Change is Good. Right?

Over the last few months I’ve shared with friends, colleagues, students that I’ve been feeling restless, like something needs to shift. About 90% of the time my comment has been met with, “It’s fall. Change always happens in the fall.” Okay. I’ll go with that. The season of fall prompts change.

What kind of change, you ask? I’m not entirely sure, but my restlessness has caused me to do some reflecting. Celebrating my tenth year as a yoga teacher gave me some pause. Am I doing exactly what I want to be doing with my life? Well… not exactly. Some days I feel like a hamster going around and around on her wheel.

Inhale, lift your right leg high.

Six hours later…

Inhale, lift your right leg high.

The next day…

Inhale, lift your right leg high.

I feel incredibly grateful that I get paid to say, “Inhale, lift your right leg high” because I truly love it! But the repetition of teaching day in and day out is wearing on me. Although I know what I am doing is beneficial for those who take the time to practice yoga, I’ve felt the pull to do a little more.

Let’s take a trip down memory lane. Way down memory lane…

When I started college (a long time ago) I had no clue what I was going to study. In the first couple months of my freshman year I attended a seminars featuring various academic departments and majors to get the wheels turning. After chatting with a professor from the social work department I learned about the chemical dependency counseling track. Yes! I had a drive to help others, and perhaps this was my path! I started doing research and talked to other professors in the department. Unfortunately, I quickly learned I didn’t have the skin for such a field. My softness and my tendency to cry at the drop of a hat wasn’t well suited for the stress of the job.

So I ended up transferring schools a year later and studied dance!

My drive to help others has never diminished. I realize I am helping others through teaching yoga. However, I feel the desire to help others who perhaps don’t have access to nice yoga studios due to their social, economic, racial, or geographic circumstances.

Over the last few years I’ve been lucky to work alongside inspiring people who have developed nonprofits that are dedicated to serving others. I am amazed by their drive and selfless missions.

When I recently felt the itch for change I knew it meant changing things up to create space for more projects that serve others. It’s not much, but I’m now dedicating a little more time to volunteering and supporting programming through Canine Inspired Change. Wallace, my pup, and I do social-emotional therapy work with youth in a juvenile detention center and an after school program. It’s important for young people, no matter their circumstances, to feel the loving kindness of an animal.

Change, for me at least, also means learning a new skill. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in an educational setting that doesn’t involve yoga. Since I decided to make changes to serve others I made space to enroll in a grant writing class. I’m learning about how to support nonprofits through fundraising and program awareness. I’m using these skills to support another organization that is near and dear to my heart, Karuna Community MN. Karuna brings mindfulness, compassion-based tools to those affected by the criminal justice system. My hope is to support Karuna through my skills as a yoga and meditation teacher while flexing my writing skills to fund their impactful programming. Oh, and I was recently added as a board member for the organization. Never have I felt so adult.

I love routine. I appreciate knowing exactly what will happen each day. It’s satisfying and maddening. But change is good, right? Giving myself permission to step away from my routine is anxiety-inducing and freeing. Change gives me space to consider my potential.

Thanks for being a part of the change.

In case you’re interested in supporting Canine Inspired Change or Karuna Community MN through a financial donation, check out the links below. Reach out if you want to support either organization through volunteering and supporting programming!