WRITTEN BY JESSICA WILLIAMS | PUBLISHED JULY 23, 2021

Let's be crystal clear: I did not like yoga the first time I tried it years ago. In fact, I actively rolled my eyes throughout most of the class. I've been doing yoga off and on (mainly off) for the past 3 years, but I never connected with the instructors or the energy in the rooms, which resulted in indifference to practicing on a regular basis and hopping around to many different studios. That was until I walked into Ensō Apothecary. 

I was invited to attend a class by a friend and even before going to the studio, I looked through the website and was shocked to see individuals who looked like me. From the first class, the instructors have shown me that yoga is for EVERY body. 

Over the past few months of attending classes at least four days a week I've progressed in my practice more than I ever expected. I continuously come to the mat as a learner seeking my own sense of truth, proactively pushing myself mentally and physically. From my ability to now balance on two yoga wheels to completing a handstand without assistance, I'm becoming stronger and more flexible every day. 

We've been collectively traumatized by the events of the last 18 months and yoga has been an anchor for me in the middle of the storm. As we start to transition back into face-to-face interactions, I've invited friends and coworkers to join me for classes at Ensō — so much so that I call myself an honorary ambassador. I've found that participating in an exercise class together has helped bring friends and coworkers into my world a bit more, giving us a shared connection around physical activity. The six people who have attended a class with me over the past few months have all given positive feedback and truly enjoyed the experience and atmosphere at Ensō. 

Since taking classes at Ensō, I've started to accept my yoga journey to zen within as progress, not perfection. I'm progressing toward a lifelong journey to self-love and inner peace. The combination of yoga, meditation, talk therapy, and alternative medicine has taken me on a never-ending path to finding serenity. In the words of Brene Brown, “I'm a recovering perfectionist and an aspiring ‘good-enoughist.’”