The Well Yoga Dubuque's offering of yoga for individuals dealing with stress, trauma, anxiety and depression is a blossoming flower from my own journey through these challenges. Yoga and the yoga community have been sanctuaries where I've found healing and empowerment, helping me overcome my limiting beliefs, fears, and the lies I’ve operated under. Depending on my life circumstances, I often needed daily reminders to move from darkness into light, and the yoga studio provided the healing and community I needed. The Well is designed to be a haven where individuals can come to heal and find peace as often as they need.

I was diagnosed with depression in my 20s following a suicide attempt. At that time, I didn’t fully understand what depression was, nor did I manage my mental health effectively. My journey was fraught with lies and stories about how I believed the world saw me—thoughts of not being good enough, being dumb, and feeling worthless. These lies, which started at a young age and were carried into adulthood, made me feel empty, as if a part of me was missing, and I often wished I didn’t exist. I had no hope for the future, believing that my life had always been bad and always would be, and that the world would be better off without me.

When I started practicing yoga in my 30s, I discovered something entirely new. It wasn’t just the physical practice of yoga that drew me in, but the uplifting messages and the increased awareness of my thoughts that I eagerly absorbed class after class. The more aware I became of my thoughts, the more I awakened to the power of possibility, my potential, and my purpose in the world. I connected with God and realized that the emptiness I felt was my longing for Him and His everlasting love.

I believe we all exist to support one another. I am grateful to be able to be the hands and feet of Jesus, using my past suffering and trials to serve others. Despite my poor memory, one thing I clearly remember after my suicide attempt was the feeling that God would work all of it for good someday. The Well is the manifestation of that good, built in my heart and soul since the day I woke up in that hospital bed.

In conclusion, we offer yoga for depression because I want individuals dealing with depression or who may be in a dark place to know that they can find light and all the goodness within themselves at The Well.