Macy Cole

It all started when...
I was a Freshman in college at The University of Tennessee Chattanooga and about ten minutes in to my first collegiate level soccer match. Within minutes I was being carried off the field with tremendous pain in both legs. The athletic trainer kept referring to the pain as something called "foot drop." After multiple trips to the doctor and intensive testing, I was diagnosed with compartment syndrome. Together with my family, I made the decision to undergo surgery. Though the pressure in both legs had been surgically released it was only a matter of time before I began noticing the same tightening feeling I had experienced only a few months prior. Seeking other avenues outside of a second surgery I came across my first experience with yoga. This is where the story truly begins...

As a 19 year-old seeking relief from chronic pain in both legs it came as no surprise that it only took one yoga class before I was hooked! It was perhaps the most humbling experience I had ever had up to that point and it was the first time I felt both physical and mental relief. Coming from a highly competitive yet equally spiritual background, yoga introduced the perfect combination of athleticism and spiritual connection. It was an opportunity to "practice" in a sacred space where my performance was simply rated on my ability to stay present with myself and my breath. Drawing into the present moment each time I practiced brought a new wholeness to a life I had already found to be tremendously rewarding.

I have been practicing yoga since 2009 and teaching yoga since 2012. As a teacher I desire to offer students the opportunity to find their own inner peace. To be freed from the physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual entanglements of this world in order to connect to themselves and others more deeply. When we can release tension in the mind, body, and soul the tension in our relationships and life begin to dissolve as well. Yoga is an opportunity to explore the depths of our existence and come out on the other side having gained peace of mind, stillness of heart, and an awakening of the soul.