Moving With Change: The Practice

Moving With Change

October has a way of reminding us that change is not something we can stop.

The leaves change. The light changes. The temperature changes. What once felt rooted and steady begins to shift, slowly and sometimes all at once.

And yet, as human beings, we often resist the very thing nature does so naturally.

Change can feel uncomfortable. It can feel disruptive. Sometimes it feels downright unfair.

But what if the invitation isn’t to love every change that comes our way?

What if the invitation is simply to learn how to move with it?

Pause before you react

One of the most powerful things we can learn is how to pause.

Not every change requires an immediate response.

Sometimes we need a moment to notice what is happening before deciding what it means.

When something shifts, our first instinct might be to tighten, resist, fix, control, or go back to what was familiar.

The pause gives us another option.

We can breathe.

We can notice.

We can ask ourselves:

What is actually happening here?

What am I feeling?

What am I afraid might happen?

And perhaps most importantly:

Do I need to respond right now?

That small space between what happens and what we do next can change everything.

Pivot when the path changes

Sometimes the pause reveals that the direction we were headed simply isn’t working anymore.

That’s where the pivot comes in.

Pivoting doesn’t mean giving up.

It doesn’t mean that everything you have done before was wrong.

It means you are paying attention.

Maybe the plan needs to change.

Maybe your priorities have changed.

Maybe your body is asking for something different.

Maybe the version of your life that once fit you no longer does.

There is wisdom in being willing to turn.

We can remain rooted in who we are without remaining rigid about how we thought our lives were supposed to look.

That distinction matters.

Roots provide stability, but they don’t prevent a tree from moving.

Adapt with awareness

Adaptation isn’t about constantly changing ourselves to fit whatever is happening around us.

It’s about becoming aware enough to recognize when something needs to shift.

Sometimes the change is external.

Sometimes it’s internal.

And sometimes we don’t know yet whether the change in front of us is a problem, an opportunity, or simply something we need to move through.

That is where curiosity can become a powerful practice.

Instead of immediately asking,

“How do I stop this?”

we might ask,

“What might this be asking of me?”

Or even:

“Could there be something here that I haven’t considered yet?”

That doesn’t mean pretending difficult change is good.

It doesn’t mean forcing gratitude where there isn’t any.

And it certainly doesn’t mean that every unexpected turn is secretly a blessing.

It simply means staying open enough to discover what is possible.

What if some change is welcome?

This may be the part we overlook.

We talk so much about coping with change that we sometimes forget to notice when change is actually something we have been waiting for.

A new opportunity.

A different way of living.

A relationship that evolves.

A boundary that finally gets honored.

A habit that no longer serves us falling away.

A door opening that we didn’t even know we wanted.

Sometimes we are so attached to keeping things familiar that we don’t recognize welcome change when it arrives.

So this October, perhaps we can practice noticing.

Not just what is changing around us, but what is changing within us.

What are you ready to release?

Where are you being asked to pause?

Where might you need to pivot?

What have you been resisting simply because it is unfamiliar?

And is there a change coming into your life that, if you allowed yourself to be curious about it, might actually be welcome?

Moving with change

There is a difference between being swept away by change and learning to move with it.

Moving with change means staying connected to your foundation while remaining willing to adjust your direction.

It means pausing long enough to become aware.

Pivoting when something no longer fits.

Adapting without abandoning yourself.

And becoming curious about what might be possible on the other side of what you thought was supposed to happen.

This is part of alignment, too.

Alignment isn’t about finding one perfect position and staying there forever.

Life moves.

We move.

Our bodies change. Our relationships change. Our priorities change. Our dreams change.

And sometimes, the most aligned thing we can do is recognize that we need to change with them.

So as October unfolds, notice what is shifting.

You don’t have to figure it all out.

You don’t have to rush to make sense of it.

Pause.

Breathe.

Get curious.

Then, when you’re ready, take the next step.

You may discover that the change you were trying so hard to resist is actually inviting you into something new.

orange leaves about to fall
Photo by K on Pexels.com

You Don’t Have to Start on Day One: Begin Your Yoga Practice Today

There Is Still Time to Begin Your Yoga Practice

What if you didn’t have to start perfectly?

What if you didn’t have to begin on the first day of the month, follow every practice exactly as planned, or somehow find 30 uninterrupted days to make a difference?

What if you could simply begin?

Over the past 30 days, I’ve been exploring yoga through a simple daily practice.

Not a practice built around perfection.

Not a challenge to see how flexible, strong or disciplined we can become.

But a practice of coming home to ourselves.

And as this 30 Days of Yoga journey comes to an end, I keep thinking about the person who may be watching from the sidelines.

Maybe you’ve been following along.

Maybe you’ve watched a few practices but haven’t started.

Maybe you’ve told yourself you’ll begin when life settles down.

Maybe you’ve missed several days and decided you’ve already “failed.”

If that’s you, I want you to hear this:

You haven’t missed your opportunity.

You can begin today.

Yoga Isn’t About Catching Up

One of the things I wanted this 30-day journey to teach was that yoga is not about checking every box.

You don’t have to complete Day 1 before you can do Day 15.

You don’t have to be flexible.

You don’t have to know all the poses.

You don’t have to practice for an hour.

And you certainly don’t have to look like the person next to you.

Yoga is an invitation to pay attention.

To notice your breath.

To feel your body.

To observe your thoughts.

