From the Classroom to the Mat: How This Journey Became Mine

When I first began this journey, I was looking for more tools for my teaching practice. I’ve always loved professional development—especially when it ends with a certification. Something about it feels affirming, like a quiet nod that says, you’re growing.

At the time, I wanted to become a certified yoga teacher so I could better support my students. Adding the Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Facilitator Certification felt like the whipped cream, pecans, and cherry on top of an already rich brownie sundae.

This year has been turbulent—fast-paced and deeply exhausting. And yet, I wasn’t consumed by despair or grief. Something was different this time.

Every day, I began holding space. For myself.I started preparing my body and my mind. I started breathing on purpose. Being still. Paying attention… to me!

Each lesson I learned in my yoga training, each prompt I reflected on, felt like a thread weaving me back together. I wasn’t just learning what to do. I was beginning to understand why it mattered—and how it impacted me, from the inside out.

For perhaps the first time in my professional life, I had permission to invest in myself.  Sit with that.  It took professional development to transform my personal life. 

And I did.  New outlook, came with new opportunities, a lot of yes’s and a new professional position.  

I committed to a daily meditation practice. A daily movement practice. I practiced ahimsa—non-violence in thought and communication—not just toward others, but toward myself. I softened the voice in my head. I began to speak to myself with the same kindness I offered my students, my daughters, and my community.

That was the shift.That was the ah-ha moment.

I didn’t need to be harder on myself to be better. I needed to love myself in the same way I so easily loved others.

Yoga has incredible mental health benefits—reducing stress and anxiety is only the beginning. With mindfulness and meditation layered in, we also nurture emotional regulation, deepen self-awareness, and reconnect with our breath, our bodies, and our hearts.

This journey began as a way to serve others. And now, it has become a way of living.

And the best part?I get to share it with you.

Welcome to Sigh.

Take a breath. You’re already on your way.