Finding Independence
- Meagan Swingle
- Jul 4, 2017
- 2 min read
To some, the 4th of July, Independence Day, means enjoying a cold beer after crossing the Peachtree Road Race finish line; it means family and friends, sparklers, American flags on the mailbox, adorable kids wearing red, white and blue, and proudly Standing Up when Lee Greenwood sings God Bless the USA.
To my wonderful yoga teacher, JuMin Chien, Independence Day means a restart, a fresh beginning, a new day, as she looks back and remembers going through a difficult time, but coming through it stronger and more grounded than ever before.
JuMin’s Story:
“I moved to the states from Taiwan in 2010 and became a U.S. Citizen in 2014, on Independence Day.
Some interesting things happened to me in my journey. I wasn’t feeling grounded and I lost myself for a moment, because I didn’t grow up here and my relationship was falling apart. I had so many things to learn, to adjust.
Family means a lot to me. I only had one family here in the states, and when our relationship ended, he left.
But I appreciate that kind of life experience, and every year, during this holiday, I think back and I have a lot of things to recall, and it makes me think of that time when I had to restart.
During this time of change for me, as I went through the end of this relationship, I was doing a lot of the grounding postures, like Mountain pose and the Warriors.
I was doing a lot of the standing and foundation postures, like Tree, to make me feel like ‘I am here. I feel the land.’ I tried to identify myself in the present moment and it helped a lot.
When I look back and remember, I think it was wonderful journey and every year around this holiday, I remember and I feel so strong and so grounded, after Independence Day.”