Student Yoga Stories

Diane Utaski Shares Some Yoga Stories From Her Students:
Such as Pedro, a man whose first time in class said he came because his wife had died three weeks earlier.  He was in pain.  So he breathed, he slowly stretched his chest and heart open.  He cried, we hugged him.  He comes every week now, and brings homemade Ave Maria CD's to the school, grateful to feel strong and alive again.  Then there is Mary Ann, who had so much neck and jaw tension she could barely move her head.  After three weeks I asked her how she was feeling.  She said, "I can talk again."  We hugged.  A prenatal student was beginning to have a difficult labor.  She asked the hospital staff and her family in the room to help her chant "OM", the sound of peace and strength.  It turned into "Open Sesame."  The baby relaxed and was born immediately.  One month later, I got to hug her baby.

Our Students Share Their Yoga Stories:
In 2001, I began spiraling downward due to a failed relationship and an obsession with the events of 9/11.  I felt that since my destructive behavior was self induced that with the help of God, I could return to a normal life.  The journey I was about to embark on exceeded my wildest expectations.  Starting in November, I tried exercise, hypnosis and several other techniques to change my life around, but none were effective.  I happened to stumble onto Yoga as a result of searching the internet for insomnia remedies.  After practicing on my own, everyday for two weeks, I decided taking some classes would be a good investment. I searched for a school that specialized in Yoga and offered a variety of classes at different times throughout the week.  The Cincinnati Yoga School was able to meet my requirements, plus offer a bookstore and valuable workshops.  I have enjoyed practicing Yoga so much that it has become a daily ritual.  My depression has been replaced by joy and peace.  My loneliness and boredom have disappeared.  My negative thoughts and behavior have diminished to the point where they no longer bother me.  I am happy, proud and confident in everything I do.  The fantastic journey I have experienced during the past five months has changed my life forever.  I wish to thank God , my friends and the Cincinnati Yoga School for helping to make my dreams come true.  Namaste.  -Dale Daniel

Yoga has helped me to connect with my inner wisdom and healing ability.  I usually suffer from frequent migraines and practicing Yoga and breathing has greatly lowered my stress levels.  Yoga has made me aware that most of the daily stresses in life really do not matter in the huge scheme of things.  After practicing Yoga, my migraines are few and far between.  I love it!  -Kalina Hintz
 

 Last January when I first started attending yoga classes, I was very depressed and felt like I was going nowhere in life.  I was very stressed out at work, I couldn't face my parents, and my finances were very bad.  I had just been discharged from my bankruptcy filing and I was drinking and partying a lot.  One night at a night club, I suddenly felt very lonely in a crowded room.  I even felt lonely around my so called friends.  The next day I picked up the Bible and read a few verses from the New Testament.  I asked God for help and forgiveness.  Then I picked up a yoga book I purchased a few years ago.  I attempted some of the exercises and thought to myself, this seems really cool.  That is when I looked for a class in the phone book.  The Cincinnati Yoga School advertisement was the first one I saw.  When I attended the first class, I suddenly realized my life would never be the same again and it could only go up hill.  Over the next few months, I made a commitment to myself to practice yoga at home when time would permit.  I help manage a restaurant and you do have to put in long hours in the restaurant business.  I also made the commitment  to go to at least one yoga class a week.  

I gave up the bottle for good last May.  I then started spending more quality time with my parents.  I put together a budget that I am comfortable with and my finances have improved greatly.  A lot of things started to happen quicker than my cynical self could ever imagine.  With my quality of life improving, a lot of stress had been taken off my shoulders allowing me to focus better at work.  My job has just seemed to get easier and I'm more relaxed, less moody, and get more accomplished.  

 I've also been motivated to do more things to broaden my horizons.  I have always taken an interest in ballet, but never had the motivation to ever sign up for a class.  In about three weeks when the fall dance season starts, I'll be attending my first ballet class at age 30 and I'm very ecstatic about that.  Yoga has opened up a whole new world to me.  Being a quiet shy person by nature, which I have learned to accept and embrace, I figure this would be a good time to thank all the wonderful people at the Cincinnati Yoga School for letting me believe in myself and live again.  Thank you and God bless. - Chris Bauer

12/5/03
Hi Diane, I wanted to let you know that I will be at Monique's class tommorrow. I always look forward to class the night before.I also wanted to give you an update on my letter. I am doing even better now than I was then. I am now a yoga student, a ballet dancer, a college student, a photographer, and a D.J. So I think I am anyway. My first yoga class, 2 years ago ,was the first step in me broadening my horizons and realizing my potential and creativity. NAMASTE, Chris

12/16/03
I wanted to let all the good people at CYS know that I am planning on auditioning for a theatrical training scholarship in April of 2004. I am hoping to fulfil my lifelong dream of being a choreographer. Even if I don't pass the audition, I know that it will still be an experience that I can definitely be proud of . I wanted to thank all the good people at CYS for letting me realize that you should never give up on a dream, and for also giving me the self confidence to follow my dreams. I wish you all a very wonderful Christmas. Namaste, Chris

2/16/04
Dear Diane, I have recently decided to withdrawal my audition request for The American Musical and Dramatic Academy in New York. I found myself putting a lot of unwanted emotional and physical strain on myself, with unrealistic career goals. I have been able to evaluate my decision though, and I am realizing that I am in no way a failure. Even though it was very painful for me to do the reality check, I have realized that no matter what I am still getting an education. I only have another eleven months before graduation, and I can still take my dance classes for fun, like it was in the beginning. I had to look in the mirror and realize that I will never be another George Balanche or Rudolph Nurvey, I can only be Christopher Bauer. I have made many accomplisments in the past two years that I can be proud of. Probably the biggest, hardest, and most important thing that I have accomplished recently is that I can now say that I am a non-smoker. I have had a great grandpa, 2 grandfathers, an uncle, and a cousin all die as a result of many years of smoking. I suddenly realised that I needed to quit smoking before it's too late. I haven't been able to do it alone, however. I needed my parents and one of my managers to really provide me support and push me. Another thing that really struck a chord with me was Monique telling me in class, one day last summer, that smoking was impairing my ability to do one of the breathing exercises. I think she might have saved my life, when she had reminded me of that. I'm not going to lie.Quitting was much harder than I had even imagined, and it has taken me a few months. I also have't been able to quit cold turkey, but I can now confidently say that I am able to enjoy all the healthy benefits of being a non-smoker. I can breathe better, I can hear better, I'm more relaxed, I'm eating better, I have more energy, I don't have all the unwanted digestion problems like I used too, I don't get dehydrated as much as I used too, and most importantly I think I may have added another ten to twenty years to my life. I have also been going even deeper into my yoga practice lately and I have been  learning and trying to teach myself  how I can benefit from yoga even more. What I really think the best thing about yoga is; is that it is not competitive and that it is not a performance. It is only a practice and I can be myself.Namaste, Chris Bauer