I'm so excited that the studio has come to be!! We're open. We have classes. Things are happening! It's AMAZING! Seeing this become a reality is a dream come true. And I have to admit that it feels pretty amazing to be surrounded by others who are passionate about this space and what we're creating that is so different from what has been done before. Life feels like it's full to bursting with great things. There's been a lot of fear about making this step - and yet I couldn't be more grateful that I made it. And I couldn't have done it without my wife, Peggy, who has been so supportive and so helpful with looking at the bigger picture from a business perspective and helping to set the studio up for success. Forging new territory the way that we are comes with a lot of challenges. We don't fit the existing mold so we're making a new one. And for someone like me who likes to color inside the lines, this is no easy task! But I'm confident that we've created and are continuing to create truly honours the Body Positivity mission: to make yoga accessible to every body. This last weekend was the kick-off workshop in the Introduction to Body Positivity Yoga series and I have to admit that it was such a wonderful feeling seeing so many brave women taking a chance on me and what I had to offer. It's not easy getting the nerve to go do something new, in a new space and many of the students who find me and the studio come with a lot of trepidation. What if they really can't do it? Will they feel out of place or will they "fit in"? Will it really be for them? And the best feeling in the world is the huge smiles that spontaneously erupt on their faces when they realize yes... they ARE welcome. yes... they DO fit in. yes... this space IS for them.... and yes... they CAN do it! That is what makes it possible to push through any of my own anxiety or fear, any of my concerns about not "fitting in" in the broader yoga community, any of my fears of failure. Every single one of those smiles make it all worth while and proves that I'm doing exactly what I should be doing. Rock on.
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I can't remember where I first read or heard this fabulous quote by Albert Einstein... but I know that it immediately resonated with me. The thing is, that I've always approached my life with a very child-like wonder. In many cases, it's been something people tease me about. Throughout my life, people who know me well, and some that don't have told me I am naive. And, I suppose I am, in a way. The thing is, I really think most everything has a sort of magic to it. A wonder. I think people are, inherently good. I think that there are more things that make us LIKE one another than make us DIFFERENT from one another. I tend to trust first, and become suspicious only when given sufficient cause. And yes, this has caused me to get hurt. A lot. And the part that is so hard to explain to people is that in spite of the ways this naive approach to life has hurt me, I don't regret one moment or one decision made from that place. Why should I? I choose faith, and wonder, and goodness as my guiding lights and when I turn out to be wrong, I see these experiences as learning and growth opportunities. Each of these experiences helped me to become the person I am today. The good experiences, and the bad experiences both were a part of my growth learning, and they still are. You can look at life and see it for it's darkness, despair, loneliness, cruelty and you can live your life trying to avoid all of those things. Some might say to even attempt to avoid all the pain life has to offer would be a futile effort. Or, you can look at life for it's beauty, it's wonder. You can choose to see every setback as an opportunity and every bit of life from the smallest plant to the brightest shining star as a miracle. These aren't rose coloured glasses, I'm wearing. They're crystal clear, but still, they sparkle like the stars. What do your glasses look like? |
Image Credit: Michele Mateus Photography
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