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

"I was a victim of sexual assault at 15, which went through the court system. Not long after that, I dropped out of high school, left home & spent a chunk of time living on the street. I had a string of really harmful relationships and wound up in one that was incredibly abusive. I’ll never forget the day I escaped. I’m forever grateful for the immediacy in which my family helped me flee from Toronto to Vancouver, which has been home ever since"

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. "Healing from abuse is not a linear process & sometimes it’s viciously uncomfortable. Thankfully when I got to the city, I wasn’t alone, my father and brother were already living here. They did their best to be sensitive to my anxieties, my distrust, my self-loathing tendencies & patiently support me in my healing journey

. It was my father who encouraged me to come try out a yoga class with him when I was 18. He lightly suggested that it might help me to reclaim ownership of myself, my body & my feelings. He set it up to be a safe and somewhat epiphanic experience & from there we just kept going together until I was able to embrace my own practice

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Since then yoga has always been a saving grace for me, a kind of therapy. It’s something I can do when I need to hear myself, when I seek clarity & comfort

. Yoga has lead me down a path of healing & spirituality, which has directly resulted in my lifelong recovery from active addiction

. Yoga has offered me community, friendships, thoughtful conversations, varied perspectives and interactions - all things I craved & wasn't even aware I was missing until I began my practice.

It’s been 10 years now and I still have lots of inner work to do but I’m healthy and happy like never before because of this ‘break you wide open & put you back together’ practice

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My past is my inspiration for teaching & practicing yoga & I do my best to channel it thoughtfully and responsibly. My own life experience has taught me that ultimately we just need to get to our mats, because I truly believe the healing only begins when we come as we are" 🙏

Dolly

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