Grounded and elevated are often felt post Yoga feelings, well captured by this stunning sunset I was lucky to catch a few weeks ago.

So, while not a seasoned yogi, I was glad to find opportunities to practice shortly after moving to the Bay Area: the spiritual and physical gains from a session are always invaluable. In parallel, I met Silvie Hibdon. Silvie is a very active and entrepreneurial woman, but what immediately struck me was her warmth and welcoming personality. We kept in touch and I found out that she was also a Yoga Instructor. This did not surprise me because her demeanor spoke to it. I gain so much at Yoga sessions I can attend, I asked her how she got interested in it herself, and how she finds inspiration in its practice and teaching. I was touched by her story, which started with recovery and healing, and is now an ongoing journey and a daily practice of compassion and gratitude. I am glad I can feature it here:

“Silvie has been suffering from chronic lower back pain since youth.
One day at a bookstore, she noticed a book with a name that sounded interesting enough to reach out for it. She found out that yoga could help with her chronic pain. She was determined to pursue the yogic path; however, it was not until she graduated from college and came to the U.S. that she began practicing yoga.

Besides healing her pain, it was the surge of joy, energy, and optimism that made yoga an integral part of her life. She was recovering from depression and through self-awareness she learned to spot depressive thoughts and avoid more episodes. These struggles are now history.

For Silvie, yoga is a form of self-care, just like any other regular check-up. Yoga helps her heal, face her fears and allows her to dance with her breath. Her practice consists of sun salutations with standing poses, handstands and forearm balances. She loves arm balances and is intrigued by backbends. Breathing deeply and sweating is her form of meditation.

Silvie began to study yoga more in-depth because she wanted to develop a regular practice. She shared how much she loves yoga with her friend, an owner of a national business that offers workouts for moms. Her friend told her, “Then you should teach it.” It has been 7 years. Silvie is now one of the senior San Francisco teachers.

It is the process of inquiry and creating meaning that motivates her every day. She does not set limits to her dreams. Achieving feels great, but failing is also a part of the process. She used to have hard time recovering from setbacks, but nowadays she practices self-compassion. As she sees it: “I enjoy the ordinary that is life. I am grateful for all the people who helped me in my life. I learned that gratitude and self-love do not make us lazy. They, in fact, speed up our recovery and prepare us for the growth that is to come.”
She believes in practicing gratitude, self-compassion, and seeing the positive in others.

To inspire means to breath in. When we do yoga, we deeply breath in. Inspiration is inherent in the practice; yoga is inspiration. “”