Hey there,
Change is ever present in my life at the moment. Maybe it’s the spring weather on the way (birds, I hear you, warm air where are you?) that's creating space for new beginnings. As many know, one of our most beloved teachers and friends is moving across the country so very soon to start a new adventure. And, personally, my own family has experienced difficult situations in recent weeks and it made us step back and reevaluate. This prompted us to consider big changes.
Change can be really scary. Why? Because most of us are creatures of habit - we like to be comfortable. We hold on to the familiar. We like having a bit of control (or a lot...). And, upending all that would mean we don't have the control, we might get uncomfortable. But, today I’m writing about how GOOD change can be.
Yoga teaches us that there is only one constant in life, and that is change itself. Everything changes - the weather, our moods, our breath, the people who come in an out of our lives, our bodies, the most popular songs. Our practice is a reminder of this, too. Raise your hand if you’ve ever had a day where you could practically drink a whole cup of tea in Tree pose because you’re so balanced, but the next day there must’ve been some huge gusts of wind in the studio because you’re swaying like mad.
That’s life. Change sweeps in and sometimes makes us feel a bit unstable. But, only if we let it. With all the change I’m experiencing in my life, both personally and professionally, I’ve noticed once again that it’s easy to fall into frustration or confusion or anxiety when faced with big changes. Even when the change is welcomed and positive. Have you felt that? Losing a job. Starting a new job. Dealing with a dis-ease. Moving to another state. Having a baby. Starting a new relationship or even ending one. I’ve felt it. But, today, I’m choosing to see change differently.
In meditations lately, I’ve been focusing on accepting change into my life, and in doing so accepting that some new adventure is around the corner. When I have those moments of oh my gosh I’m about to panic, I think, Leanne, stay open to creative possibilities. Stay open to creative solutions and adventure. This has helped me to tap back into the fact that change is GOOD. It’s necessary to keep us growing.
I’ll miss our teachers who are moving and graduating (like crazy), but I know they’ll continue to teach, continue to visit. And, I’m so excited to welcome new teachers into our community, some who I may not even know will be teaching at Yoga Dear in a few months (because how could I know who will step into our lives?). In regards to navigating change in our own family, I’ll be saying no a little more often in order to say yes to the things I love in my work and at home. Will it be hard? Yes. Will it be easy? Probably not. Will change teach me and guide me on paths I never quite pictured? Absolutely.
If there is change swirling around in your life, too, I hope you’ll take a big yogic breath before the anxiety sets in. I hope you’ll stay open to creative solutions and opportunity. I hope you’ll recognize, like I’m trying to, that change is inevitable, so let’s embrace it with patience and with possibility.
With love,
Leanne
P.S. Speaking of new teachers….we’re welcoming Hannah Richards to audition this Thursday at 9:00 a.m.! Hannah has been a member of the Yoga Dear family since the very beginning, and recently graduated from the Infinite Source Yoga teacher training program in Costa Rica. Please come practice with us and meet Hannah if you haven’t yet! I’m so looking forward to this.
P.P.S. We have some special announcements coming out soon! If you have Gmail, please drag and drop these emails into your primary folder to ensure you're the first to know. :)