When I was in high school, I was very committed to wearing my Birkenstock clogs, even in the

snow. I remember there was one snowy day where my parents begged me to put on different

shoes for the day, and I refused. My Dad drove me to school that day, I hopped out of the car

and began to walk toward the building only for my feet to fly out from under me, landing flat on

my back. I got up and began to walk in only to fall for a second time. After the second fall, I

made it inside with a bruised ego and sore backside.

Where I am at in my yoga teacher and yoga entrepreneur journey feels a little bit like trying to

make my way across snow and ice while wearing shoes with absolutely no tread. How many

times will I wind up falling on my ass before making it safely to my destination?

Since May, I have been faithfully posting on Instagram, mindful of my three pillars, and

launching my private online yoga program. I am building a yoga business not to replace my

group studio classes but to come alongside them. A very Tantric idea, no? I have a deep desire

to build this yoga business to make more of an impact in the world and to help people build

home yoga practices that will serve them for the rest of their lives. I also desire to keep working

in flexible ways in order to be able to pick my young kids up from school and fulfill all the other

responsibilities that go with parenting young kids. Lastly, maybe most importantly, I know in my

bones that this desire I have aligns with my Dharma, and teaching in this way would be an

additional way that I could express my Dharma in the world.

When my son was in kindergarten, he would occasionally feel down that he wasn’t reading. His

sweet teacher would remind him of the power of the word “yet” He’s now a very proficient and

avid reader. He reads now for sure enjoyment, and I look back on all the worrying I did when he

was in kindergarten with embarrassment. All he needed was time and the gentle reminder that

he was more than capable and just had to wait for his time–the power of “yet”

Just as my young kindergartener son needed that reminder, I do too. Things haven’t taken off

YET. My clients haven’t started rolling in YET. From a Tantric perspective, I am in a time of

retraction, but it isn’t going to last forever. There is a time of expansion coming. I just don’t know

when, and the timing isn’t really up to me. All I can do is trust and keep showing up as my fullest

self no matter if it’s in one of my classes or a social media post.

I’ve been spending this slower time reading and seeking out inspiration. I’ve been refining my

classes and listening to feedback. And I’ve also been living life, enjoying lots of pool days with

my kids before my son starts fourth grade and my daughter goes to kindergarten.

Finally, I have been using this time to try to lean into non-attachment. In the Full Abundance

prayer by Tosha Silver, she shares two lines that I have run over and over again in my head:

“Let everything that needs to come, come. Let everything that needs to go, go.”

Times of restriction are hard to navigate. If that’s where you’re at, please know you are never

alone. Keep showing up even when it’s uncomfortable and trust that a time of expansion is on

its way.

Written By Mandy Henderly