It’s only been a few months since Inspire Yoga Colleyville opened its doors, but it didn’t take long to find some Inspiring Yogis to introduce to you! Erin Burkholder is a Founding Member to IY Colleyville and is a familiar face in the morning classes. She brings amazing energy and heart every time she gets on the mat. Read her story and see why she’s our Inspiring Yogi of the Month!
My yoga journey began in December 2016, but my athletic life as a competitive gymnast began at 8 years old. Because of the extraordinary demands on my body, I was forced to quit at 14 years old, which was closely followed by two knee surgeries by 16 and multiple wrist surgeries in my teens through my late 20’s. I was in constant pain and stopped any physical activity outside of cheerleading in high school. I spent my 20’s and the majority of my 30’s out of shape and in constant pain. At 37, I decided I was tired of hurting and not being active, so I bought a Groupon to a hot yoga studio.
I had tried one non-heated yoga class the year prior, but it hurt my wrist too much and I never went back. But I decided to give it another try, this time in the heat because I read about all of the benefits. I couldn’t believe how I had no pain during my heated practice – it was the first time in years that I was free from it and from that moment on I was hooked! I started off just moving my body as best as I could and progressing slowly at the speed that worked for me. I enjoyed the heat and kept up a consistent practice 2-4x/week for a few years. However, after those first few years I did find myself stuck in a place with the same flow every class and I began to lose the excitement for my practice and no longer felt challenged.
It wasn’t until Inspire Yoga opened up in Colleyville this past October that I found my passion for it again and my practice really began to blossom! I started to grow and deepen my knowledge and skills with the help of some truly amazing teachers. I’ve learned alignment techniques, how to expand on poses and have also learned so many new poses. I absolutely love learning new things and am never too embarrassed to try something new, even when I don’t think there’s a chance I can do it. My philosophy is you don’t know until you try and this studio gives me the safe space to do it. One of my favorite classes is the Inspire + Skills class because you learn a new challenging skill/pose each week which is a blast! Now you’ll find me upside down as often as I can and playing with arm balances (and falling out and laughing at myself!). I’m always asking questions to figure out how to work towards a certain pose and the teachers never hesitate to help and guide me.
Now at 41, I’m in the best shape of my life, both mentally and physically! I have a practice that speaks to me and that I can’t wait to do. I aim for 5 classes/week now and never view them as a burden or a workout that “I have to do”, I look forward to every class and like not knowing what’s to come. I’m so grateful that I found a studio, with such a beautiful space and wonderful teachers!
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It was great to meet you during opening week! And it is great to learn more about your experiences. See you on your mat!
These are amazing pics, Erin! So happy to have you IY Colleyville!