Never Have I Ever: When Yoga Breaks Me Open
captured by royel, 2025, topanga canyon
Listen closely, because I don’t share these secrets with just anyone.
Moment of Surrender
Picture this: Me, on a yoga mat that feels more like a personal confessional than a fitness space. The room quiet, save for the whispers of my unspoken truths – and then, “Never Have I Ever” by Sick Individuals starts playing.
Unexpected Breakdown
The music hit different. Each beat, each lyric became a mirror, reflecting the parts of myself I’ve been afraid to acknowledge. Never have I ever been so seen, so vulnerable, so completely undone.
Confessions from My Mat
I’ve spent a lifetime walking with my head bowed, a ghost passing through rooms. “Seen and not heard” – my unspoken mantra. But in that moment, with the song pulsing through the studio, something shifted. It whispered (no, shouted) that I wasn’t created to shrink, to disappear, to apologize for taking up space.
Sonic Revelation
Our instructor moved us through the flow, but it was the music that broke me open. “Never Have I Ever” became more than a song – it was a confession, a prayer, a declaration of everything we’ve been holding back.
Personal Commitment
In that moment of total vulnerability, something rose up from somewhere deep – from my core, from my spirit, from the very essence of who I was created to be.
Never have I ever been this brave before.
Breaking the Silence
To our fellow warriors just beginning this journey: Breaking open is not weakness. It’s the most profound strength there is. This isn’t just about yoga. This is about becoming fully, unapologetically ourselves.
Light Lesson
Sometimes illumination requires questioning the shadows we’ve inherited. Sometimes stepping outside our comfort zone means stepping into our truest selves – together.
We must remember that our journey is collective. When we feel small, we lift each other up. When one of us struggles, we all extend a hand. Our strength is in our unity, our vulnerability is our power.
xoxo,
Mitchell Royel