Jenya's story
Since childhood, I have seen the negative effects of alcohol consumption, but it was only later in my adulthood that I realized how it influenced my life. I was born in Kazakhstan. My mom was very young when she had me. My stepfather was a heavy drinker and from time to time would get aggressive. It took my mom a very long time to leave him. I was about thirteen when I met my biological father. I would spend some summers in his house playing with my sisters. In my memory, I'd see him being drunk and screaming at everybody. I was about seventeen when I first saw him being very aggressive under the influence of alcohol. I will never forget my youngest sister kneeling on the ground in front of him praying to God. I was just standing there in full shock. Time has passed and I was getting my Master's degree living in Russia when I first realized that a lot of my mental problems had to do with alcohol. I was very stressed with classes and I used alcohol often. It was one of the first times I caught myself being emotionally abusive under the influence of alcohol. Time passed and I moved to the United States. Being an immigrant was never an easy time. I mostly worked in restaurants and consumed alcohol often. 2018 was the year when everything started to change. I started to practice Yoga. In 2021 I harvested my first fruits in the face of full awareness of what I am doing. It was the first time I spoke to a therapist. It was a year when I first heard the word Bhakti, the first time I heard the sound of a Harmonium, and the first time I thought of Yoga as a discipline and a lifestyle rather than a workout routine. Taking breaks from alcohol felt amazing. I started to practice vegetarianism. In March 2022 I traveled to Costa Rica to take my first Yoga teacher training. However, In July 2022 I got intoxicated with alcohol at a music festival and verbally hurt my partner. Being so deep into my yoga practice and seeing someone you truly love being hurt by your own words broke me into pieces. My intention was clear. I did not want to drink anymore. In October 2022 I started to practice Bhakti Yoga, the Yoga of Love and Devotion. During the sacred month Kartika, I made a promise to give up alcohol. I have been sober since then. Yoga is a powerful discipline that can serve you as a supportive tool for healing and growth.