Seven years ago this fall Barefoot Works was birthed. It was not your traditional birth, but nonetheless a birthing from body, mind, and heart. The first two years of Barefoot Works life we roamed all over central and eastern Kentucky teaching. The last five years we've had the great joy to call Patchen Village then the current tree house home.
One of the things that I'm seriously passionate about is witnessing and helping people connect to their dreams and blaze a path on their own. To me, it's such a natural fit with yoga. Stick with yoga for even a short while and you'll feel it's awakening effects on not only your body, but mind, and heart too.
Last year I wrote a love letter to Barefoot Works. You can view that here... http://barefootworks.blogspot.com/2010/09/love-letter-to-my-business-barefoot.html
This year She and I want to share with you what we've learned together about crafting and living a life based on your deepest desires and dreams.
Here are five tips, life lessons that we've come up with:
1. Put forth the effort, flounder, fall and possibly fail. Life, yoga, and business are constantly changing. Most new things are uncomfortable and scary at first. It's ok to try and fail. Actually, it's better than ok. It's great because you're moving forward, changing, and evolving. If we want to learn a new balancing yoga pose, we risk falling. If we want to quit our job and strike out on our own, we risk failing. There are few guarantees in life. Bow humbly to your fear then move forward.
2. Own and embrace your perfectly imperfect self. For years I thought negatively of my non-yogi body. I thought my not so open and flexible body meant I was less than as a teacher. Now I know this isn't true and in fact it has been my limitations that have helped me to grow as a teacher and express great compassion for my students. What are the things holding you back in your life, why, and for how long? Are your so-called weaknesses really flaws or just an excuse to play it safe? Harsh, I know. I said I was passionate about this stuff.
3. Your dreams are your ticket to a juicy and joyful life. They are important for a reason, don't believe otherwise. You're never too old, too rich, too poor, too sick, too anything to stop dreaming. Know yourself well enough to know what's most important to you....staying home with your baby, climbing a mountain, becoming a baker, etc. Your dreams are a guidepost to further awakening your heart and soul. Don't let anybody tell you different. Open your mind, connect to your dreams, do the work, and watch your world change (it will appear that way but it's really you).
4. Know how to calm and center yourself. This is useful for times on the mat in a pose as well as off the mat in life. Life gets crazy. Chaos swirls around us and at any given time we can be brought down to our knees in agony, angst, and confusion. Not all dreams survive, many will die. Breathe. Breathe. Breathe. Who are the people you can connect with to support you? What are the practices that will soothe and bring you back to center? Turn on some nice music, light a candle, sit on your mat, breathe, cry, move, write, do whatever you need to process your feelings. Then pick up your frazzled pieces, learn the lesson, shake off your yoga mat, and bust a new move.
5. Keep good company and connect with those that inspire you. I have an unbelievable network of people that support and encourage me in amazing ways. Entrepreneur friends, coaches, mentors, family and friends have my back when I feel myself slipping. I have an amazing team that surrounds me at Barefoot Works. In fact Teresa Thompson has been my friend and fellow yogini for the entire five years we've been open. She was at the grand opening of Barefoot Works, attended the first class I taught, and four months later she began teaching. All of the teachers at Barefoot Works fill my heart with gratitude. They are a special bunch who helps make the tree house what it is, a sanctuary to nurture and nourish your body, mind, and spirit. Plus it's a tree house!
I feel so happy, so honored, so humbled that you in some way have shared and supported Barefoot Works. Without you Barefoot Works would simply be another pretty tree house. Your presence, your poses, your goodness, your greatness, and your spirit are what make it so very special.
I hope that you'll join me and the rest of the yoga crew for a celebration this Friday from 6:30 - 8:30 pm. We'll have a yoga class with live cello music followed by lite eats and good conversation. Saturday from 11:00-12:00 I am teaching a free beginner class. Please send or bring friends and family members for a delightful taste of yoga.
Thank you from the soles of my feet, to the crown of my head, and to the depths of my heart. I am eternally grateful.
Cheers to five more years and namaste,
sharon
teresa
sarah
lisa
anne dean
meredith
julie
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