Amber G. - Instructor
Growing up, I wasn’t the most athletic of kids—I spent almost all of my time with my nose in a book, or hanging out with my dad in the garage while he tinkered with our cars. As I grew up, I stayed a book worm, competing in more math competitions than sporting events. My heath took a backseat to academics. But when I was a freshman at Mizzou, my whole world was rocked. My dad was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, which the doctors said was caused by a combination of years of acid reflux and smoking. Pops worked so hard to get healthy and overcome his cancer. And he did, twice.
But as most who have experienced cancer know, the disease is vicious. The summer before my senior year of college, my dad went in for a routine health check and the doctors discovered the worst. His cancer had come back, this time it was in his lungs and making its way into his bones. Three months later, he passed away.
After a few months dealing with the shock and sadness of losing him, I decided to make my health a priority. It was around January or February 2015 at the time and I started “running”—I put running in quotes because at the time, I couldn’t even run for a solid minute without becoming breathless and having to slow down and walk. But I kept going. I kept pushing myself, all the while holding the struggle my dad went through in my heart, using it as motivation to take a couple more steps. By the summertime, I got to the point where I as running three to four miles a day, but I kept hurting myself and pulling muscles since I had no idea how to properly stretch or recover. That’s when I found yoga.
I instantly fell in love. I loved (and still do love) that yoga helped clear my mind, helped me find acceptance and that I could watch myself grow in the poses.
In October of that year, I moved to Thailand to teach English as a Foreign Language—I taught at this private Buddhist school about half an hour outside of Chiang Mai, and I was pretty much the only person in my town who spoke English. I spent most of my evenings taking online yoga classes, learning as much as I could, growing in my understanding of my practice. So much was different and unknown at the time, and I found great solace in my yoga practice and journey.
After several months of living abroad, I eventually moved back to Columbia, MO and started working at Veterans United. Life was so much faster here compared to what I had just experienced—my yoga practice took a back burner as I got swept away with the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I quickly grew in my career and personal life, but I couldn’t help but think something was missing.
After one particularly stressful day at work, I needed something to help me get through my frustrations, so I signed up for a yoga class that afternoon. I quickly remembered everything about yoga that I fell in love with the year before. Before long, I was taking 3-4 classes a week, I was hooked again.
Since then, I’ve continued to grow in my practice, yearning for a deeper understanding of the yogic principles. At the start of 2020, I set a goal to obtain my 200hr yoga teacher certification in order to satisfy part of that yearning for deeper understanding and connection—I looked into several online programs at the start of the year, however none really tickled my fancy. So I put the goal in the back of my mind, quickly getting swept away with the busyness of life once again. Then on a whim after yet another stressful day of work, I decided to take a class at Sumits instead of my normal studio. I was so moved by the practice and completely at peace when class ended. It almost felt like I was floating when I walked into the locker room after class. As I gathered my items, I saw a sign for Sumit’s upcoming teacher training and the goal I set several months before came flooding back.
I completed my 200 YTT Certification in July 2020, finding beautiful friendships and growth. I’ve come to love the support and community that Sumits embodies, and look forward to continuing my journey with all of you.
