just a note 003
Sometimes the people around you really know what you need more than you ever can. I hate to say it, because in my heart of hearts, I want to believe I know what’s best for me 100% of the time, but there is so much value in an outsider’s perspective.
When I first discovered yoga and eventually became a teacher, I was obsessed with teaching the hottest, sweatiest, hardest class possible. For me, that intensity silenced my invasive thoughts and gave me at least 60 minutes where the anxiety and sadness wasn’t consuming me. I was willing to try a non-heated class every now and then, maybe a gentle or yin class every blue moon, but that definitely wasn’t my thing.
Fast forward to 2022, and our yoga studio has just opened a second room, specifically for nonheated classes. I get a call from the owner, who is also one of my most near and dear friends, and she lets me know she needs me to teach a nonheated class AND a yin class to fill out the new schedule. Because I’m a people pleaser and don’t know how to set boundaries, I said yes, but inside I was really troubled. This was out of my comfort zone, this was so far from the hot classes that I adored teaching. When I say this is the polar opposite of my norm, I mean the complete other side of the spectrum. Yin classes are slow and quiet, holding deep stretches for anywhere between 2 and 5 minutes. The music is low, and the vibes are chill. Compare that to my loud, blasting Drake songs during a hot flow where I’m pushing my students to go as far as they can.
So, the day came when I had to teach the first yin class. Picture me standing outside the door more or less having a panic attack with three students patiently waiting for me to start the session. I couldn’t tell you what happened in the room that day, I have blocked it from my memory. Who knows what songs were played, what poses were done, what words came out of my mouth. What I do know is I left the room feeling defeated. And that pretty much continued for the first FOUR months of my teaching the class. Every Friday, I’d go in with a knot in my stomach, praying no one would show up, beating myself up afterward, and dreading the next week.
Then something happened. I won’t say it happened “just like that”, because it actually took so much research, practice, and time on my end. But in a way, it felt like something magically clicked. Because in the fifth month, I walked out of the class and I felt… good. Not great, not exceptional, but good. And then the next week, I felt a little better. And the following week, even better. I wasn’t the only one who noticed the change. More students were complimenting my class, not just to me, but to other students and our studio owner. So when she called me at the 6-month mark to check in about how I was feeling about the class, we both were a bit shocked when my response was “I like it?”
It’s been a little over a year since I took on the Yin class, and this week a student came out of class and shared that every single song, pose, and word was exactly what she needed. All I could think was… I didn’t even want to teach this class. And now I’m making a tangible impact.
So, the moral of the story is: allow those around you to speak life into you, to push you out of your comfort zone, and to see past the blind spots and limitations we set for ourselves.
You are capable of so much more than you know.
THIS WEEK’S INTENTION
Journal Prompt: In what ways are your own limitations preventing your growth? What have those you love seen in you that perhaps you aren’t ready to see in yourself?
TAKE NOTE OF
This class…
Every month at Bliss Yoga, my home studio, we do a donation-based class for an org we see in the community making a difference. This month, we are collecting donations and toys for the YWCA of South Hampton Roads! YWCA is the oldest and largest multicultural women’s organization in the world. Since 1908, the YWCA South Hampton Roads has strengthened social movements that eliminate racism, empower women, and promote peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. For nearly forty years, the YWCA of South Hampton Roads has run its emergency shelter, providing the only place of refuge for families escaping domestic and sexual violence in the City of Norfolk. We want to help make the season just a bit brighter for kids and teens who are utilizing the services of the YWCA.
This class is extra special to me because it will be co-taught by myself and one of my dear friends, Lizzy. It is a 90 minute hot flow! Expect to move, sweat, dance, and jam out to some fun, unexpected holiday songs! You can sign up for free and bring your toy to the class- December 16 at 12 PM at Bliss Yoga! It is a blacklight class, so come in your neon and white, and be ready to glow. Register here: December Glow for Good Class
These sounds…
My current obsession: Hozier. Specifically Talk x Hozier. I built this entire playlist off this one song for my hot classes this week. Check it out on Spotify: 12/6/23 Hot Flow
