My belly is crazy churny right now. My jaw slightly held. My mouth a tad metallic in taste – like when as a kid I touched my tongue to a 9 volt battery to explore the crazy “ZZZZ!” shock. No, I haven’t actually done that today but it is a similar sensation. My heart is quickening. My temples gently pulsing.

This myriad of sensations is fear meets love. It is love for Self and Spirit to step onto new ground. It is fear that I have not yet been where I am going.

I am building something right now. It is happening methodically. Each week, consistency and discipline bring me closer to the whole of my vision. That vision offers one way to fill a gap that I’ve seen.

“Listen to your body” says the yoga teacher to the class.

“Listen to your body.” I used to say as the yoga teacher to my class.

Tricky thing was, I didn’t even know what to listen to. I wasn’t trying to mislead anyone. I was just repeating what I had heard as the “right” words to say to my students. But there was a missing link for me and for almost all of the students who stood in front of me.

“How do I listen to my body? I don’t feel anything right now. You want to know how this feels? It feels… fine. Until later tonight when I have pain or tomorrow when my neck tension returns. But that’s just how life is. I either feel nothing at all or pain. What am I supposed to listen for? hmm. My brain won’t turn off. The thoughts won’t quiet. All I need is some SPACE. ARGGGHHHHH!”

And in that dear friends, I see a gap.

With this heart’s creation, I will help others first become their own Teacher through the awaiting wisdom of their bodies. And, in turn, they will naturally be able to teach others how to respond skillfully to the prompt “Listen to your body.” It offers a place of union – yoga – where our beautiful minds come face to face with our bodies as they are and offer them the olive branch. It is a place of self-compassion and love that can dissolve self-judgments and inner tensions that whittle away at our energy. That whittle away at our contentment. That whittle away at what we deem fulfillment of our everyday.

We cannot teach others what we have not experienced ourselves. But what a soothing breeze we can create when we fully step into the possibility of listening and responding to what is. When we start with what is and proceed one step at a time, we can fly.

If you wish to consider flying with me, more details are coming. For now, know this. In order to dive into a new way of moving and feeling – and to spreading that skill beyond yourself – I need to know amazing you first. And that will likely mean that you’ve worked with me privately a good bit (either in-person or by Skype). I need to know that you get why YOU moving with awareness through asana is key to teaching others. And that it takes dedication to learn a new skill. I need to know that you are a curious learner. I need to know that you are skillful and passionate. I need to know that you want to spread ripples of your own through the practice of yoga.

I’m not being explicit here yet which is both kind of fun and kind of annoying. But for now, it is where my heart is at. To say what this is without actually saying what it is feels safe to me for this moment. So, if you are interested at all in learning more, keep an eye out and, if you haven’t worked with me privately yet, reach out to get on my waitlist.

I remember as a child wondering where my future husband was at that very moment in time. Daydreaming 10 year old Little Rachel, “I know I probably don’t know him or anything but, I mean, he’s out there…. somewhere. He’s doing something right now just like I am sitting here!”

I smile softly at little Rachel and can feel her presence with me now. Wondering, daydreaming, knowing that out there are the people that will walk this path with me.

As a last little seed, please remember that you can still register for YogaFest. It is on Saturday, April 7th at NCSU’s McKimmon Center. It would be a joy to see you and there are a handful of spots available for my morning class. Registration is available at https://youcallthisyoga.org/yogafestnc/

Come and explore how moving well can nurture more ease, strength and opportunity to be fully you.

May we fly together. Now and always.

Be ever so well,
Rachel