-informed curriculum.

The Healthy Living Mindfulness Program I started during the pandemic is also committed to developing high-quality evidence-based programs and curriculum to improve community well-being.

The youths I teach in grades K-12 do yoga and practice deep breathing. More importantly, teachers, staff & parents say they build an ability to be mindful and calm. These abilities are built from creating a practice and adding a little each time they get on their mat or wherever I meet them at.

The science supports adopting the practice of yoga. Yoga remains a natural and readily available approach to maintaining wellness and treating mental health issues.

This is a practice that everyone can benefit from. The practice enhances resilience and improves mind-body awareness, which can help all people adjust their behaviors based on the feelings they’re experiencing in their bodies.

So keep practicing your yoga, it is good for you. And if you haven’t started yoga, now is a good time…no matter you age, mental or physical health.

Believe me and the science…It will benefit you and everyone around you.

Ask me how…leave a message here or email me: emails@debielee.com

text:(786)267-1203

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