I had the same soccer coach from the time I was 5 through my departure for college. He was a child psychologist, and looking back I can only imagine what he thought of me. Of the many impressions he made on me, one that stuck was his repetition of John C. Maxwell’s line, “Change is inevitable. Growth is optional.”
This summer marks 10 years since I sold my super-cool F-150 for a Nissan subcompact and followed my college boyfriend to Los Angeles. 10 years ago I was seduced by palm trees and winter sunshine, never knowing I would lay down permanent roots in a city of 4 million people. My hometown currently as just over 19,000. These 10 years have encompassed unimaginable change, from the beautiful changes of engagement, marriage, and career growth to the not-so-pretty changes of failure, frustration, and heartbreak.
My yoga practice is the one thing that never changes. My mat is a constant in my life, a home to me regardless of where I’ve rolled it out these past 10 years. But although the practice is my true constant, it also constantly reflects the changes in my life and my personhood. A truly effective yoga practice is one that molds to meet the changing needs of your life, not one that rigidly holds you to structure despite external circumstances.
My aim is to make this space one that constantly evolves with the changing needs of our students, responding to the demands life is placing on us rather than holding to a rigid list of rules. It’s right there in our mission statement and philosophies: “We are always getting better. As a studio, as teachers and as people, we learn, grow and remain open to feedback.”
Warmly,
Bethany
