Dear Homegrown Yogis,
I don’t think anyone’s life has gone according to plan this past year, has it? I know mine hasn’t. It’s been full of set-backs (closing the studio for several weeks), and it’s been full of seriously unexpected surprises (hello, new Macon studio!). It’s even shown me how often it’s these exact set-backs that create the wonderful surprises: for example, I have no doubt that one of the reasons this past year of teacher training was so so incredibly special was because we went through all the crap of 2020 together.
Last week when I checked my mail I opened a letter from the City of Perry that read: “The City has determined it has a need for additional space at the Perry Arts Center and with the anticipated restrictions it is not practical to continue to have tenants. Therefore, this is your notice… that your lease shall cease…” Talk about life not going to plan. I put the letter aside to focus on the final week of our teacher training class and this week I picked it back up to get to work. Although I don’t yet know what our plan will be moving forward in Perry, here is what I do know:
Life not going to plan is much more manageable when I know I am doing all I can. I’ve failed and had things fall apart because I did not put in the effort to make it work, and that is a very different feeling than when things don’t work out even when I do my best. Either way getting rejected or failing hurts, but I’ve realized that when I do my best and maintain my integrity in the face of disappointments and challenges there is a sense of peace and surrender that I feel. It sometimes takes A LOT of digging to feel it, but I know it’s there.
Sometimes life not going to plan is the perfect re-direct – or as it says in the graphic above, it’s a sign that something better is in store. I don’t mean this in some sunshiney/everything-always-works-out-for-the-best kind of way. Sometimes it’s like that – like thank goodness I didn’t end up with my high school boyfriend =) But even when things don’t end up working out better, these situations teach me something about myself or my capabilities or the people in my world that is of such great value that I wouldn’t trade that new knowing for anything in the world. Even if another way would have been easier and more sunshiney.
Life not going to plan does not mean I have to give up on my mission. Here is Homegrown Yoga’s mission: “Our mission is to foster a yoga community that supports, challenges, loves and inspires one another. It is a place for you to discover your own strength, truth, and greatness and build confidence in living a life that you intentionally create.” My mission isn’t to have a yoga studio or to run a yoga teacher training program – it’s to create space for you to discover yourself and that will never ever be limited to four walls.
All classes in Perry (both at the Arts Center and Forest Hill Park) will continue as always for at least the next several weeks as we brainstorm and dream up what’s next for our Perry people. And this does not affect anything in either Warner Robins or Macon – we will actually be adding more classes in Warner Robins in the coming weeks and releasing our Macon schedule shortly! Thank you as always for your amazing love and support – I’ll keep you posted on how things work out!
With love,
Rachel