Simple Not Easy

“Simple Not Easy”

This is my personal mantra, it is the reminder I connect with when I feel lost, overwhelmed, uncertain, frustrated, tired, angry, or hurt. Nearly every challenge we encounter has a simple solution; unfortunately, the awareness, effort, and persistence required to create that solution is usually not easy! We are hard wired to seek comfort and ease which is why education alone is typically not enough to inspire us to do what is required to make the changes we want.

So easy for me to say right? All yoga teachers say everything is simple because they don’t understand the struggles of living a modern, complicated, messy, and chaotic life trapped in an inflexible, stiff, and uniquely challenged physical body!! Well, I used to think that too; before I began my own yoga journey.

As I former smoker, I know firsthand that knowledge, fear, and wanting to please others are not enough to lead to successful changes. As a formerly overweight person, I know firsthand that losing weight and improving overall fitness is a simple formula of eating healthy and moving more; however, the execution of these actions is not at all easy! As a person who still manages severe psoriatic arthritis and narcolepsy, I know firsthand that what works for others often does not work for me and that sometimes everything is just going to be painful and frustrating. As a person with a prosthetic hip, I know firsthand the challenges of living in a body that has drastically changed.

I am so grateful for every opportunity to share yoga with others because I know firsthand the powerfully impactful side-effects that accompany commitment to regular deliberate practice. I know firsthand that making significant changes requires nothing more than a willingness to continue exploring, challenging, and learning.