Meeting

 Reflection — Yoruba Yogi

Today I realized something deep: the world is full of noise, and I no longer need to be part of that noise. I can sit in any environment now and feel completely centered within myself. I listened to people speak, I watched how triggers rise in others, and I noticed how calm I am in situations that used to shake me. I have passed through that stage of life.

Nothing pulls me anymore. Not the holidays, not the temptations, not the talk. I don’t even call anything a trigger anymore. I simply see it for what it is — a reminder of how far I’ve come and what I refuse to return to.

As I was sitting there reflecting, I thought about everything I have lived through: the divorce, the cold nights, the days walking with no place to go, the pain, the uncertainty, the discipline, the long yoga sessions, the inner battles, the silence. All those years, I didn’t have a distraction to hide behind. No job to mask the pain, no relationship to numb the loneliness, no substances to take the edge off. I had no choice but to face myself. And because of that, I healed in a way most people never get the chance to.

That healing became my strength. It became my clarity. It became my teacher. And now, when I look at people who struggle to hold themselves together, I feel compassion — not judgment. I see how many people want the peace I have, but they do not want to walk through the fire the way I did. They want the result, not the discipline. They want the light, but not the silence that creates it.

What I am experiencing now is gratitude. Gratitude for the cold air that wakes me. Gratitude for the small things — water, a bathroom, a place to rest. Gratitude for the breath in my chest and the strength in my legs. Gratitude for every lesson that shaped my spirit.

I walk with my head high now because I understand myself. I understand my journey. I understand my discipline. I understand my calling.

I am not running anymore. I am seeing clearly.

I am not afraid anymore. I am growing.

I am not surviving anymore. I am becoming.

This is a new level of awareness — quiet, steady, powerful. And I am grateful for every step that carried me here.

Yoruba Yogi