Roots Presents Instructors in the Spotlight

Julie Aronis originally started doing yoga for fitness reasons. With a family history of illnesses that include lupus, cancer, and high blood pressure, Aronis assumed that longevity wasn't in her cards, and that most likely, she'd end up with lupus.

"I lost my dad at 59 and my mom at 67. When I thought I felt a lupus symptom, I became very frightened. I figured I'd learn yoga so that when I got lupus, I could still practice gentle forms of yoga," said Aronis.

Through her practice, Aronis discovered that even on days when the chips were down, yoga made her physically strong and gave her an overall sense of happiness that followed her off the mat and throughout her day.

"I love that yoga can be playful. It reminds me of the fun I had in gymnastics as a kid; it's quiet,serious, silly and fun, but it's also hard work. I'm stronger with more muscle definition than I've ever had in my life," she said.

According to Aronis, one doesn't need to worry about having flexibility or yoga know-how to come to her class. Yoga requires practice and patience, and progress varies from individual to individual. Because it could take a while just to learn a balance pose, a little sense of humor on the mat could go a long way.

"Anyone can practice yoga. My students range in age from two to 90 years old. During class, students can be doing the same pose, and each person looks a little different, it's beautiful. As my instructor, Roshan, said many times a day, 'Never give up, always let go'. That goes for yoga and life," she said.

Aronis believes that ego can often prevent folks from improving their practice. It can also cause someone to push themselves into an injury.

"It's important to listen to your body. A former teacher once explained to me that my heels may never touch the ground in down dog, but that I should continue to try with the understanding that there's certain things that some bodies just aren't able to do. I had been practicing for three years at the time and every other instructor told me that my heels should touch the ground. It never occurred to me
that I wasn't doing it wrong. It's funny, when I stopped beating myself up, many poses came so much easier. Most of the time, my heels do touch the ground in down dog now," she said.

Aronis' favorite pose of the moment, and one she's most proud of is her headstand. 

"It took me a month or so to be able to kick up against the wall. I spent an entire summer practicing at home against my wall with my dog Lola dropping a toy in front of my face. After six weeks in India, with teacher training and daily practice, my headstand now feels strong and powerful."

Aronis' quality of life has changed since her yoga journey began. A person who carried stress, she could only describe the way she used to feel as an overall sense of discontent. 

"It felt like life was happening to me, but I wasn't in the driver's seat. Today if I don't like something about my life, I know I have the power to change it. Change may take time, but if you don't try, it will never happen," she said.

Yoga keeps Aronis healthy on three levels; physical, mental, and emotional. Her practice and standard of living have evolved over the course of five years. She follows a plant based lifestyle and carries less stress than ever. Instead of feeling discontent, she feels happy and self accepting.

Said Aronis, "Yoga has helped me to be happy with who I am. If I'm not happy, I have the power to change something within myself. I no longer feel as if I'm getting lupus; I feel that my practice is going to lead to a long, healthy life."