Before finding the Humble Haven community, my knowledge around yoga teacher trainings was very limited and I just assumed they were reserved for “real yogis” or those who wished to pursue a career in teaching yoga full time…and I kept thinking why the heck would anyone wish to spend so much money on education they wouldn’t put be to “good use”?

I’ve never been so glad to be proven wrong.

When you continue to show up for yourself, you not only work on your physical health, but you do the inner work that it takes to become a better version of you. Day in, and day out, not matter what stage of life you are in. Here at Humble Haven, I think we can all relate when it comes to being met face to face with our feelings. We have all experienced moments of anxiety as we enter our first (or new style) class, we have all felt moments of intimidation and defeat, perhaps the overwhelming wave of tears that show up when we are in pigeon pose; but we also get to experience the opposite when we walk out of these doors. We get to feel confident, supported, safe, strong, seen, relieved, lighter, less anxious. Free.

So how does time spent checking students in for class, mopping the studio floors, and folding lavender towels allow me to better show up in my role of creating content that speaks to our past, current, and future students? It’s all in the listening. The chance to hear those seemingly small moments when a community member shares about how a teacher or class served their physical or emotional needs. As yoga students we all show up to our mats for a variety of personal reasons, but at the end of the day those reasons and results of showing up are universal. 

I think of advocacy like a muscle. The more we exercise and nourish a muscle, the stronger and more comfortable we get using it. The road to getting stronger and more comfortable usually entails some exhausting and uncomfortable moments, but just like anything else we practice, if we keep at it there will be moments of triumph and ease. 

Advocating for what needs to be changed for the sake of a more equitable world will require leaning into moments of discomfort instead of shying away. When I find myself asking, should I speak up?

Try as we might to maintain a routine relationship with our yoga and wellness practices, life often interrupts. Sometimes just the showing is the hardest part. And, yes, the practice of yoga happens on your mat, but it is also a way of showing up and moving through your days, weeks, months, and life. Yoga provides a way to meet ourselves exactly as we are each and every day which is why it can be such a valuable practice to maintain during life’s twists, turns, and changes - big and small.

Read this month's Journal share from Suzanne and two of our our community members, Oriana and Patty, about their journeys through pregnancy and returning to their practice.

We often hear from students and teachers at Humble Haven that starting and maintaining a yoga practice is one way to combat feelings of anxiety whether those be intermittent or long-term. If you’ve practiced yoga in some way, be it through movement, mindful breathing, or concentration and meditation, you’ve likely experienced the positive effects of this practice. To help us share a bit more about yoga’s power to combat anxiety, we turned to two of Humble Haven’s teachers, Margo Buchanan and Cynthia Nwarache, to share a bit more.

Strength: “So, how have I come to find that the yoga mat is the perfect place to return from injury, illness, grief, or long breaks?

When I see my yoga as a place of healing rather than a torturous fitness routine I am able to truly give myself to the practice. I can allow the practice itself to heal me. If I do what I can to nurture my emotional, physical and even spiritual body then I am able to bring myself to the mat no matter what the circumstance.

This means acknowledging that ALL of me is not injured". -JRH