If you’re a Graham Munro Treatment Centre (Munro) alumni who graduated over the last year, you probably know Adriana. A person in recovery herself, yoga has been integral to Adriana’s recovery. In July 2020, she first began at Renascent, volunteering as a Munro yoga instructor.
Adriana shares openly about her love for yoga, how it has helped her recovery and how it fosters honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness.
“Yoga is all about the connection, not about any specific pose. And connection is the opposite of addiction – that’s what I love about yoga,” says Adriana. “Approaching yoga with an open mind makes it accessible for everyone. Being open-minded on the yoga mat and understanding what each pose should look like and how your specific body performs each pose requires a certain level of honesty.”
Adriana found herself disconnected from life prior to discovering yoga and through adopting a regular practice has been able to plug in and find life more enjoyable. “Yoga helps in connecting with how you are feeling, and doing these poses in a way that is at ease in your body is important. Yoga helps you connect to your intuition and guides you to take care of yourself on and off the mat.”
Adriana’s advice about honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness is simple and applies to everyone – even those who do not practice yoga. “You need to be honest with yourself about what you’re feeling. You can only get to where you want to be if you are honest. Be willing to step outside of your comfort zone because that’s where you’ll see the greatest self-development and growth. Remain willing to learn,” says Adriana. “Also, take it one day at a time. The gratitude that follows will be incredible.”
With the COVID-19 pandemic in full swing when Adriana first started teaching yoga, she only had a few in-person classes under her belt, before she transitioned to teaching the women at Munro virtually. With case numbers currently in decline and readily available COVID-19 vaccines, Adriana is back at Munro leading yoga practices in person and is now employed with Renascent.
