I started this blog in January of 2014. I wanted to talk about books, about my work, without making it too personal. Within a few weeks of starting this, I broke my wrist while walking my dog on ice. Working became difficult, almost impossible. I had a very understanding boss—she was so patient with me while I struggled, slowly, to get anything done. I was very frustrated. In the midst of this, I noticed that my local yoga studio was offering a Yoga Teacher Training program, starting in April. I have always loved yoga, from the time I stumbled across it in 2003, and for some reason I was drawn to this idea of taking a teacher training program. I thought that it would be easy to fit yoga in around my design work.
So I started the program with a freshly un-casted wrist. I knew I wasn't going to be able to do all of the physical asanas, but that having an injury also gave me insight into teaching people with injuries (there's nearly always at least one in every class, and often several). After the first weekend of classes I knew I had done the right thing—it was like coming home.
I continued working on the design projects, but with less enthusiasm. When you try on something that fits perfectly, it becomes quickly apparent that the thing you were wearing before isn't quite right. The more I worked at yoga, delving deeply into philosophy, anatomy, asana (physical postures), breathing, the more I realized that this is what I needed to do.
We took the video game we were working on to a Saturday showing of new games. There were all kinds of different games there, and all kinds of people who were following their passion by creating these games. I helped set up, and then I walked around looking at the other offerings, seeing how people were creating these, marketing them, how excited everyone was to be there. When I left I was very upset. These were not my people. This was not my world. I didn't know what to do.
On Tuesday I quit my job.
I needed to follow my passion and be with my people. I was going to jump in the deep end and make this work. I worked at my yoga studies with renewed excitement.
By the time I graduated from the program at the end of August I knew what I was going to do. I was immediately offered a class on the schedule at the studio. The owner of the studio and I were in talks about making me a partner there. Within two weeks of graduating I had my first private clients. It's been a very busy 5 months since then. I have more classes, more private clients, and more responsibilities at the studio. My partner has been off in India for the past 5 weeks and I've been running the studio alone. I know that this was the right decision for me—all of this work, as hard as it is, as exhausted as I often am—fits me like a glove.
But what to do about the blog? My early posts were all about design, and my work. I considered taking everything down and starting over. I thought about abandoning it all. In the end, I've decided to leave it as is and continue on. My posts from here on will be different than before, in part because I am different than before. Isn't that part of the beauty of living, changing and growing and becoming? I'm sure that this won't be the last time I change, either. There's more to come! Thanks for joining me on the journey.
If you're feeling that pull to bring some change into your life and want some help getting clarification on what to do, come to a workshop that I'm running with Life Coach Erika Lucivero on February 22. We're calling it Shake Up Your Life, and it's going to be great!