Anahata Yoga from the Heart

  • Home
  • About the Team
    • About Sarah
    • The Anahata Team
    • The (long) journey, in Sarah’s words…
  • Classes
  • Events
  • Blog
  • Contact
Join a Class Today!
  • Home
  • Posts tagged "yoga studio"
March 24, 2023

Tag: yoga studio

Pride

Tuesday, 01 June 2021 by Sarah Melody

 

Happy Pride month!

 

Let me take a moment to reintroduce myself. I’m Sarah, the founder and yoga teacher here at Anahata Yoga from the Heart. Some of you may know my story that I’ve struggled with anxiety and depression for most of my life, and that struggle is WHY I opened Anahata Yoga 2.5 years ago. The idea sparked during my time at the Mental Health Day program at RVH here in Barrie. I checked myself into the hospital after my 3rd battle of depression seeking help to understand why I felt this way. During this program I started practicing yoga regularly to help ease my stress and anxiety. When I’m passionate about something I start to tell ALL my friends and family (and pressure them to join in too haha). I told my peers in the mental health program how much yoga was helping me in addition to our group, and the majority response was “I can’t afford yoga” or “I’m off work right now due to my mental health”. Mind Blowing! How can anyone get better if therapies and self care practises are so expensive? I didn’t see it as expensive or unattainable at that time in my early 20’s when I had the luxury of living at home rent free, and my only expense aka entertainment fund was going to yoga. That sparked the idea of affordable yoga for ALL and is why we have our Pay it Forward Program at Anahata!

For the longest time I blamed or labelled my anxiety and depression on my work and being an overachiever, “Coming Out” was a HUGE factor on my mental health. And even though my family and friends were accepting of my sexuality there was still that unlinking fear of judgement.  I lost friends when I “came out”, and for a period of time I was in denial of my sexuality and was too busy “people pleasing” that I never spoke up about the societal pressures that were impacting my anxiety. I’m a believer you can love whoever you want, and I’m so grateful to know that our yoga community is accepting and understanding.

 

Fast forward 10 years later after “coming out” as bisexual (if you need to label it) to my family and friends, I am happier than EVER. I love the person I am, and I feel EMPOWERED (finally) as a community leader and entrepreneur to share my story. But it didn’t happen overnight. Years of self-help books, yoga, mediation, chanting, trips of finding myself have all shaped the person I am NOW.

 

I want to thank my yoga community for loving me just the way I am. I only “publicly” came out a year ago. I’ve never felt more comfortable in my skin.

June is pride month and as your friend I want to remind you to keep being kind, practice non judgement (yoga!) and open that big heart of yours. Be authentically YOU.

 

Peace&Love,

Sarah Melody 

Founder & Yoga teacher Anahata Yoga from the Heart 

anahata yoga barrieanxietybe youdepressionhatha yogalove is lovemental healthprideself careyogayoga for everybodyyoga for mental healthyoga studio
Read more
  • Published in Blog posts
No Comments

Be Your Own Teacher

Monday, 28 October 2019 by Sarah Melody

Be your own teacher.

I don’t mean yoga teacher or school teacher, I mean Life teacher . This message has been coming up lately but it’s funny how we don’t always see or hear the message the first time around.

Be your own teacher…trust your own inner knowledge. Do you remember a time you set out to try something new? And you were so determined to reach that goal? So much curiosity and awe. Do you also remember the hiccups, the peaks, hills, and road blocks? Do you remember how challenging it was to see the finish line? But you got there eventually didn’t you, through drive, determination, perseverance and maybe even stubbornness. And do you remember that feeling of satisfaction, fulfillment, joy? Another experience, achievement, under your belt, a new wealth of knowledge.

Let’s stop rushing to the final step, fast tracking or needing to know the outcome and especially stop seeking the answers from others.

Be your own teacher. Trust your own inner knowledge, you’ve done the work or maybe you’re still doing the work (there’s always more work to be done).

Simply.
Trust.

Be your own teacher
Be your own hero
Be your own friend
Be your own mother/ father Nurture yourself
Be your own lover (Self Love Baby!)

We learn best when we simply live our own life, without comparison, judgement or need of approval.

Trust more. You have the answers within.

barrieexperiencefriendguruindiainner knowinginner knowledgeinnerknowingituitionmental healthmentalhealthontarioteachertraveltravellingwellnessyogayoga for mental healthyoga studioyogastudio
Read more
  • Published in Uncategorized
No Comments

Be an Anahata VIP

Sign up today to be the first to learn about new classes, special offers and exciting new events.

Privacy Policy
TOP