{ { MY NEXT BEST DAY} } SHIFT+CONTROL
MAY YOUR NEXT DAY BE YOUR BEST DAY BY SHANELLE BENSON REID
Health and wellness has been at the center of my life for over 30 years. I ran track, played basketball and attempted volleyball. I was serious about my health while in high school. This seriousness likely began in middles school. Back then I was afraid to use controlled substances because I believed these substance would impact my performance. I enjoyed being an athlete and I wanted to excel. As I got older, health and wellness drifted to the back of my mind. I became a parent, finished school and submerged myself into my work. This lasted for another ten years. Then it happened, I started working out regularly, began eating healthier and was on the right track. I created a support system to help me with meal plans, started focusing on daily workouts and was in a good place. This was my pattern for many years; commit to health then forget about health. Commit to fitness then forget about fitness. Then the global pandemic came and I spiraled out of control. I ate everything in sight; good, bad, whatever I could find. This lasted until August of 2020. In August, I started taking yoga classes regularly. My goal was to allow yoga to help me manage stress but I knew I wanted to be a yoga teacher after my first class. After a month of doing yoga 64
ROCHESTER WOMAN ONLINE : DECEMBER EDITION 2020
daily, I decided to overhaul my diet. I went full plant-based. Of course, I had dabbled with veganism in the past. I would go periods of eating healthy then binge later. But this time was different. This time I actually had the knowledge to maintain plant-based eating. I joined groups on social media, consulted a nutritionist and bought books to learn as much as possible. I was committed. Congratulations to me! It is the first week
of December and I have completed my 200-hour yoga teacher training and it has been quite the experience. From learning new terminology to understating a new philosophy; this has been an unbelievable process. That being said, not only am I a yoga instructor, I am also pursuing a plant-based nutrition certificate. This is my wellness journey and I am pleased to be here at this very moment in my life. Life as a yogi has not been without trials. About a month and half ago I cried on my mat. I am not sure if I was frustrated,
in pain, disappointed, emotional or all of the above. However, what I learned while going through this process is some moments on the mat can cause an emotional response. I allowed myself to get to the end of my emotional release and it was at this moment I knew I would spend the rest of my life developing my practice. All in all, this entire process has been remarkable. Deciding to become a yoga teacher is the first decision I made with only myself in mind in quite a while but what I’ve learned is this decision has impacted everyone else in my life as well. Yoga has transformed my life and my next day is my best day. Choosing to develop my yoga practice helped me transform my diet and rethink my wellness journey. In closing, I want to say I would love for you to embark on this adventure with me but perhaps yoga is not your “thing” perhaps you have not identified your “thing”. My hope is that by watching me, you gain the courage to choose you and find your “thing”. May Your Next Day Be Your Best Day!