Drop Fear.

FloYo instructor, Katie FIcca, first discovered the freedom of paddleboard yoga on an indoor pool in Baltimore, MD.  Katie shares her story of how yoga has helped her conquer her fears and live life free of limitations.

“We all have both light & dark inside us, what matters is the part we choose to act on that’s who we really are”.

~Sirius Black

I have practiced yoga since I was eighteen but if you asked me then if I would be where I am today [teaching land, air & sea yoga!] I probably would have laughed.

For most of my life, I had an insurmountable fear of the water and that which lurked beneath. Darkness was something that I was never willing to embrace, I am a lover of light. Physically I enjoy being in the sunshine and mentally I use humor and laughter to lighten the mood. As I grew up and had children, I realized that you could face the darkness and shine even brighter. Having three girls pushed me into the unknown and fueled my passion for discovery. That discovery came through my yoga practice, I became aware of what I was holding on to and what I was learning to let go of.

Over the years, fears had crept in and seeped deep down into my body, they made me tense and gasp for air. My yoga practice was where I found air, where I could fully breathe. During this transition of becoming a parent I wanted to show my girls the importance of taking in, breathing in, and ultimately savoring every aspect of life. I did not want them to ever feel restricted by fears or limitations they placed on them selves.

This meant I knew it was time to face one of my biggest fears, the fear of water. I wanted to try paddleboard yoga and in order to do so I had to face my fear of the water head on. I knew it was in me and  knew that if I simply continued to breathe I could get over any fear, no matter how big. It wasn’t easy those first few times I was on a board floating on the deep waters below. And even to this day, every time I step on a board those fears try to resurface but I simply breathe in and paddle out.

Paddling further away from doubt and closer into the heart, for the love of myself, my practice, and my life. Now I gladly travel to different waters, maybe even make a splash trying something new and bravely get out there as the fierce warrior I know I am. I now live to show my girls that they are capable of anything and to share this with my students. So, as I prepare to teach the upcoming indoor FloYo classes, I encourage you to acknowledge the dark, get free, be light! See you on the water!

Be sure to check out our upcoming indoor FloYo classes being offered at the Community College of Baltimore County- Dundalk- on Monday evenings, January 30-March 13th. More details and registration information to come!