Most of us are really good at being kind to other people. A friend says "I'm just not good enough at this," and we know exactly what to say. Then it's our own turn, and somehow that ability shrinks. In my years of teaching I have noticed this again and again. Compassion for others comes easily. But when it comes to ourself - self-judgment is much faster. And it often hides behind a good reason: I want to improve. Grow. Get stronger, more flexible, more whatever you're trying to become. The mind likes to build a little gap between where you are right now and where you want to be. If I want to be somewhere else, then what's here must not be good enough. It doesn't have to be that way. That gap creates stress in the body, and in my experience it doesn't close when you reach the goal. The mind just jumps to the next thing it has to achieve to prove it's worthy. Teachers have been saying this for a long time. Kripalu puts it simply: "Yoga practice is not a self-improvement project." Yoga International has written about using yoga to build self-compassion instead of perfecting the shape. So the practice is different. Don't chase the next goal to feel more okay with yourself. Notice the thoughts that say "not good enough yet," and don't give them so much attention. Then spend a little time just being with yourself, without the commentary. When there is only attention and no story, there's not much room left for anything but being okay with what is. In my experience, compassion arise from there on their own. Don't try to understand this logically. Try it. Do any practice in the classroom and pay attention to how the postures feel, not to what you think about them. Or sit with the "Am I Alive" contemplation: AM I ALIVE" SESSION Notice what happens when the narrative of the mind gets less important. Something quieter says: I am okay. Because you are. You already are. You always have been.

This is where I’ll gather short, gentle practices you can do at the end of your day to release some of the tension you’ve collected, settle your nervous system, and prepare your body for restful sleep. I’ll keep the classes short so they can fit into your evening even after a very full day. The first class is already waiting for you: 👉 link here And that’s it for tonight. Sweet dreams, my friends. Sleep well, and I’ll see you tomorrow.

Can you see yourself anywhere in this? Or am I the only one? 😄 For a very long time, one of my strongest subconscious needs was to create harmony around me. I needed to make sure everybody was okay. Everybody was taken care of. Nobody was upset. Nobody needed anything from me that I hadn’t already noticed and handled. Because somehow, if everybody around me was okay, then I could be okay. Then I could relax. Well… at least in theory. 😂 Because there was another layer to this. I also had a strong need to validate my existence through doing things really, really well. Accomplish something. Excel at something. Be useful. The more outstanding, the better. And somewhere at the very end of that list was me. After everybody was okay, after the work was done, after I had accomplished enough - IF there was still some time and energy left maybe I would take care of myself. Maybe I would even allow myself to simply enjoy my life for a moment. Except even my hobbies weren’t safe. 😂 Give me a hobby and I could turn it into a competitive sport in no time. I needed to get better at it, master it, compete, finish a race, win something or eventually become a teacher of the damn thing. Congratulations. My hobby is now a job. The physical and internal practices of yoga have taken me on a very long and beautiful journey, and slowly, these parts of me have become quieter. I’m learning what it feels like to take care of myself simply because I am worthy of being cared for. To do something because it feels good. Not because it makes me better. Not because I can teach it. Not because I can accomplish something with it. Not because I’m trying to become some shiny new “better version of myself.” No more of that. I’m okay. And what’s different now is that “I’m okay” is no longer just a nice concept I understand intellectually. I’m experience it.🙌 So, over the next eight weeks, I’m going to share a little of my journey of deliberately making time for myself every day. What you might not be able to see on camera is that even the internal lens through which I practice yoga has changed.

Lets do stuff my friends.

Hey friends, I wanted to pop in and share what's been going on. For personal reasons, I've had to step away from my teaching position at Temecula Yoga Collective after twenty years there. It was a really hard decision to make, and honestly, I needed a few days to process all the emotions that came with it. This has been a big change for me. But I'm back now and ready to be here with you all again. If you want to chat about anything yoga related or just need to connect, I'm here. Thanks for your patience while I took care of myself.