"Lupus was quietly attacking various organs in my body, simultaneously, angrily"

Meet @nico.rising sharing her #yogasavedmylife story with us. These are her words 💚

.

.

'You look fine. You’re young, you’re athletic; I’m sure this is all just stress....' "Dismissals like this are what likely prolonged an eventual diagnosis of this autoimmune disorder. When the right rheumatologist ran the right tests, we finally had a name for my ‘stress.’ Lupus

.

Unceremoniously, I was promised a chronic and unpredictable set of issues & handed a fistful of chronic prescriptions

.

This experience challenged my self perception immediately. I am strong. I am in control. That is who I am. Who I have always been. Yet here I was, tired, body wracked with pain, mind teased by fear, & nothing I could do about the chaos

.

So I took my medicine. I saw the specialists. I went to work. I didn’t talk about it. I struggled. Silently. Never wanting my face to reflect my pain

.

My identity was splintering. The stress of this secret was exacerbating my flares. My need to appear strong was exacerbating my isolation. So I began to accept it: I was weak. I was broken

.

As it turns out, breathing is exactly what I needed to do. In solitude I returned to yoga. Aching joints & a new sense of frailty had taken me from my practice. Returning to yoga brought me back to my body & consolidated my identities. Returning to YTT brought me into a position to help others do the same

.

I stopped taking those medications. I still have flares, but I’ve learned to use breath, movement, & awareness as treatment. I've accessed a new type of strength: genuine. And layered

.

Today I share the healing power I’ve found in practicing with intention & taking yoga off the mat. I rarely speak about my condition, but not out of a fear of appearing weak, but because for the most part, Lupus has become a non-issue

.

Being aware, present, & intentional with movement, both physically & mentally, has changed my life. I credit yoga for breathing strength and a renewed trust into a body & mind I was beginning to resent

.

With gratitude I share this practice with others 💚