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

"Sexually abused as a child & a life of chronic pain, but yoga has taught me resilience, acceptance & has kept me going

When I was 27 years old I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia, an incurable neurological illness. Doctors don't know the origin of the illness but after some personal research I have a feeling where it came from

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When I was around 7 years old I was sexually abused by one of my fathers employees. It lasted for around a year, I don´t remember how many times, but definitely more than one or twice

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My adolescence was very challenging due to a number of traumatic experiences that affected me deeply & my relation to others. By the time I was able to support myself I ran away, 8 hours flight from home, trying to bury the past, & devoted myself to "enjoying " as much as I could:  Traveling, a high performing job, friends, lovers, nights out, alcohol, poor diet... squeezing every drop from life. I was completely disconnected from my body & mind & living "la vida loca" when the illness showed up

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Every day my body was hurting so much & my mind foggy because this illness doesn't allow you to rest. My digestive system was messed up. The pain so bad I couldn’t stand it, all my muscles, my joints, even my skin were hypersensitive. I couldn’t stand clothes touching my skin, even the weight of my hair unbearable. I wanted to disappear... so many times I thought about ending it all

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But I discovered yoga: & although it didn't´t heal me, at first it helped me deal with the physical symptoms of the illness, & little by little it helped build up the mental strength to be able to accept my situation

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I learned how to live with permanent pain all over my body. The more I accept, the more I can tolerate.  Waking up from bed every morning & standing on my mat, even if for a few sun salutations, keeps me going

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Yoga is my tool to deal with pain. It helps me visualize that I am much more than my illness, the tool that helps me be strong for my kids, & the tool that shows me the path when I have to slow down & rest for my body to keep functioning 💚 Iciar"