- February 20, 2025
21 years ago, there wasn't much dimension in Sue's life. An alcoholic and daily pot smoker, she says her world was black and white for a long time. But since she found recovery and the Yoga of 12 Step Recovery program, she feels like a rainbow.
"I got sober when I turned 30," she said. "I took a look around and saw everybody married with kids while I was still smoking weed everyday and partying. I didn't really like the way I was feeling. I didn't really like who I was."
After being in recovery for so long, Sue said she was starting to feel stagnant with her own personal development. So when she heard about Teresa Harris' Y12SR class a year ago, she immediately signed up.
"Alcohol and drugs kind of numbed me too the point of thinking that it was the solution to my pain and my uncomfortableness with being my self. It's like it almost works, but it's an illusion."
Sue, Y12SR member
"Yoga has helped me do things I've never done before," she said. "I had no idea that I could feel so relaxed and so exhilarated at the same time. For so long I was really indifferent, and I didn't pay attention. All those years I was never really alive."
When Harris first started teaching the program — which was originally created in 1939 — she only had one class in one studio. Now she teaches three differnet types of recovery classes in three different studios, which helps with her own recovery. Harris has been sober for four years.
"I moved down to Florida to go into treatment," Harris said. "Through my personal experience I learned that yoga is the only way I can recover physically. The 12 steps are very mental, spiritual and emotional, but there is not physical piece to it. We do so much harm to our bodies that we need to recover through our bodies as well."
"It helps me to stay more grounded," said Sue. "I had no idea how much moving my body can really change my presence of mind."
