Love is a powerful force. Imagine what can happen when you love yourself. Fully. Completely. Without judgment or guilt. Without fear or doubt or lack.

“This pose is the hardest one you’ll face all evening,” I told them. “As gravity takes hold of your hips, the stretch will intensify. Notice your thoughts in this very moment,” I encouraged. Those thoughts in this intense moment say more about you than you even realize. 

The other day, a creative spark flew through my mind so quickly I almost didn’t catch it. Then, later that morning, it came back again. And then again, until I finally decided this spark was worth investigating.

Guess what? I cried for the first time on my mat today in what seems like forever. (Just so you know, I’m secretly loving telling you about all the times I cry on this trip.) While trying to get into a pose, my knee started to hurt. On the second attempt, I tried the pose and immediately got out of it. I laid on my mat as tears sprung in my eyes. You’re knee hurts. You can’t do this. You’ll never get this pose. Everyone else is better than you. You’ll never amount to anything. Why are you even trying? You think YOU can teach yoga? My thoughts began to snowball.