In the spring of 2021, the owner of my local studio called me to offer me a part-time job working

at the front desk. She and I had known each other since 2016 when I started attending studio

classes, and we both had young daughters close in age. She knew that I would be pursuing

yoga teacher training and was offering me this role as a way to get familiar with the business

side of the studio before beginning my role as a teacher.

Of course, I said yes.

This opportunity came at a time when we were just coming out of COVID, and I was ready and

excited to venture back into the working world after taking time off to be home with my kids.

Working at the front desk on the weekends was a great way for me to spend some time working

outside of the home while still being home the majority of the time.

Working at the front desk helped me in so many ways. My studio offers yoga, massage, and

other wellness treatments, so fulfilling this role gave me a chance to get to know the teachers,

massage therapists, and clients. I also familiarized myself with the ins and outs of MindBody

and honed my ability to communicate clearly and directly all while still being friendly.

Overtime, I took on the role of yoga teacher while still maintaining my front desk hours, and I

kept it this way for a year. However, it got to the point where I was always working. I had gone

from only working in the home to working every single day outside of the home. Something had

to change.

Slowly, I began to release responsibilities that were no longer in alignment for me. And as much

as I loved my front desk hours, they were no longer in alignment. It took time to arrive at the

place where I felt comfortable giving up that role, but doing so has freed up time and energy that

I can devote to teaching yoga, writing, and building my yoga business.

Even though I eventually left my role at the front desk, I still value the experience and draw upon

my front desk training almost every day as a teacher. Due to my time at the front desk, I know

how to use aspects of MindBody that some of the other teachers find tricky. I also am familiar

with all aspects of the studios business, not just the yoga side. This helps me to view the

business holistically and to answer questions students may have about massages or other

offers the studio has. Lastly, I value that this experience pushed me to evaluate where I put my

time and energy. To me, this ties back to Bramacharya, right use of energy. In order to embody

this Yama, I had to let go of a role that I really did enjoy and value in order to make space for

the new.