Embracing Spirit Yoga

It never occurred to me to be a yoga teacher until I realized through my own awakening that many people who could not easily access a yoga class could also benefit from the gifts of the practice. Sharing mindfulness, body awareness, peacefulness, connection to Self and so much more became my passion. I also never wanted to be an entrepreneur. In truth, after raising kids I had no idea what I wanted to do. I dabbled with the idea of being a social worker, and the funny thing is many of my social work friends now tell me that is exactly what I am doing. I spent years working in special education and raising my own unique kid sure paved some ways of understanding differences and I knew my desire for advocacy for this group was huge. Having all those pieces come together was a mystery. And then it happened.

Eleven years ago I created my business known as Embracing Spirit Yoga. At that time I had been sharing yoga for awhile but hadn’t stepped completely into full time teaching. I decided to take the gigantic leap into the unknown, quit my j.o.b. and trust that my purpose would sustain me.

Sustain me it sure has.

People assume that teaching yoga full-time must be so “fun”. I would not describe it as fun, but it IS what I believe I am here to do. I believe 100% that I was given my special daughter to lead me down a path of teaching yoga to people with disabilities. The road with her hasn’t been easy, but I can see now that it certainly has gifted me with amazing compassion.

Since I began my business in 2011, I have shared yoga in countless group homes, assisted living settings, nursing homes, hospice beds, parks, health clubs, community rec centers, schools and in my own studio. I teach to all types of abilities in a variety of settings. To some who witness a group of us huddled around a coffee table on leather furniture in a living room they may question if that is really a yoga class. Most of my settings are not perfectly curated yoga spaces with flickering candles, dimly lit room and soft comfortable pillows along the wall. The classes I teach are designed to be accessible anywhere.

It has been a wonderful eleven years and I have grown so much as a person and as a teacher. I could not have succeeded and been able to touch so many lives without the support of my students, my family, my friends and those who have taken a chance on my offerings and who have seen first hand the dedication I give to my students. The ongoing encouragement and understanding from the people closest to me fuels me. To some it may seem like I am frazzled and running like crazy, but those who love and respect me see that the hard work is a reflection of my passion for serving those with disabilities.

Every person who has generously said yes to my teachings has made the last eleven years magical and I am so thankful. Grateful doesn’t even begin to capture what my heart feels.

If you are curious and want to learn more about what I do, check out this informative webpage and read about what I believe to be the foundation of any quality yoga class.

Every Action You Take

Although I am probably once of the most disciplined people you’ll ever meet, I’ve been digging deep into Atomic Habits book written by James Clear all thanks to the amazing podcast Unlocking Us with Brené Brown.

I am learning about myself that while I hold myself at super high standards when it comes to my work and my exercise, I definitely avoid the things that seem scary, hard or vulnerable. For years and years I held back on doing things that would cause me to be seen more and I often make a millions excuses in my head as to why it is better to just sit back. I opt for the easier way out when it comes to the scary things that I want to do, but always make excuses for.

No more. I am committed to making small consistent changes that will help me become the type of person I want to be.

Since I have chosen my word of the year to be DELIBERATE, I am pulling my shoulders back and looking some of these things straight in the eye. I know that with consistent habits, I can maybe the changes where I become the identity of the hat I am striving for. I mean, I lost 80 pounds and totally changed my life with consistent habits that created an amazing lifestyle so I KNOW I can do this.

I was once terrified of becoming a yoga teacher and healthy person. In many ways it was much easier to complain about the things I wished were different than actually getting my little self busy on making some changes.

Every action you take is a vote for the person you want to become.

I know I can do this. You can, too! If you are already wondering how or why that resolution or goal isn’t working for you, I highly recommended reading Atomic Habits and go listen to the Unlocking Us Podcast.

Be ready to be amazed and scared all at the same time. And don’t ever feel like you are alone on this journey, because I am right here being amazed and scared with you!