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I first came to yoga over a decade ago[br]because I was missing something -

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like a word on the tip of my tongue

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or the memory of a dream[br]that I just couldn't quite recall.

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I was searching for an answer[br]without really knowing the question.

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And for some reason,

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I thought that I would find the answer[br]to this unknown riddle

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by attending yoga classes.

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I somehow hoped[br]that through yoga practice,

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I would start to feel better

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even though I really couldn't tell you[br]what it was that felt wrong.

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Well, I soon discovered

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that the void I was hoping to fill[br]was that of my own soul.

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My inherent desire to reconnect[br]with this vital part of myself

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ultimately fueled my search

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and led me into the yoga room[br]and onto my mat.

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Now, I'm sure when you hear[br]the word "yoga,"

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a few things probably come to mind.

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Flexibility often comes to mind.

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Stress relief often comes to mind.

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And if you have a little more exposure,[br]a little more experience,

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something about union -

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because yoga is often described[br]as meaning union -

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and maybe something about[br]a body, mind and spirit connection

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may also come to mind.

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But what yoga really does[br]is provide a house for the human soul.

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Yoga teaches that your body is a living[br]and breathing piece of architecture,

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designed specifically for you[br]and no one else

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for the one purpose of housing your soul.

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And it also teaches

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that when the body is a neglected[br]and crumbling structure,

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the soul has no interest[br]in residing there.

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So through the process of yoga,

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I learned to rebuild my body[br]to house my soul.

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Yoga teaches that it's through the soul -

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that through the body[br]and the soul connection

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that the body really gets[br]to manifest itself here on earth.

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So how do we know[br]when the soul is at home?

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Well, let's look at the breath.

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Connecting to the breath draws us[br]out of our heads and into our bodies.

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Through yogic breath control,[br]we learn to quiet the mind,

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to clear our thoughts,

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to have quiet emotions

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and to be present in the body.

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When I'm disconnected from my breath[br]and my mind and my body,

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I lack energy.

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I lack inspiration.

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My spark is gone.

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And with it really goes[br]my creativity and my personal power.

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Instead of happily housing my soul,

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I'm much more apt to be housing[br]resistance, judgment, even complacency.

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My imagination gets lost.

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When I'm connected[br]to my body and my breath,

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my inspiration shows up.

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Think of the last time you were inspired.

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I bet you had more energy,

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felt physically at your best

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and had clear and focused thoughts.

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I bet the last time you were inspired,

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you didn't see obstacles[br]or get discouraged.

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I bet you had really clear solutions[br]to manifest your creative ideas.

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These are the moments[br]when our souls are truly at home

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and are shining through.

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When the architecture[br]of the body and the mind are weak,

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the soul cannot[br]manifest itself here on earth.

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I know this personally

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because in 2003, I was diagnosed

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with the autoimmune disease[br]multiple sclerosis.

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MS attacks the nervous system.

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It has no known cause and no known cure.

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At best, it causes nerve pain.

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It causes muscle fatigue[br]and severe muscle weakness.

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And at its worst,[br]it can be completely debilitating,

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robbing you of your mobility,

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impairing your vision

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and even breaking down[br]basic cognitive functions.

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My 25-year-old body[br]literally began to break down,

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and my creative soul[br]began to pack up and move out.

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Pain takes us away from the current moment

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and even further away from our souls.

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When we're in pain, it's really difficult[br]to feel the beauty of being alive.

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When I was first diagnosed,

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walking was very difficult[br]and very painful.

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Stairs were almost impossible,

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and I was blind in my right eye.

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I had zero energy,[br]but I maintained my yoga practice.

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There were days, many days,[br]I didn't even go to work,

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but I daily attended my yoga practice,

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mostly because I really[br]didn't know what else to do.

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I took medication,[br]but yoga really spoke to my soul.

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When I was in practice, my yoga practice,

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it gave me tools[br]to fortify my physical structure,

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but it gave my soul a place[br]to feel secure, to feel safe

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and to shine through.

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When I was in my yoga practice,

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I felt safe and I felt strong[br]and I felt optimistic.

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So if yoga helps us create[br]this wonderful house for the soul,

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why is it that we do associate it[br]with flexibility and with stress control?

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Well, that's because they really speak[br]to the same thing and go hand in hand.

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When the body's flexible,[br]we have more room for creativity.

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You have greater range[br]of motion, more mobility.

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This literally means[br]that things are now within your reach

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that were not possible before.

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Pain makes everything contract:

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your body contracts,

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your mind contracts.

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The square footage of your world[br]literally gets smaller.

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The flexibility I learned[br]through my yoga practice

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started to open up my body[br]into ways I never thought possible

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and certainly into postures[br]I never even knew existed before.

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And as my body and my flexibility[br]started to open up,

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my mind started to open up.

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I started to see more possibilities,

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my pain subsided,

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and my soul finally[br]had some room to breathe.

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It finally had some room[br]to start manifesting itself again.

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And as for stress control -

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well, when you're in a yoga practice[br]and you're really focused on a posture -

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you're trying to balance on one leg

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or maneuver yourself[br]into these different postures -

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you're completely focused[br]on the moment at hand.

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And in those times when you're connected[br]to your body and your breath,

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there is just no room[br]for any anxious or stressful thoughts.

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So today, it's been over 12 years[br]since I began my yoga practice,

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and it's been over 11 years[br]since my MS diagnosis,

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and I remain asymptomatic.

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I no longer take medication:

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I take yoga instead.

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It keeps my body strong,[br]and it keeps my soul alive.

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In yoga, you are the architect[br]who designs the house for your soul.

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Make it strong.

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Make it beautiful.

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And make it a living[br]and breathing expression

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worthy of your most creative,[br]innovative and loving self.

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Thank you.

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(Applause)