I was brainstorming with my mentor the other day and reflecting on my passions, my gifts, and where I’m headed next. My friends have been hearing me talk for years about being in transition… one big, long, slooooooooooooooow transition. Of course, as a mom, I’m *always* in transition with something; we transition in and out of school, from one season to another, and as the kids are constantly growing and learning, our routines and division of responsibilities is always shifting.
In regards to my personal passions, though… and building a profession out of the gifts I have and the way using them lights me up like the spark of a match catching fire… this is a transition that has been happening beneath the surface for a long while. And, in many ways, these two worlds are related, right? As my kids get older, I’m able to spend less time and energy on the day-to-day caring of them and more on my individual path. As we grow and learn life lessons together, the little nuggets of wisdom they bring to my awareness inform the way I shape my purpose and the way I show up in the world. Over time, the universe has its own twists and turns to add to the path, allowing for shifts I never could have anticipated or facilitated on my own.
Surrendering to the Unexpected
In fact, it is one of these unexpected twists that started my long transition many years ago. At the time, it felt rather traumatic. A work arrangement I had with a friend ended very abruptly (and dramatically), taking both my sense of purpose and a dear friend in the process. Looking back, I can see how the situation had been much more tenuous and problematic than I realized; how I was allowing it to consume me in unhealthy ways; how the way it blew up in my face was what needed to happen for me to learn the many invaluable lessons I gained.
Then, almost a year later, there was another, even bigger plot twist from the universe, one that caused my family and I to pause, reset, and rebuild our lives. Though this event was even more traumatic in the moment, it of course brought me even more important lessons, helped me see even more clearly what I wanted out of life, what I really valued, and how to step into my authentic self in ways that I just wasn’t able to see before.
Since those two big life-lesson moments, I’ve added my own turns to the path I’m walking. Each new opportunity, whether sought out deliberately or stumbled upon by accident, has taught me something. Even when I was consciously choosing the next new direction, and even when that choice felt like the ‘next right thing’, part of me had a hunch that I wasn’t really steering this ship of my life. My spark, my spirit, has gifts it wants to bring to this world and, all along, I’ve simply been learning to surrender to what Guidance has decided to let flow through me.
The Next Step
So, while brainstorming with my mentor, it became really clear that the next step is to, consciously and with purpose, step away from “yoga” into something deeper. For me, yoga has never been a solely physical practice, so calling myself a “yoga teacher” has never felt entirely accurate. My practice has always been about finding a comfort within myself, in this present moment, in a sense that goes beyond my physical body. It’s been part self-care and part spiritual connection all along.
So now I’m ready to step into a new role. It’s one I’ve been training for at Wonder Botanica for the last nine months and, if I’m being honest, preparing for for years. It involves putting into practice all the things I’ve learned in this long, slow transition… slowing down, listening to my body and my intuition, connecting with spirit, surrendering.
It feels vulnerable and a little scary… to step into this so publicly, to put myself out there, to allow my authentic self to be seen. But if this path has taught me anything, it’s that my life’s true gifts require trust… in the unseen, the unknown, and in myself. If you’re interested in learning more, check out this page. And if you feel called to explore with me, I hope you’ll reach out. I’d love to work with you.