Leann was a 2022-2023 Envision U participant. When asked what her experience was while in the Yoga Study, this was what she shared...
I have always been interested in practicing yoga and learning more about the philosophies and history of yoga.,.but have never pursued it. Until the day when I bought Heather's book called the “Sedona Spirit Journey” at the flea market. These words on the cover of book encompassed what I was yearning for in my own life: “A story of hope, healing & transformation through nature, yoga, journaling, and adventure.” She signed the inside of my book and wrote “LeAnn, Enjoy the Journey.” And that is how my journey of transformation with Heather started!
A very long time ago, a friend told me that I was a free spirit by heart, and that always stuck with me because that is what I truly am but have let life circumstances pull me in a different direction. Meeting Heather and reading her book and journaling in it put my mind on a whole new path. And when she reached out to me about her Envision You Yoga Study, I signed up immediately!
During our one-year study, we practiced different styles of healing movement, yoga, breathwork, and meditation. Heather also incorporated Ayurveda, journaling, nature, and chakras. We also read books regarding these subjects, along with learning about the philosophies of the different yoga practices..
For me, it was a year filled with self-discovery and growth.
These are only a few of the ways that my life has been transformed:
1. My happiness level: I feel more joy and gratitude in my life than ever before. I never used to wake up with the sun at 5 a..m. and have a routine that made me be truly excited for the day. To take this time every day to watch the sunrise as I walk my dog, do some YIN yoga poses, and then read and have a cup of coffee has brought so much joy to my life!
2. My connection to nature: I read Heather’s book in 2 days when I was on a road trip to Colorado. What a perfect place to be reading it. I loved that she has prompting questions and there was space for you to journal right underneath the question! Her book was so impactful to me in regards to her connection with nature, that I did one thing that I had always wanted to do…lift my hands and face up to the sky in front of the Teton Mountains - one of my favorite places in the U.S, So when we got to the Teton Mountains, I stood with my back to the camera and lifted my arms and head up to the sky and took a deep breath and took it all in! My sister thought I was crazy doing this in front of all these other tourists, but I didn’t care. I then made her do it and she loved it! I even used one of these pictures as my Facebook profile picture. You cannot see my face - only the beauty that lay in front of me. This is now what I do in most pictures that are with nature. it feels so freeing. I feel fully connected to nature in a way that I have never felt before. And this connection to nature only grew stronger as the year continued with Heather. Truly grounding myself with the earth has led me to be able to take in its true beauty and bring me to a place of peacefulness that I have never felt before. I am now the crazy woman who takes off her shoes to feel the grass under her feet in any place that she can. And laying in the grass without a blanket may get people looking at you - but I secretly hope that they try it and realize how grounding it is!
3. Practicing Ayurveda: Incorporating ancient self-care into my everyday life has transformed my life. I now have a healthy relationship with the food that I eat and daily self-care routines that make me finally feel like I am taking better care of myself. And everything I do also makes me feel good too - both inside and out!
4. My Intuition: I am now able to allow myself to tap into my gut feelings about situations and people more easily. This has been so freeing because before, I knew I should follow and trust my gut, but my mind would question it and often lead me to a different choice just to please other people.
5. My Confidence & Self Love: Accepting that I don’t need to fit into the mold of what I have always thought of what society says you need to do to be considered outwardly beautiful. To me, it was being that woman when you were out shopping who was all put together. She is dressed to perfection, and her hair and make-up make her look like everything is perfect in her life. It was the person who I have always thought I should want to be, but deep down I knew that it wasn’t who I am. Now I rarely wear any makeup and my favorite go-to clothes are yoga pants and Heather’s yoga clothing. My kids always ask me if I own anything that doesn’t say “Yoga Mama’Z” on it! They especially love her green t-shirt that says “Trees are my kind of people.” They still don’t get what it means when I try to explain it to them!
As I mentioned, these are only a few examples of how my life has been transformed since Heather and the teachings she includes in the study have been in my life. I am forever grateful to her for opening up my mind, body, and soul to allow myself to be at a place that I have never been before - a place of total self-love and contentment - and connected to nature in a way that grounds my soul!
