My life is blessed and I give thanks every day, and I feel this gratitude in the resonance of my being. These are the top on my list when I think of all I am grateful for and blessed with: My ohana (all of my relatives), my connection to God, my daughter’s laughter and health, my health and the freedom I have in my body to move, my husband’s personal integrity and they ways in which he supports our family unwaveringly, my personal yoga and fitness practice which supports everything I do, my garden, our property and home, our animals, the unconditional love from my parents, my friendship with my mom, the connections I have with my students and dear friends, the yoga yurt, healthy food, …
Of course the list goes on and on….
I guess this story really starts back when I was in high school, when I started exploring my practice of yoga. Once I started I immediately began teaching yoga to my friends. I loved it, it was in my soul to share this practice. I mean, it was (and still is) REALLY in me to share this practice. I recall going into my first Anusara yoga studio, From the Heart (in Grand Rapids, Michigan) and the first thing I told Behnje Masson was that I wanted to teach.
Once I started Anusara yoga I immediately fell in love with the loops and spirals, with the way in which this practice really connected me with my body and inner world. Prior to Anusara I had a practice that I adored, but it was not intimate, personal, multi-faceted OR consistent. I began Anusara in 2000 and have had a consistent practice, that continues to expand and deepen, since.
I received my Anusara certification in the late 2005 after spending years traveling the country to take workshops, trainings and retreats with my favorite instructors. During these years I additionally practiced consistently on my own and with Behnje at From the Heart. My foundation was built over time, with care and attention, with guidance and practice.
This foundation enables me to have a joyous practice now that still evolves and grows. How cool is that?
No matter where I lived or what else I did I always knew, that I knew, that I knew, that I would be teaching yoga. It is in my bones, in my bone marrow, my blood, my HEART. I did all my training on the mainland, and I received my certification after moving to Kauai, following my heart with a huge leap of faith to move thousands of miles from my family, friends and familiar ground. Of course the training is and will always be on-going, on the mat and off.
I soon met my husband to be, and got pregnant in 2006. My husband and I now have our 5 year old daughter, who is the most beautiful thing on the planet, and who is growing up sooooo fast. Every moment with her is precious, and I do believe that the potency of the time I spend with her is the most important. Quality over quantity. SHE is my biggest teacher right now. She shows me so much about myself and inspires me to be the best ME I can be too. I love you baby.
When she was a baby I taught, I would find places (by the grace of God) to teach that provided childcare on site (YMCA, Equinox and Yoga Works). Somehow it just always worked out. It works out because I am following my heart, my dream; to share my love for yoga and fitness, and to inspire people to live courageously, fully, and from their hearts too.
I always had a dream to live on Kauai, on a self-sustaining property. I have had this dream for YEARS. It is funny because I had NO idea what this would look like, NO idea how I would make that happen, I just knew, that I knew, that I knew, that that was inside of me. Why? I guess it is part of my purpose. I believe God has put this desire in me. I know I have much to learn about this still too. Life is so amazing!
Now, here I am. With my husband and our daughter, living our dream on the north shore of Kauai! We live on a couple acres of land with goats (our mama goat just had a baby!), chickens, ducks, turkeys and 3 cats (that either adopted us or we purposely adopted ourselves). I have a nice sized garden and our daughter has the most magnificent fruit trees to climb and a blessed place to call home. My husband built a yurt, for me, across our driveway so that I can teach yoga right here! I mean really, THIS is my life! I am so blessed and even as I write this I am teary-eyed because it all seems so synchronically mystical, guided by something BIGGER.
Has it been easy? Not really. And thank goodness for my husband’s amazing career and the countless ways in which he is a talented and gifted man. His dreams, goals and hard work have also been a tremendous driving force in where we are today. Thank you honey.
So now I am here, living the life of my dreams and I am feeling a call from my heart to back off of teaching right now, and put more of my attention and time into the core of my life. With my husband, our daughter, and on our farm. I feel so fortunate that I can do this right now.
If you have taken any classes from me you may have heard me instruct to take the periphery of your body out of the pose, so that you can really cultivate a radiant core, and THEN extend that beauty out into your edges. And this is where I am at right now in my LIFE. I’m feeling a deep need to back off of teaching so many classes right now (I am up to 16 classes a week at times, not all being across my driveway), and spending more time being here with and for my family (my core). It is so beautiful really, because I know, that I know, that I know that when I align myself up in this way everything else will groove into place effortlessly and gracefully. And at the same time it boggles my mind because teaching yoga has truly been a HUGE priority of mine for about 12 consistent years. My priorities are now shifting.
I am choosing to teach less and be home more. To spend time in the mornings with my husband, to be more available for my daughter and her school and her learning and playing right now, to give to myself in my daily practices alone, to explore and play on my mat with new inspirations, to Be in my garden and in my kitchen, to care for our animals and milk our mama goat. I want to give to my family the way in which I give to my students. Whole heatedly, with full presence and love. Can’t I give to them all in this way? Absolutely! And by coming back to my core right now (myself, my family, our farm and home) I am aligning in a way so that I can truly be the best I can be. For myself, my family and my students. THIS is the unfolding of my yoga, from the inside out.
With love, Samantha
Please see my new class calendar here: https://kauaiyogaandfitness.com/calendar/
These changes are indefinite, I am following the call of my heart and leaving it up to grace to lead the way. Trusting and loving.