To discover where you are holding tension.

To notice where you are strong.

To learn when to push and when to soften.

And perhaps most importantly, to learn something about yourself.

Thirty Days Can Change the Way You See Your Practice

Throughout these 30 days, we’ve explored different ways of moving and being in the body.

We’ve moved the spine in its six directions.

We’ve practiced standing.

We’ve explored twists.

We’ve worked with strength.

We’ve practiced arriving in the body.

We’ve talked about letting go of perfection.

We’ve explored what happens when we stop trying to make our practice look a certain way and instead begin making it our own.

And that may be the most important lesson of all.

Your yoga practice doesn’t belong to anyone else.

It doesn’t have to look like mine.

It doesn’t have to look like a yoga class on Instagram.

It doesn’t even have to look the same from one day to the next.

Some days your practice might be strong.

Some days it might be five minutes of breathing.

Some days it might be chair yoga.

Some days it might be lying on the floor and simply noticing your breath.

It all counts.

Start Where You Are

This is one of the foundations of my teaching, especially when working with adaptive yoga, older adults, caregivers and people navigating physical limitations.

We start where we are.

Not where we think we should be.

Not where we were five years ago.

Not where someone else is.

Where we are.

Your body today is the body you get to practice with.

And that body deserves compassion.

It deserves patience.

It deserves curiosity.

It deserves to be listened to.

What If You Started Today?

If you’ve been thinking about starting yoga, here’s my invitation:

Don’t worry about the 30 days you missed.

Don’t worry about whether you’re “doing it right.”

Don’t worry about becoming a yogi.

Just choose one practice.

Set aside 10 or 15 minutes.

Put your phone somewhere you won’t be tempted to scroll.

Take a breath.

And begin.

You can start with Day 1.

Or Day 10.

Or Day 23.

Or simply choose whichever practice speaks to you.

There is no yoga police coming to check your progress.

There is only you, your breath and this moment.

Carrying the Practice Into September

As August comes to a close, I’m beginning to turn my attention toward September.

Our theme will be grounding and finding our foundation.

And I think these two ideas belong together.

Because before we can grow, we need somewhere to root.

Before we can reach outward, we need to know what supports us.

Before we can keep moving forward, sometimes we need to pause and feel our feet on the ground.

That’s what I hope this 30 Days of Yoga has given you.

Not another thing to accomplish.

But another way to come home.

Your Practice Doesn’t End at Day 30

Thirty days is a beginning, not an ending.

Maybe you discovered that you enjoy moving in the morning.

Maybe you learned that your breath changes when you’re stressed.

Maybe you noticed how much tension you carry in your shoulders.

Maybe you found that you are stronger than you thought.

Maybe you simply discovered that ten quiet minutes can change the rest of your day.

Take that discovery with you.

You don’t have to do another 30-day challenge.

You don’t have to make a resolution.

Just keep showing up.

A little at a time.

Again and again.

If You’ve Been Waiting, This Is Your Invitation

If you’ve been watching these practices and thinking, I’ll start tomorrow, consider this your invitation to stop waiting for the perfect day.

Start messy.

Start slowly.

Start sitting in a chair.

Start with five minutes.

Start with one breath.

Start exactly where you are.

Because there is still time.

There is always time to begin again.

And perhaps that’s one of the greatest gifts yoga offers us:

The opportunity to return.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Come Practice With Me

The full 30 Days of Yoga series is available on my YouTube channel, and you can begin anywhere.

Choose a practice that feels right for you today.

Then come back tomorrow.

And begin again.

September doesn’t need you to become a completely different person.

It simply invites you to become a little more grounded in the person you already are.

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Enjoying this content? My book 52 Weeks of Wisdom & Wellness goes deeper — find it here.

Why I Modified My Yoga Practice: Learning to Listen to My Body

Many people believe yoga is about perfect poses. In reality, yoga is about listening to the body. Over time, injuries, pain, or life changes may ask us to modify how we practice. These adjustments are not limitations—they are invitations to practice with greater awareness and compassion.

Modifying a pose isn’t giving up on yoga.
It’s practicing yoga.”

After years of teaching and practicing yoga, and navigating multiple hip surgeries, I’ve had to relearn how to listen to my body. Some poses look different now. Some movements are slower. Some days the practice is simply breathing and noticing.

And surprisingly, that shift has brought me closer to yoga, not further away from it.

Listening to the Body Is Yoga

In yoga philosophy, awareness is more important than performance.

When we push past our body’s signals, we move further away from that awareness. But when we pause, modify, or adjust a pose to support what the body needs today, we begin practicing something deeper.

We begin practicing svadyaya — self-study.

This kind of practice invites curiosity:

• What sensations am I feeling?
• Where is there effort?
• Where is there ease?

Over time, these small observations create a practice that is sustainable, compassionate, and deeply personal.

A Small Change That Made a Big Difference

In this short reel, I share one simple example of how my yoga practice has changed. Instead of forcing the traditional version of a pose, I’ve learned to use props and adjustments that support my body.

Listening to the body isn’t weakness.

It’s wisdom.

Yoga evolves with us.

Our bodies change. Our lives change. Our energy changes.

The practice isn’t about doing yoga the way we used to—it’s about meeting ourselves exactly where we are today.

Sometimes the most powerful pose we can take is the one that says:

I’m listening.

This kind of awareness reflects the yogic practice of svadyaya, or self-study. Read more here!

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