Take the Risk to Blossom

I love that quote. I'm nearing the end of my 200 hour yoga teacher training, but I do not feel any more qualified to teach yoga than when I began. Strange, isn't it? However, I am grateful to have a teacher who is confident in my progression and has faith in my abilities as I improve each day. Thankfully she gives me opportunities to sub so that I can practice my teaching.

Yesterday I subbed a class with 11 women around my mom's age and older. They were all friendly enough. Oh how I just wanted to be another body in the room instead of in the front leading the class!

I like to begin my classes with a quote to set the tone for the practice. Quotes are wonderful nuggets of inspiration that most students can somehow relate to. Yesterday I used the above quote by American-Cuban author, Anais Nin. How ironic it was that the quote really said a lot about how I was feeling in my heart, never mind inspiring the students.

Why can growing be so scary? Difficult? Why did I put myself out there and sign up to become a yoga teacher, when there are hundreds of thousands of certified teachers around the world? Why me?

Because growing is beautiful. In the picture above, you see a blossom still in its bud. All of the beauty is there, but it's hiding. Next to it you see the blossomed flower, sharing its fragrance and beauty to all who take the time to notice. How many flowers have you seen in your life? After you've seen one pretty flower are you saying to yourself, "That's a pretty flower. I don't need to see any more because one is enough." I sure hope not. For me, each time I see a beautiful flower in bloom my heart smiles. I especially love roses.

That's why we grow. We take the risk to open up, to blossom, so that we can share our unique beauty and love to those around us. No, not everyone will appreciate your beauty like someone else might, but that's beyond your control. What you CAN control is the effort you put into blossoming into the person you want to become. As the class ended and we were putting away our props, one of the ladies came up to me and thanked me for teaching and then said, "Your love for yoga is evident in the way you teach. Keep it up."

I guess it was worth it after all.

My substitute class wasn't what I wanted it to be. I need to keep working on my cues and fluidity of speech, but we all made it through in one piece. That evening I gave a mini-class to two of my sweet friends in my home. They were ever so patient with me and it was wonderful to practice teaching some more of what I love.

"Patience child, patience. Remember, life is a journey. If you got everything you wanted all at once, there would be no point to living. Enjoy the ride. And, in the end, you will see these "setbacks" as giant leaps forward. Only you couldn't see the bigger picture in the moment. Remain calm. All is within reach. All you have to do is show up every day, stay true to your path, and you will surly find the treasure you seek."

-Jackson Kiddard

photo credit: Hannah Whipple, August 2015, Lawrence, Kansas

Hoping for a Rainbow

I'm really not sure if I ever thought this day would come. The day that I made it past 13 weeks pregnant without losing the baby. #miracle. I know I am not out of the woods yet, and honestly, when are we really? I am just trying to live every day with gratitude for the life inside of me, living with hope for the future. Part of me wanted to wait until next week, when I was past 14 weeks and officially in the 2nd trimester, but I couldn't wait any longer. I've been getting a little thick in the middle, which is getting more difficult to hide, and I feel like I haven't been able to be completely honest with friends when they would ask, "how are you doing?" All I wanted to talk about was how nauseous I was or how nervous I felt. So now, the news is out, whether or not you already suspected something was up. Seriously though, the 1st trimester is not for the faint of heart! There were many instances when I thought I would lose the baby, but dee

I'm Pregnant! .....

...or so I thought. And you did too. Happy April Fools Day! I had been having baby dreams and feeling nauseous on and off during spring break, and I knew I would test immediately when I returned home from our road trip. The test was barely visible and I didn't believe it, so I said nothing to Marshall. That night I had a dream where the next pregnancy test I took was a solid double line. Well, two days after the first test, I got my obvious positive. I was so excited. Not knowing if it would be a good pregnancy or not, I tested again two days later and the line was darker, so I felt confident. The past two pregnancies I miscarried at approximately 6 or 7 weeks both times, so I was pretty nervous about this one. What if it happened again? Would I be strong enough? Knowing that I needed extra strength and prayers, I asked roughly 40 of our family and closest friends to fast and pray with us on Easter Sunday. That Sunday I was on the top of the world. I felt so strong an

Grandpa is Always Right | Gender Reveal |

I was hanging out in our rental apartment in Salzburg, Austria with my sister when my dad walked out of his bedroom and announced that I was having a girl. I was only 11 weeks along at that point and while I was wishfully hoping for a girl, I was preparing myself for a boy. His strong conviction of the gender of our child without any hints from an ultrasound surprised me. My dad seems to always be right about things, so I secretly hoped he was right this time too. Today during my scan, my favorite sonographer announced that we were having a girl. Grandpa is always right. I never imagined our family starting with a baby boy. I don't know why, but a baby girl seems to fit just perfectly. Now I just have to keep calm and stay healthy for 19 more weeks.

Tender Mercies

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