Reflection & Looking Forward

A look back at the year and then a look ahead… (with gratitude)

As I look back at the past year, I have many thoughts and feelings. I did a lot of soul searching as I entered into 2018. At the beginning of 2018 I set an intention for myself to take a closer look at my role in the community, in my own practice as well as the direction my life was taking. What I discovered is that I’ve had so many incredible experiences and have grown in ways that were unimaginable at this time last year.

My first step into the year was a trip to LA to immerse myself as a student. It is always a priority to remain a student and continue to grow and learn. I experienced some new things like ‘Voice of Change’ with Suzanne Sterling, Bhakti Flow with Govindas & Radhe and circled back to my dear friend and teacher for 25 years, Bryan Kest. A few days was all it took - my cup was full. I then returned to host Vinyasa, Vision Boards and Vino to set the tone for what was to come… I tried ‘The Class’ with Taryn Toomey, went to the Women’s March in NYC, taught a Yin Yoga teacher Training in Miami in February and just like that, 2018 was off and running…

To balance things a bit I took a family ski trip with no injuries this year…lol and then began the Advanced Continuing Education Series for Teachers in March (six Modules) done separately or together throughout the year to support the existing teachers in the community and to help raise the level of teaching for all the students in the area.

Springtime came with a Training Retreat in the Mountains of Georgia on ‘Living the 8 Limbs of Yoga’ with an incredible group of women and assisted by Lydia Merl. This trip was very special and I hope to do another one like it this year. Keeping this pace, of traveling and teaching while balancing my own growth and family time requires that I stop to take a breath and focus a little time and energy on myself. So, I attended a Leadership Training from ‘Off The Mat, Into the World’ with my favorite teachers, Seane Corn, Suzanne Sterling and Hala Koury in Miami, a week later I flew off to South Dakota to immerse myself in some deep work with my soul sister Lydia Merl. We took a long hard look at what is happening in the Native American communities, what part we played in history and how we are still mis-communicating our nations truths in our society today.

I believe we need to be the change we wish to see in the world and if I am not changing the way I see things, the way I think and the things I do - how can I expect to see any changes in the world. So I decided it was time to start sharing some of my experiences with the community. As the shifts within myself take hold and as I process them, they emerge in my classes, workshops and trainings. I am so grateful for the many ways in which I am awakening and feel so blessed to be able to share it with all of you.

The first six months of the year also had a little fun… I learned Scribing from my dear friend and fellow teacher Ellen Patrick, went to my first EDM concert with my daughter, got to see Justin Timberlake thanks to my dear friend Mark Ryan, watched my son enter and be recognized in a 48 Hour Film Festival and then ended with heading to Kenya for a Safari and Retreat. What made this retreat so special is that I was able to share it with my husband Andy. I had the privilege to see this majestic place for the second time, but this time through his eyes. The Retreat was incredible, it had a luxury element as well as acts of service. We worked with MEP - Mara Elephant Project as well as the African Yoga Project and were touched deeply by the work they are doing with conservation in the Masai Mara to save the elephants and with the amount of people Nairobi that are doing yoga. At this point, I could tell that the work of this year was taking hold within me and that subtle shifts were beginning to happen...Awakening is a process and it takes patience but I am open to being a little raw and to participating in more acts of service to find my voice and use it for good. My wish and my mission is to be an agent of change not just in my community but in the global community.

July began the second half of the year and we stepped in with a Beach Clean Up and hosted a Connection Coalition Training at Yoga Journey. This is our 5th time hosting this workshop and I am so proud to be supporting their work to bring yoga and mindfulness practices to the at risk kids not only in our community but all over the country. We will continue to support their work and to train our teachers to go out and be of service. Not only do we host them, but we also held a fundraiser for them that brought in over $5,000 to host a program right here in Boca Raton.

July was also the beginning of my only Teacher Training of the year. I lead a 200-hour program which is only offered every other year, alternating with the Advanced Training program. If you recall, in the beginning of 2018 I decided to step away from an Advanced +300 Teacher Training Program in order to revamp the curriculum and decided to lead one every other year going forward. The new format will launch in 2019, starting in February. Registration is open now for anyone interested. It was a lot of work to create a new format but I am so proud and excited to share it with a new group of teachers and spend my time teaching and mentoring again this coming year. I know that decision was the right one because it gave me the opportunity to truly focus on the 200-hour program. We had an outstanding group of students that really dug in and worked so unbelievably hard to earn their teaching certificates. I am grateful to Debra Dubinski, Jennifer Sloan and Bri Aberle for being such a remarkable team and for supporting me and all of the trainees through this process.

As summer continued I had another shift happening in my life… I was preparing to become an empty nester, a new chapter for me for sure. After losing my precious Shih Tzu, Jazmin in June as I returned from Kenya I knew my house was about to feel very empty. This required me to slow down and pay attention to the vast number of emotions happening within me. Everything from pure excitement for my kids, in their new chapters and the anticipation of what is next for me… Soul searching is a big part of the yoga journey and I am constantly being challenged as we all are to maintain some balance in life as it changes. Life really does ebb and flow and it takes some grace to navigate it all. My family dynamic is shifting and my time is shared in different ways.

September took me to Spain for Retreat and another life changing experience. Nata and I chose a unique space for our Yoga and Tea retreat with the help of Dawn Oliver of Well Xplored Travel. I fell in love with Spain and the whole Valencia region. It was an opportunity to get back not only to nature but to our own true nature. Then I invited Suzanne Sterling to Florida to stay with me and to host her ‘Voice of Change’ workshop at Yoga Journey and it was fantastic. This was my third time working with her and everyone that attended LOVED it… she will be back in March so don’t miss it! My last adventure for the year was to Cuba in November… another cultural experience that I shared with DJ Drez. All the details were taken care of by Mark from Cuba FAME. This was just another opportunity to turn myself inside out and take a closer look at myself and the impressions that have existed within me from the conditioning and history of our culture. We have so much work to do to wake up and clear out the thinking that no longer serves us.

As this year comes to a close I must humbly share two incredible honors I received, one from Yoga Alliance and the other from Connection Coalition. I was chosen to sit on the Standards Committee for Teacher Qualifications. As YA revamps their standards for all teacher training programs they called upon a group of teachers from all over the country to sit on these committees to help decide what the guidelines will be as we head into the future. I got to work with some of the greatest teachers of our day and have a say in how we can elevate the quality of teacher training programs all over the world. The other special honor was at the Connection Coalition Gala for my work in the community and creating connection. The other women chosen were heavy hitters in the community and to be selected for my work in the yoga world was amazing. The most spectacular part was that so many people, friends and family came out to support me and the event. I continue to be inspired by the many people and organizations doing great work in the community and commit to continue to do my best to support them in whatever ways I can. Like Teaching at the Inaugural STEP Foundation event for Deana Karp and featuring Connected Warriors as our first ‘Shine the Light’ Recipient at Something BIG 2019. So as I look ahead I see an exciting opportunity to do more work on myself and continue to grow. My hope is that I will elevate myself, the level of teaching yoga in the community and those seeking to learn. I do not take any of this for granted. My life is blessed and I know I am being of service in my own special way. I thank all of you that participate in my programming, the classes at the studio, my private clients and all the staff at the studio that help me to bring quality yoga to you all every day.