I returned that night for my very first yoga class: a flow class, taught in spanish, in a dimly lit room. Like any other newbie, I tucked myself in towards the back, hoping to go unnoticed. Meditation turned into movement and I followed along. The type A, over doer in me insisted I do every single pose despite the fact my body was screaming at me as I dripped in sweat desperately trying to impress Niki and not miss a beat.

Then savasana came, my very first savasana. As I lay there in silence, wondering what exactly we were doing there, my mind began to wander. I thought about the work I just put in, I thought about how raw and vulnerable I felt, but most of all I thought about the sense of connection I was experiencing. A connection not only to my own physical body but to the other individuals in the room and to the entire Healing House. I felt a sense of “home” for the first time in years. It certainly caught me by surprise when I felt my eyes well up with tears as I started to cry, I was finally letting go, I felt safe there, I knew this was the start of something, I just didn’t know what.

I thanked Niki for class and told her we would be in touch, I walked out of the Healing House and down the street, there was unfinished business here, and I knew I would be back. A few months later I returned and I lived at the Healing House for 6 weeks running art therapy workshops and practicing yoga. My practice has transformed a lot since then but I will never forget that first savasana, that moment I learned to let go and be vulnerable and the invaluable lessons that followed.

To learn more about Hillary and what she is doing now you can check out her website: www.hillarymastrodicasayoga.com