"As a young Doctor, Yoga has added a different dimension to the care I give, yet I reluctantly came to yoga after struggling with insomnia during my second year of medical school
I was on an accelerated course so it was a lot of information coming at you fast. The combination of stress and being constantly in darkness in winter was taking its toll and led to a lot of anxiety and depression
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A yoga for insomnia video on YouTube was my last resort before getting help and it worked! I practiced every night then started doing yoga every morning to get me out of bed. My yoga practice forced me to change the pace of my anxious brain and I welcomed the quiet moments of reflection to process my feelings. I joined a yoga studio a few months later and yoga became my remedy for everything
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Yoga saved me from all the aches and pains that too many hours on your feet brings. Yoga helped me wind down after busy night shifts when I didn’t even know which way was up. The biggest benefit of my yoga practice is that it gives me a safe space I can come back to
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One of the biggest challenges I found once I graduate medical school and started working was being able to practice medicine and do “real life” at the same time. The first time a patient I cared for died, I had such a heavy heart that looking after myself seemed impossible. I struggled to care for myself and my patients
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Practicing yoga gives me that few minutes out of my day to tune in to what’s going on with me and to honour my physical and spiritual needs
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My yoga mat became like a portable church for me. It’s where I go when I’m happy or sad. When I’m struggling to deal with life, death, work, whatever, I take it to my mat
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The person that yoga has allowed me to become 5 years later is a completely different person. I’m definitely a lot happier. I always laugh when I think about my first time in a yoga studio, I read this poster with the top ten benefits of yoga and was unconvinced it would be anything more than a bit of stretching. Now I’ve turned into that person who recommends yoga for everything 🙏
Amber 💚
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