Southwestern Magazine | Fall 2019

but I kept putting it o”. One of my best friends and I decided to take a yoga and crystalsworkshop at a local studio called Yogaleena, inMontrose, a trendy neigh- borhood of Houston. When I later saw that the same studio was o”ering their 200-hour yoga teacher training program, I knewwhat I had to do. On the evening of our first Yogaleena teacher training retreat, we were assigned awriting exercise. The prompt asked us to consider what we truly wanted. I wrote, “It has taken me 33 years, but I feel like I amfinally trying to dowhat is best formyself and focusing on the life I want. I think I have lived in fear of failure or disappointing others for so long that I amready to challengemyself to follow my heart instead of playing it safe.” That challengewasmoving toDenver. It was somewhat terrifying, but I felt like Colorado would surround me with beauty and trulymotivateme to live the life I’dwanted as a creative and possibly an entrepreneur. So at the end of the school year, I decided to take a chance and send in an application for a college and career counselor position at STEM SchoolHighlandsRanch, on theoutskirts of Denver. Although I was excited and nervous, I accepted the position less than amonth after the community fell victim to the unthinkable: a school shooting. I realized that this might be the perfect opportunity to give back—to help students and staff process their trauma through writing and yoga. SouthwesternUniversity taughtme to be an activemember of the community and to uncover and usemy strengths to help others. As a student of the humanities, I find that our stories are what make us human—the stories that we tell others but also the stories we tell ourselves. They’re the stories of our bodies; they’re the stories that hide within our minds. Wehave toshare thosestories toheal, and we have to communicate to understand. In order to heal, we need to open up and be authenticwithout feeling judged. And when others open themselves to us, we must listen in order to understand, not just to respond. Yoga teaches us how to listen to ourselves and to others. At a time in the world when human beings are forgetting about their humanity, it is imperative that we create, share, move, and listen. When I came to this realization, I began to work on my passion project. I now offer free yoga to the faculty at Highlands Ranch to support my fellow staff members. I also offer yoga and writing workshops through BiblioYoga, my own studio. In both the school and the studio, I try to create a soulful space where mind and body connect to fuel creativity. My goal is a space where people can be authentic and can connect with themselves and with others. If you are in theDenver area, please stop by the studio. I would love for you to join us on our journey. Visit Lytle online at biblioyoga.com or on Instagram@biblioyoga. Southwestern University taught me to be an active member of the community and to uncover and use my strengths to help others. 15 SOUTHWESTERN