I was first introduced to yoga when I was a high school student at Hinsdale South. I recall that yoga was one of the units PE teachers would cover. My close friend from high school, Elyse, was highly interested in yoga and would ask me to go with her to classes back in 2004-2005; now she conducts workshops on Acroyoga, an innovative way of combining yoga, acrobatics, and gymnastics. While Elyse was incredible even back then, I was a beginner and I would sometimes feel discouraged by not being able to do some of the positions. Therefore, I would give up quickly because I felt the need to know how to do the poses correctly right away.
Years went by without doing yoga, then in 2014 Mannheim District 83 introduced me to mindfulness. The district started doing research along with Rush University on the effects of mindfulness on students’ behaviors and ability to self-regulate. It was a year long training, which positively impacted me. Through this training I learned the essence of being present in the moment and to value my self-worth….