Monica Pino

~I am a mother of two, absolutely amazing boys!!! I gave birth to my first son just 6 months shy of my 19th birthday. Being a young mother (and extremely determined to be the best mother anyone could have), I happily put everything I had into enriching my child’s (and 5 years later, children’s) life.  It wasn’t until my youngest was three years old that I really came to the realization that, aside from being sure that my boys were the most amazing miracles in my life, I wasn’t very sure of who *I* was aside from “mommy”. There was a lot of guilt even at the idea that I should take time for just me. It had been a long time coming…

~I walked into my first yoga class using a studio-provided mat which I quietly rolled out in the very back of the room. After that first class I knew I had found a positive outlet for the beginning of my self-healing and journey back to myself.  Many people are drawn to yoga for physical reasons. This is great, as I did know it would be a benefit. However, I was drawn to yoga more out of curiosity. Curious about the possibilities other than the physical. I was looking for a quiet place to find myself! A way to de-stress, recharge and feel like my best on the inside, as well as on the outside. I have found in yoga SO MUCH MORE than I had even imagined!

~Physically, I gained energy, flexibility, and strength. Mentally, yoga has been a huge part of de-stressing and de-cluttering my mind. Sometimes our thoughts can drive us nuts!  We lose sleep, energy and get caught up in the loop of repetitive thoughts. Through yoga I am learning to be in the present moment, let go of my worries and my “to-do” lists… quiet my mind and just breathe.

~Emotionally, yoga has been and continues to be a way of healing for me. Rather than hiding things that bothered me inside, I began to confront them so that I could let them go. I believe that when we tear down the walls we sometimes build around us, we are then able to let our true selves shine. Self healing IS possible! Joy in every breath IS reachable! No matter what we have been through, love and light IS accessible!

~I am honored to have completed 300 hours of yoga teacher training  from Hilaire Lockwood of Hilltop Yoga.  I also became a basic Zumba trained instructor in 2012. I am so grateful to be a part of the awesome  ’Just B Yoga’ family and anxiously await seeing you there!