Six or seven years ago, I was not “finding myself.” I was barely holding myself together.
Unresolved trauma. Panic attacks that hijacked my body. Anxiety, depression, insomnia. I was exhausted at a cellular level—mentally, physically, emotionally. This wasn’t a rough patch; it was a dark night of the soul.
I began working with a trauma therapist. She handed me a book that changed the direction of my life: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk. The premise is simple and uncompromising: trauma isn’t just a story you tell—it lives in the nervous system, in the tissues, in the breath. Healing has to include the body.
That’s how yoga entered the picture.
At first, I misunderstood it. I thought yoga was exercise. I went to big-box gyms and polished studios. The rooms were sterile. The energy was cold. No one spoke. I felt alone in a crowd—already wounded, now invisible. My nervous system stayed on high alert.
Then, by chance—or something wiser than chance—I saw an advertisement for a sound bath. I had never been to one. There was also cacao involved. I didn’t know what that meant either.
What I did know was this: my nervous system was fried, my heart was broken, and I needed something different.
The sound bath happened to be at Lila Studio.
Chanda wasn’t there that night. And yet—her presence was unmistakable. The moment I walked in, my body exhaled. Not metaphorically. Literally. My nervous system recognized safety before my mind caught up.
This place feels right.
I belong here.
The sound bath was beautiful. Restorative. But what followed mattered just as much. I went home, opened the Lila Studio website, and read their values. No hype. No spiritual bypassing.
Just grounded, inclusive, trauma-aware humanity.
I started cautiously—trial membership. Morning classes near my home, evenings at Lila. It didn’t take long. My body already knew. I committed. I became a full-time student there.
What I found wasn’t just yoga.
I found a community that greets you by name. A space where all bodies are welcome. Where healing isn’t performative. Where rest is respected. Where diversity isn’t a slogan—it’s lived.
Where you don’t have to be “fixed” to belong.
Chanda has created something rare: a sanctuary that doesn’t demand enlightenment or perfection. Just presence.
People talk a lot about transformation. Most of it is noise. Real change is quieter. It happens when the nervous system finally feels safe enough to soften. When the body is allowed to tell the truth it’s been carrying.
That’s what Lila Studio offered me—without promise, without pressure.
These days, I’m drawn to the clarity of Alan Watts—spiritual, yes, but intolerant of nonsense. He understood that awakening isn’t about floating above life. It’s about inhabiting it fully, honestly, without illusion.
That’s how I experience Lila.
No spiritual theatrics.
No cold perfection.
Just real people, real healing, real connection.
I share this not as a testimonial, but as gratitude.
Thank you, Chanda—for your integrity, your warmth, your vision.
Thank you, Lila Studio—for being a place where the body can finally tell the truth, and be met with care.
Some places don’t just offer classes.
They change the course of a life.
This was one of them.
About the Author
Sandi Greene is a writer, meditation guide, teacher, and lifelong learner dedicated to helping people create lives of greater clarity, purpose, joy, and well-being through The Art of Living Well.
Her work is inspired by the timeless wisdom of A Course in Miracles, DavidJi Meditation, yoga philosophy, and the transformative power of mindfulness, reflection, and authentic community.
Sandi is an Instructor and Ambassador with the University of Utah Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, where she teaches courses that encourage lifelong learning, meaningful connection, and personal growth. She also serves on the Board of Trustees at the First Unitarian Church of Salt Lake City, teaches New Member classes, and facilitates small groups that foster belonging and thoughtful conversation.
Whether through her writing, meditation, teaching, or individual conversations, Sandi invites others to reconnect with their inner wisdom and discover that nothing essential is missing.
🪷The Art of Living Well • Meditation • Yoga• A Course in Miracles • Osher Lifelong Learning • Well-Being🪷
