"It was after I was raped & attempted suicide, when I reached my lowest point, that #yogasavedmylife

Meet T’lark @howling.yogi sharing her story with us. These are her words ❤️

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"Growing up I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder & bullied to tears 4/5 times a week. My incredible mother introduced me to yoga at this time & taught me what it is to love myself & try not to worry about the perceptions of others

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I didn’t practice religiously my whole life, until was raped by an ex boyfriend & hospitalised for attempting suicide after the rape. I hated my body, felt weak, angry, sad, severely depressed & experiencing PTSD

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While in hospital a nurse led a morning yoga practice. I loved it & realized I couldn’t give up on myself. I loved how it brought people together & gave me a support group, a tribe that helped me to grow & blossom. I stopped looking at the negative & learned to focus on what felt good: the breath, fun, play. I learned to love my body again for it’s strength, not my looks. Yoga gave me the ability to control my mind & body... & that gave me freedom

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I left hospital & continued to work on myself everyday with my practice.

It was a long journey, I won’t lie, it wasn't easy, like everything worth fighting for in life, it takes work; but through practice I taught myself how not to give up & come back to what truly served me

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I learned a new way of thinking. I stopped focusing on trying to get that pose or trying to be as strong or as beautiful as the next person & started focusing on what made me feel good: on my breath to heal my anxiety; on finding the fun in my flows & the playfulness I thought I had lost

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I now feel blessed, as a certified teacher to help others on their journey 🙏

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Yoga gave me a sense of empowerment. I want to share my story because I want to be an advocate for women & anyone who has struggled with abuse, trauma or mental illness. Life isn’t perfect, I work on myself physically & mentally daily & yes of course I still struggle, don’t forget we are human, but I hope I can shed some light on this incredible practice & remind everyone: you are not alone ❤"