Aaron L.

I’m not someone you'd expect to see at a yoga center.

I’m a New York City cop, and I've been on the force for more than 13 years, almost all of that time on the streets. One of the toughest parts of the day is the transition between work and home. Out there, you could be fighting the war, but you want to leave that part of your life at the door when you get home, so you really need an effective way to decompress.

I didn’t know anything about yoga before I came to Kripalu for a RISE program especially for first responders. Actually, until not that long ago, I made fun of guys I know who did yoga. But I recently transitioned into the Wellness unit at work, so I’ll be supporting other officers to stay healthy. I knew that if I could learn some things to help me deal with job-related stress, keep a clear head, and decompress after work—and pass on that knowledge to help my colleagues—then I had to step outside the box and try everything I could … including yoga.

I was pretty nervous on the way to Kripalu. For one thing, I had heard the food was all vegetarian, so I was ready to sneak in a cooler full of cold cuts. But more than that, being a cop and a 6-foot-4, 280-pound man, I was afraid I was going to be judged. I’m not the person you’d typically see at a yoga center.

Nothing could have been further from the truth. Everyone was so welcoming and open and accepting. When you’re in my line of work, it’s hard to open up, but the RISE instructors made it easy for us to be receptive and even vulnerable. It helped to be with a group of people who understood where I’m coming from. There are some feelings I’ve had that I would never have expressed to anyone, but then I would heard someone else say exactly that. And the food was great (including the chicken and fish), so I didn’t have to go as far out of my comfort zone as I thought I would.

I’ve lost 150 pounds over the last few years, so I’ve spent a lot of time in the gym. But when I went to work out at Kripalu after taking my very first yoga class, I already felt more in tune with my body than I ever had before. I also took my first meditation class ever.

Since leaving Kripalu, I have definitely been able to make the transition from my work life to my home life easier. I feel generally more relaxed than usual, and I find myself using a lot of the techniques I learned when I’m dealing with stressful situations in the field. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to go to Kripalu and gain skills that make my life and the lives around me better.