"The beginning is the most important part of the work." ~Plato
Today we began the journey. I kicked off Island Flow Yoga classes bright and early at 6:00am with 5 students at the beautiful Olanani AcuOasis. I was filled with excitement, uncertainty, and faith.
I love teaching yoga, and now I am able to do it independently.
The roots of my yoga practice were first planted in a high school gym class. Two or three days a week, we would gather in the gymnastics room and follow along to a yoga class on VHS tape. I remember I liked it and I remember giggling during savasana. I continued my practice in little bursts here and there, exploring more kinds of yoga and movement classes.
I started teaching in 2011. At the same time I was coaching high school track and field and working several other part-time jobs. I was busy, busy, busy, and teaching was the major thing that kept me grounded -- the one thing that remained a constant priority in my life for the next 6 years as I moved across the country.
It took me a while to build my confidence as a teacher. It then took a big push to get me to move out of my comfort zone of teaching for a large company. I knew it was time to take the leap and trust that teaching on my own was the right path.
Over the years, I observed the actions of different managers and owners of studios and gyms where I worked. I had some great managers and coaches, and I had some not-so-great ones. I learned valuable lessons from all of them. During this time, I was putting together the pieces of what running my own yoga school would look like. I was establishing my core values and constructing a plan to build a sustainable business model.
I decided 2017 was the year to take action. I went off on my own, and painfully separated from the comfortable place I had known and loved. I had been kicked out of the nest, and I sure hoped I could get my wings to open up.
The success of my Kickstarter fundraising campaign in starting this venture blew me away. I am honored and humbled by the generosity of all the students, teachers, and friends who believed in me. I feel like I can never thank you enough. Please know that in helping me, you are exponentially helping all the students and teachers that I have and will have the opportunity to work with along this new journey.
Mahalo and Namaste,
Sarah Yo