Namita Nayyar:
According to you “I have a long history with grief, anxiety, eating disorders, obsessive behavior, and postpartum mood disorders.” How did yoga help you heal and cope with the trauma?
Sarah Ezrin:
Your advice on how one can use it as a tool. For a long time, I thought yoga was the foundation for everything I do, but recently, I had a light bulb moment where I realized: No, mental health is the foundation for all my teachings! Yoga is simply a tool. It’s my favorite tool, but my practice was born out of my desperation for clarity and grounding.
And P.S. When I say “yoga,” I mean the whole gamut of contemplative practices and physical poses, including meditation, selfless service, and prayer. Yoga brought me into my body in a way that I’m not sure I ever was. I had spent most of my teenage years and very early 20s trying to get out of myself. It was incredibly uncomfortable to be in my anxiety and feelings. Yoga fortified me against that discomfort. It gave me anchors to find presence (as so much of my anxiety is future-tripping). One of my favorite practices is standing barefoot and feeling my feet on the earth. There is trust in letting the earth hold you. I also love feeling my body calibrating for balance. It’s a wonderful reminder that everything is temporary and we’re all just doing the best we can.
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The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
