Stronger, calmer and more confident

How Tracy transformed herself by stepping out of her comfort zone

When Tracy first walked into one of my Saturday morning yoga classes in early 2021, she was shy, unsure of herself, and hadn’t exercised in a long time. Tracy was in her early 50s and had made the decision to start coming to yoga classes because work was overwhelming her. As a smoker, she’d been using her habit as a coping mechanism for her to get a ‘break’ from the computer, but she’d recently made the decision to quit.

Tracy wasn’t feeling particularly confident about her body or about walking into a room full of strangers.

"Not knowing anyone in the class, being shy and with low self-esteem, it was a big step to turn up that first day.”

But she took the plunge because she hoped yoga might help her relax a little. She had no idea that it would change so much more.

Tracy started coming to classes once a week and, within a month, she felt she was getting the hang of it and liked that there wasn’t any pressure to perform a certain way.

“I like the fact that you give us options so that if you can’t do some of the stretches, we can modify it. Also, I don’t feel bad for coming out of poses sooner.”

Tracy felt welcomed by the other students who attended the class. For someone who hadn’t exercised in years, the sense of safety she felt mattered deeply and is what helped her to keep coming back.

“After class, I feel like I’ve stretched my body and I feel more relaxed than when I went in.”

Even though she briefly returned to smoking, Tracy continued coming to classes. Eventually, with encouragement from her husband, and taking on a part-time job where she couldn’t smoke, she decided to quit smoking for good. At the same time, she increased her attendance at yoga classes to two and then three times per week, which was a positive replacement for that habit.

Yoga became time for herself and a place to feel more connected, inwardly as well as outwardly. Over time, she began talking with other people in the classes. Laughing and sharing stories, and meeting up after class for a cuppa.

Tracy even went on to immerse herself in other aspects of the practice more deeply by:

• attending yoga and sound journey events, which she describes as “amazing” and “leaves me feeling weightless”.

• attending day retreats, which she once would have avoided because “there was a lot of people she didn’t know”, but now participates in and enjoys.

• joining my 30-day Face Yoga program – a habit she now integrates easily into her daily routine.

I’ve loved supporting Tracy and have enjoyed watching her transformation. However, the most powerful shift for her has been in her health.

Tracy was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease about eight years ago, although she suspects she’d been living with it for decades. As a result of this condition, part of her large intestine is permanently damaged, and when Tracy’s stress levels rise, flare ups happen and wreak havoc on her body. Because stress directly impacts her Crohn’s disease, learning to regulate her nervous system has been essential.

"I’ve learned that your general health is connected to your gut health and when one isn’t working well, it affects everything else.”

Since practising yoga consistently, Tracy has noticed the following changes:

• her Crohn’s symptoms are less severe than they were 3–4 years ago.

• a Crohn’s related inflammatory skin condition on her hands has reduced to just two flare-ups in the past two years. This is down from 6–8 flare-ups per year prior to starting yoga.

• she can attend classes more consistently (3 times a week) — something that wasn’t always possible when her condition was more unstable because she would end up in bed, feeling unwell.

• her stress levels are significantly lower, and she now has the tools to manage her stress levels when they rise.

• she feels a lot more confident and says she feels physically stronger.

Tracy also noticed something striking around her ability to manage emotional stress. Years ago, when her beloved dog died, she experienced a major Crohn’s flare within a week. More recently, when her mother passed away, even though she felt deep grief, she was able to use breath work and meditation from her yoga training to support herself, and did not experience a major flare up.

That difference is huge.

For Tracy, her yoga practice has become a foundation for her health, her wellbeing, and her life. Through her consistent approach, she has learned to manage stress, reduce the impact of Crohn’s disease, and prevent flare-ups that used to disrupt her life. Her body has grown stronger, her mind calmer, and she is much more confident.

“I feel a lot more confident. I feel like I’m a better person to know, and I can cope better with things that are thrown at me. That inner and outer strength develops without you realising it.”

Today, Tracy doesn’t just attend yoga classes — she carries the calm, strength, and confidence she builds on the mat into every part of her life. This was reflected back to her when she recently returned to the UK to visit family.

"Janet [a friend from yoga class] said that my relatives won’t recognise me when I go back to the UK. She was right. They said, “You’re like a different person”. A lot of that change comes from the yoga.”

Ultimately, the real value lies in the way yoga has allowed her to deepen the connection with herself. It has given her the tools to cope, the space to breathe, and the courage to embrace a life that is more balanced, joyful and resilient.