yoga

Cerebral Palsy and All, I Am a Yogi and I Am Darn Proud of It!

mg_6152_2

 

“Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete?

Proving nature’s laws wrong, it learned to walk without having feet.

Funny, it seems to by keeping its dreams; it learned to breathe fresh air.

Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else even cared.” ~ Tupac Shakur

mg_6209_2

 

Strength, courage, perseverance, triumph, and on and on and on.

Ela Wojtowicz, a young woman with cerebral palsy, finds her balance as we begin our creative collaboration on a glorious Autumn afternoon in Central Park.

mg_6160_2

 

“Cerebral palsy and all, I am a Yogi and I am darn proud of it!” says Ela.

mg_6186_2

 

Ela continues:

“You do not have to be strong or flexible to create a work of art.”

“This quotation by Seane Corn speaks to my heart and soul on a deep level. Being a young woman who has a physical disability, I never thought that I would be doing Yoga, let alone become a Yoga Teacher.

Being a yogi with cerebral palsy, I want to inspire others and, in doing so, I inspire myself.

Yoga is not about the physical — whether we can get our leg over our head — but rather what is in our heart.

Yoga is an art and I know in my heart, that I am here (like all of us), for a reason. My purpose is to share my challenges and disability through the art of Yoga. Yoga is an expression unlike any other and it allows me to truly be open and confident and vulnerable to whatever comes.

It allows me to accept myself for who I am: as a person with a disability. I am and will be forever grateful, honored and humbled by the love of healing, compassion, and beauty that Yoga and this Life has given me.”

mg_6234d_2

 

Yes, she’s a yogi too. The truest kind.

“The flower that blooms in adversity is the rarest and most beautiful of all.” ~ Walt Disney

mg_6164_2

mg_6224d_2

mg_6244

***

{Join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Pinterest}

 

Comments

Robert Sturman

Robert Sturman

A dedicated Yoga practitioner, photographer Robert Sturman has increasingly focused on capturing the timeless grace and embodied mindfulness of asana in his work. His portraits, whether set in the lively streets of Manhattan, the expansive beaches and canyons of Malibu, the timeless elegance of Walden's New England, or the bleakness of Marin County's San Quentin Prison, remind us that there is beauty everywhere. In Sturman's own words, "I often think of Rumi's words, 'I can't stop pointing to the beauty.' That feels right to me." Sturman's honors include Official Artist of the 47th Annual Grammy Awards, 2010 FIFA World Cup Artist Representing America, and Official Artist 2007 United States Olympics. In 2012 and 2013, Sturman was the subject of two separate New York Times articles celebrating his photographs of Yoga from around the world. You can find out more about Robert’s work at his online studio and connect with him via Facebook and Twitter.
Robert Sturman
Robert Sturman