Lucia, one of my regular yoga students recently walked into the studio and said to me, “I love you!” She laughed at her sudden burst of affection and followed up with, “Maybe I shouldn’t say that, but I don’t know how else to say it.” My heart swelled. She went on to say how she and her best friend used to hold hands when they were little. She remarked how easy it is to show our love and affection when we are young and less so as we get older. “Loving someone shouldn’t be so hard,” she remarked. I agreed one thousand percent. As I took in Lucia, her brownish gold shoulder length hair, her tiny smile lines, the sparkle in her eyes I was struck by the difference between her “now self” and her “post-surgery self” four years ago.
Lucia is originally from Romania and has a Master’s Degree in Energy Production and Nuclear Engineering. She came to Illinois after receiving a research grant for a Nuclear Reactor Operator at the University of Illinois in Urbana Champaign. After her stint in Urbana, she went onto to do the same work in Braceville, IL. It was here where she suddenly collapsed from a brain aneurysm five years ago. Lucia was immediately taken to St. Joseph hospital and underwent an emergency craniotomy where titanium coils were used to seal the opening of an artery in her brain. The scientist in her marveled at what the surgeons were able to do, “Isn’t science unbelievable!” she exclaimed with childlike enthusiasm. I was still marveling at the fact that she was a Nuclear Engineer when all I could remember from Chemistry class was a joke our teacher made, and it had nothing to do with Chemistry.
Lucia did not realize how drastically her life would change. She could no longer drive long distances or drive at night, due to photophobia or a sensitivity to light (a common condition after a traumatic brain injury). Where once she had a demanding job, charged with making difficult decisions, now she had difficulty focusing on everyday tasks leaving her exhausted and in need of breaks throughout the day. “It was very hard to accept the idea of losing my job,” says Lucia, though she is thankful to be alive and feels a stronger force is at play.
She found 360 Studios quite by accident. Or not. She was on her way to the groomer, with her dog Oliver, when she noticed the sign for 360 Studios. “I don’t know what drew me to it,” she said, maybe it was that her balance was off, or maybe it was something bigger, but she felt compelled to call the Yoga studio. She spoke with Nicole, the owner, and was assured she would be in good hands. Her first teacher was a retired nurse and this put her at ease. A little. In addition to the stent and titanium coils in her brain she was on blood pressure medication to increase blood flow. While hopeful yoga might help with balance, she still had lots of questions and concerns. Would the classes be too hot or too strenuous? Would she have to go upside down? Nicole assured her that the teachers would give her modifications and encouraged her to try a few of our gentler classes. It was evident that Lucia was still plenty nervous, but eventually she started to come. In fact, she started to come every day and quickly felt its effects. She started with Restorative Yoga, then moved onto Gentle Yoga, then Hatha Vinyasa and finally Yoga Sculpt. Four years later it is not uncommon to see Lucia taking two classes a day, sometimes three!
Lucia constantly remarks that yoga saved her life, and it is not just the physical strides she has made, but the emotional and mental strides as well. When Lucia started at 360, she was nervous, not just about yoga but everything! She would come into the studio voicing her concerns about the world, and believe me, there was plenty to voice. But overtime, I witnessed less and less of these concerns. In fact, lately I have noticed how happy Lucia is when she comes to class, spreading her joy with hugs and proclamations of love.
While Lucia no longer works as a nuclear engineer, she still works with energy, subtle energy. A vital energy that is within us and that which we can change, expand or move through yoga. As the Himalayan Institute points out, “similar to how Western science has mapped the physical body, the yogis and masters of the East created an equally detailed map of the subtle and energy bodies.” And the change in subtle energy is quite visible in Lucia, in fact, she radiates it. But don’t take my word for it, take hers, “360 is a magical place for me,” she says, “a place of love, energy and hope.” I agree with her one thousand percent.