If you’ve ever attended a yoga class which I’ve led, you may have heard me share one of my favorite quotes by Melanie Beatty… “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.”

I feel incredibly grateful to be traversing the path which has led me to my life’s work. This, my life’s work, demands that I honor my truths. It is absolutely amazing to me how being of service can and does support not only my livelihood, but also my overall well-being.

The truth is that I have been facing some challenging life shifts, of late. I feel quite certain that if I worked a conventional 9 -5, I’d likely be calling out … A lot! Staying in bed curled up in fetal position has felt pretty darn tempting. And, if not for my students/clients I might do so.

And yet, the draw to show up fully, amidst all my vulnerability, is consistently proving to serve me well. I vividly recall early on in my yogic journey when one of the my most influential teachers, a brilliantly wise and skilled local studio owner (shout out to Susan Madden-Cox, my yoga momma), spoke to this. I was recently in said momma’s company, and was granted the opportunity to hear her elaborate further upon the topic. Susan shared, “To offer this body of work to support people in realigning in authenticity with who they truly are, requires that I do the same.  I say/speak/teach/offer/model what I need most in any moment and I get to do that every day. The beauty is that we ARE the same, so what I need resonates with others and then I am fed by witnessing their eyes open. It’s a badass cycle … ” My oh my, that could not feel more true!

In facing trying times, the option of choosing how to proceed exists for each and every one of us: to wallow – OR – to consciously stride forward. What a gift that that which I call work affords me the opportunity to guide individuals towards a deepened relationship with one’s self?! Each and every day, I hear myself encouraging my students/client to invite a gentleness in relating to themselves – to slow down, to take the time to notice, to breathe, and to feel. I invite individuals to consider how/if the choices that they are making will truly serve them well.

Certainly, hearing this session after session … class after class … it’s bound to sink in. And it has. And, I trust that it will continue to do so. Slowly, but surely, I am learning that when trying times present it is increasingly important for me to be conscious of relating to myself in a loving, nurturing, and gentle manner. Providing myself with ample rest, sound nourishment, adequate hydrate, intentional movement and breath, and extra time/space for reflection and meditation become paramount. For, if I do not honor these truths, I am unable to show up fully to be of service. And, I simply will not stand for this. My students/clients deserve my best.

So, consider yourself warned. This girl IS on fire. And, blazing a path which is paved by awareness, an honoring of truth and authenticity … with eyes set on BIG things to come.

In closing, I’d like to say THANK YOU! Thank you to my students, to my clients, and to my loved ones. For being a mirror for me. And, for providing me with the opportunity to show up – fully, and authentically. I invite you to do the very same for YOU. Afterall, you deserve nothing less!