Reader, there was a time when I almost gave up on yoga.
The world had come to somewhat of a standstill because of Covid and there was no clear direction of how to navigate the world of cultivating in-person community for a body-based practice.
My nervous system, much like everyone else’s in the world, turned up to 11 and I just didn’t think I had the energy to try to continue to run a yoga studio in the midst of a pandemic while chasing after two young kids and a 9 month old at home.
So I gave up my big beautiful yoga room in the building we own – renting it out to a friend for her business, and was going to focus on growing my coaching business, keeping an office in the back of the building with space to offer private yoga sessions.
That idea lasted maybe a week. 🤦♀️
Before the dust had settled on it, I realized that I just couldn’t give up on teaching in person. Even though my teacher wasn’t going to be doing it at his studio, I had to give myself permission to do things differently.
To begin to listen to my inner guidance and actually own my thoughts and actions.
People still wanted me teaching this style of yoga in person, and I knew I could make a difference in a time of stress and uncertainty. People needed yoga, breath and mindfulness even more so after what we had been through at the height of the pandemic.
So I offered a paired down schedule of the type of yoga I was trained in at the back of our building in a smaller room.
It was a bit of a dagger to the heart… 😭
Giving up on my dream space that I designed, created and put so much love and energy into making just right was the only way I could financially afford to keep sharing the practice I loved in person with others.
Until it wasn’t.
I was teaching & practicing a very specific brand of yoga that I had given 7 years of my life to as a “founding” teacher of the brand and was being told in an email by that brand that things were changing dramatically and if I wanted to keep sharing the practice, I needed to pay a bunch more money and give more time to ventures growing their brand.
My fiery spirit didn’t love this too much.
Inside of me lives this naturally caffeinated energy, and matching that energy with a powerful, high-level yoga practice reorganized that energy into a less chaotic environment.
It created balance and focus needed to drive me forward, but it also was generating a bit of internal anger inside of me that wasn’t useful.
I had felt the restriction for some time, and although this style of yoga was super influential in my life (and was, and still is, a beautiful practice) it was stifling me as a human. It was imposing limits on my creativity that often had me asking “Is this all there is?”.
I couldn’t do things for my studio the way my inner guidance was whispering for me to do them – even if I didn’t understand what those whispers were at the time.
I felt a longing inside of me that yearned to do more. Be more. Help others in a bigger way.
This email was confirmation and it was as though the God was pushing me out of the nest….
Don’t get me wrong, I loved teaching others to do handstands, back bends and front splits, and watching their bodies change with time means their lives are also likely changing off the mat, too, but in some ways it wasn’t enough for me.
Right then I decided I wasn’t pursuing that direction anymore and stepping into courage to do my own thing.
Teaching yoga, breath work and mindfulness in a way that continues to evolve but that gives me permission to shift and grow with my changing self.
I have a stubbornly, naturally-caffeinated, fiery spirit, but these practices help me see my full potential as a human – to be both fully energetic and calm at the same time.
And that’s why I keep sharing them with the world – so other naturally-caffeinated humans can discover that potential within themselves as well.
Because I believe all fiery spirits have the equal but opposite capacity to embody an immense calm within that might be hiding under years of protection. It just takes practice and the right guidance.
Are you ready to leap out of the nest and give it a try?
Your energy isn’t something to tame or put in a box, it’s something to tune.
Yoga, breath work, and mindfulness are how we channel that fire into focus, calm, and clarity.
If you’re standing at a turning point in your life and tired of living in someone else’s vision of life. This is your time, your time to get out of your own way, step into courage, and do things differently.
🧘♀️ Come practice with me in the studio, or
💻 Let’s build a personalized, movement-based coaching plan virtually.
Schedule your next class or an exploration call with me here.
Because this is your time… your time for change.
Cheers,
Cathy
I speak my truth with calm confidence and compassionate clarity.
WANT TO JOIN US FOR CLASS OR WORK WITH ME?
Register for studio classes here.
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Studio Classes:
MONDAY – Restorative/Yin Practice
5:30 PM • All levels welcome
A restorative class with longer held postures & mindful breathing to build stress resiliency & bring balance to your fast-paced life.
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WEDNESDAY – Yoga + Breath Work Flow
8:30 AM • All Levels Welcome
Active, flow-based practice integrating strength, balance and mobility. Intentional breath work practices included.
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THURSDAY -The Weekly Breath Reset (Virtual)
8:30 AM • 30-minute virtual breath work
Your breath has the power to change how you experience stress. Harness that power of your breath to start your day with intention.
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SATURDAY – Yoga + Breath Work
8:30 AM • All Levels Welcome
This class is generally blend of a flow-based practice and a restorative/yin practice.
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Special Events:
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FRIDAY, DEC 19 – Winter Solstice Candlelight Yoga Rhythms Retreat
The Winter Solstice marks the end of one seasonal cycle & the start of another. Cozy up and finish your year with ease and begin the new with intention.
Join the waitlist for the Winter Solstice Candlelight Rhythms Retreat here.
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Workplace, Team & Individual Sessions:
AT YOUR CONVENIENCE – Personalized Group Stress Resilience Training
TBD • At your location or at the studio
In these sessions I guide groups through practical, embodied practices—like breath work, mindfulness, gentle movement, and/or emotional awareness—to build stress resilience. Each session offers simple, effective tools to help participants reset, regulate, and respond with greater calm and clarity in everyday life.
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The Podcast: Health Harmony Happiness with Cathy
#70: Stop Playing it Safe: How to Instead Find Your Edge
Flowing with your time, energy and focus even when unexpected things come up, doesn’t just mean floating through life and letting life happen to you. On the contrary, it means intentionally becoming aware of those places that make you slightly uncomfortable then learning to adapt to them without going too far. Also known as finding your edge.
In this episode, I take you through a visualization to help you figure out how to identify your edge. I also talk about what it means to find your edge and how to know when you’ve gone beyond your edge.
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What’s Cultivating Health Harmony Happiness in My Life…
Recommitting to a regular and consistent flow-based yoga practice that’s somewhat predictable has once again transformed my days and mornings. I confess, I had not been as disciplined as I need to be about my yoga practice and wasn’t actually finding my edge for quite some time.
I’ve realized that my fiery body type and energy needs a regular flow-based practice most days of the week with boundaries or limits set around it so I’m not cutting corners and eliminating postures that help me feel my best even if they are challenging to me.
I still practice yin at least once a week, but first thing in the morning, I need a flow based practice with intentional breath work in order to feel focused, clear and stay on task. This is my mental health plan. It has been for years, and sometimes I just forget that.
Then life reminds me in some way that I need it, recommit to myself and jump back into focused handstands, back bends and splits and my life changes once again💚.
My point is, we all sometimes forget what makes us feel our best – it’s the having the courage to admit it and discipline to start back up that matters. 🙏
