Rachel Peterson
Hometown: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Favorite Asana: ekapada rajakapitasana (pigeon)
Favorite Word: Peace
Spirit Animal: Hummingbird
Yoga taught me to be still. I was in my mid-twenties when I connected with the practice in a meaningful way. At the time I was a workaholic dealing with a great loss. I had no concept of self care but I thought looking better might make me feel better. My first savasana was almost painful; I couldn’t shut down my thoughts, the negative self-talk, my grief. I felt like I was failing. When I saw my classmates rolling out of the pose blissed out and revitalized, I felt drawn to try again. I practiced and got comfortable in savasana. Eventually the entire asana became a meditation. My practice became the place I could connect with myself. It was the only place I had ever truly connected to myself… and for the first time, I could breathe.
