Happy Valentine's Day!
I want to take a moment and let you know how grateful I am for YOU! Because of you, I am able to teach something that I love. I often think about why I love the practice of yoga so much. And quite frankly, it has impacted my life in so many powerful ways, which I will never be able to fully articulate. And because of yoga's impact on my life, I want to share what I have learned and hope that YOU will also feel the amazing benefits of this practice.
Why do I teach? Why is it so important to me? I always come back to my WHY, which can be summed up by the three words: enrich, empower, connect.
- Enrich: If you haven't figured this out yet, I love to learn. When someone asks me something I don't know, I have to go look it up. I've always been curious and that curiosity has allowed me to explore many things and continue to grow. And I believe it is important for us all to continue learning throughout our lives. For me, the more I learn, the better teacher I become. It allows me to introduce new movements for you to get stronger, and to get you thinking about philosophy (did you know I sneak philosophy in my classes without being too philosophical?). Learning helps us explore the world and to not get stagnant. And yoga has so many ways to help YOU learn, from more about your body and how it moves, to philosophy, to pranayama, and so much more!
- Empower: This is huge for me. I've always been shy and felt physically weak. When I was younger, I was a gymnast and struggled with the events that required strength, such as the vault and bars. I was also a cheerleader, and I was never strong enough to be a base or light enough to fly, so I ended up being a spotter. These things perpetuated feelings of inadequacy, although from the outside no one would have ever known. When I started yoga, of course, my flexibility served me well; however, I started to realize that the more I practiced, the stronger I became. The strength came very slowly. It snuck up on me. I didn't even realize it had happened. Before I knew it, I could hold plank for long periods of time and I started practicing more challenging poses, such as arm balances and inversions. Advanced poses aren't ever necessary in a yoga practice, but for me, they gave me the confidence I needed to trickle out into the rest of my life. They helped me to realize my own potential, which was always inside of me; I just needed to tap into it. And I want YOU to feel your strength. YOU have it inside of YOU, but maybe YOU don't always realize it.
- Connect: Not only has yoga helped me connect with my inner strength, it has helped me to connect to a beautiful community of people with common interests. I have lived in four states since I graduated from college (10 different residences in 20 years). And although moving a lot has allowed me to experience different parts of our beautiful country and meet lots of amazing people, it also has made it hard to develop friendships. My practice has helped me meet a beautiful network of people. And teaching has expanded that network. I have friends all over the world, and even though we have very different backgrounds, we all share a love for movement and self exploration. So, I hope to help YOU feel that connection. We have lost a sense of community in this day and age, so connecting with others through yoga classes, events, and retreats is a beautiful way to develop lasting friendships. I want YOU to feel love and support, especially on days when YOU need someone to lift YOU up!
So, today, this is my love letter to my practice, my teaching, and to you. It is my commitment to continue to guide you in your practice and help you explore whatever you need. This is a journey. And we all have our own path. I hope yours is filled with lots of love and light.