Hi all, Julie here. Thank you for choosing to be part of this community and for supporting the COMING LAUNCH of juliethayeryoga.com and my Youtube Channel. This project is a labor of love for me and without doubt, very near and dear to my heart. Many of you are aware that I have lived and managed with depression for the vast majority of my life, having been diagnosed in my teen years; my nemesis, but also my greatest gift, truly. At that time, I worked diligently, and man, it was hard work, to understand the diagnosis and learn how to manage its presence in my life. Years of counselling, family and friend support, my ever-evolving self-care toolkit (yoga, exercise, nutrition, sleep, counselling, medication, and so much more), have been critical to its management and have allowed me for many, many years to function with a great zest for life, savoring all it has to offer; productively, energetically, joyfully, and lovingly…un-defined by my depression.
Fast forward to fall 2017, when life turned upside down for me, literally, in every possible way. Some, my own un-doing and some, simply beyond my control. My crisis counsellor summed it up perfectly as, “the perfect storm”. It kind of went like this for me…”I’ve got this, I’ve got this, I’ve got this, oh s*#%, I don’t got this.” I had managed for so long, without a speed wobble, it had not occurred to me, that I could not manage the magnitude of what life was currently throwing at me. To say, I felt sucker-punched is the understatement of the year, oh, and let’s not forget humbled. This time, the depression, was accompanied by overwhelming anxiety (a new experience for me), as my nervous system continued to brace itself for the next traumatic event. It is only in the last few weeks, through diligent self-care, that the anxiety has subsided and I am feeling a sense of calm and ease. Happy dance!!!
Healing and recovery, is on-going (again bloody hard, but oh-so rewarding) and has presented itself in many forms over the past few months, including: a hospital stay; counselling, as an in-patient and out-patient; unrelenting support from family, friends, and community; yoga, more yoga; hiking, more hiking, and oodles and oodles of self-reflection and life-reflection. Every day, I feel myself getting stronger and quite frankly, becoming a more real, more authentic version of myself. And well, this feels really good.
Thus, the intention behind juliethayeryoga.com is to inspire dialogue around mental health and simply be of service; to create a safe community for the exploration of self-care, supporting both physical and mental well-being, through the sharing of yoga and its many, many gifts. This will not be a “studio” experience, as many of you have asked (although you may join me for practice, as detailed on website). This will be a virtual community, reflected in the posts on this page, and in FREE insights and mini-practices, offered through the Website, Live Video, Youtube Channel, Facebook, and Instagram…ALL COMING SOON!!!
I will aim to be honest and transparent in the sharing of my story, in hopes, that it serves to unveil some of the realities and complexities of managing life with mental health challenges, in particular, depression and anxiety. And to enthusiastically explore with you, the possibilities of supporting a vibrant, fulfilling life through the practice of yoga and self-care. TOGETHER, let’s create a community of kindness, patience, compassion, understanding, and love…for self and for others. Namaste.
With gratitude and love,
Julie