A year of teaching Yoga

one-year reflections

I've written this post connecting with the lyrics of Olivia Newton-John's "Learn to Love Yourself" from her Grace and Gratitude album. I'll link the song at the bottom of my post.

Photo by Conscious Design on Unsplash I love this pose.

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April 3rd marks my one-year anniversary as a yoga teacher. Vulnerability has been necessary nearly every week of this year. My rapid heartbeats at the start of each class remind me that every important journey requires a deep dive.

The difficulty of vulnerability never seems to lessen, no matter the number of expeditions I embrace.

You're hurting, uncertain

Alone again

Still searching for something (I’ve replaced the word “someone”)

But so afraid

And you'll try for love

And you'll cry for love

Til you learn to love yourself

Teaching yoga has been much like producing this newsletter, an opportunity for constant self-critique and endless opportunity for judgement. Only by forging through the fire can I make my way toward connecting with others and, more importantly, myself.

The answer is sleeping

Inside your heart

As I mark this milestone as a yoga instructor, I intend to settle in and rock this experience going forward. I'm humbled and grateful that I summoned the courage this past year to tackle vulnerability again and again; these journeys result in some of my most profound joys.

Breathe it out and breathe it in

Trust the light that shines within

Let it burn til you learn to love yourself

My biggest realization on this particular yoga journey?

It’s nice when I my students return time and again, but really it's not about the number of students. (The same could be said about my readers.) It's about the connections, and the connections are created when I can allow myself to be vulnerable.

This last week, I fought back the tears as I gazed upon thirteen amazing humans relaxing in Savannah at the end of their practice in our tiny town in Cool, California, on a Monday evening. I felt beyond humbled to be their teacher. Our neighboring city of Coloma¹ would remind me that I've succeeded in striking gold.

1. Coloma, a town of only 529 people, is one of our nation's secret treasures. At the heart of Gold Country, the city is home to incredible museums and historical displays where adults and children alike can explore what it was like to be a settler traveling to California in the 1800s during the California Gold Rush.

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