As life had done what life does, taken its toll over the last several years, I had shifted some serious gears. I thought I was done stewarding a studio. I had nearly stepped out of public yoga teaching and had stepped into simply directing my yoga teacher trainings and writing full-time. The idea of stepping back in front of a classroom full of people gave me more than a few twinges of fear. However, underneath my doubts, I felt my great love of community glow.
Though glowing, my great love of community still fell prey to my wondering whether or not this offering might land well in a town more than sprinkled with great yoga studios. Further like many, manage a litany of enough-ness complaints against myself daily. I have memorized all of my mistakes and mis-steps and am an expert in making them weapons against my happiness. Taking this leap of faith and opening another studio only seemed to made them louder.
There are a 1008 ‘what if’s’ in manifesting anything. With any creation, a piece of art, a poem, anything might not be celebrated to the degree that the creator had hoped. However, what would happen if the creator simply ceased worrying about the creation’s outcome and simply created for the love of it? What would happen if you, if I, if we, created from our unique passions simply for the joy in its endeavor?
Awesome-ness. That’s what.
I began a practice. Every time fear gained a small foothold, I turned my attention towards one aspect of the studio’s beginning. It was a dance between creativity and fear. Though these two poles of reality were loud in my head everyday, every schedule choice, class description, paint chip, and floorboard that went down seemed to light my heart on fire. Creating something new, from the depths of my passion, was lighting me up and limiting the heaviness of the shadows about its being received.
I was tireless and on fire. “Passion burns down every branch of exhaustion…” – Rumi
This project shifted the balance in my head and heart. My heart took over and my head sat and listened.
I watched the project, from its inception, not just light me up, but others as well. Fear and doubt were not just the monkeys on my back; they seemed to be an epidemic for many of us. This project turned on a sense of childlike fearlessness, wonder, and shared purpose in several teachers, our builders, and marketing partners.
It turns out, Earth, is more than a studio. It is a project aimed at connecting people, celebrating diversity, igniting passion in art, effort, value, and positive world change making. It is a home for creativity on every level.
Creativity changes everything. It changes everything for everyone. Once it is lit, passion burns and cannot be easily put out. It tends to burn the shorts off of self-limitation, doubt, and fear. If Earth Yoga Boulder is an example of life changing by diving in deep to what one and many love, may it serve as an inspiration for many to lean towards their inspirations, dreams, and creative sparks.
Blaze on with Fearless Heart! – Alan Clementz
By: Shannon Paige
Living wholeheartedly as an author, yoga teacher, and mentor of yoga teachers; Shannon is a spoken word artist, poet, sacred storyteller and TedX speaker. She infuses her bodies of work with a fullness of artful living and passion for life on and off the yoga mat. Her instruments of instruction and expression are detailed and clear cuing woven through a fluid progression of imagery, poetry and truth. Shannon encourages and supports the practitioner to unlock secrets held in the human heart, release stuck patterns that no longer serve, and attain new levels of integrated embodiment. She is described by many as being “confidently vulnerable;” as a result, she is one who inspires positive change. Off the mat, she loves to spend time in the sun, wake surf, and run. Based out of Boulder, Colorado from her home studio, Earth, Shannon globetrots to deliver transformative classes, talks, trainings and retreats.
www.shannonpaigeyoga.com
www.earthboulder.com