Not every day is a yoga retreat

You are doing incredible things. 

You are fierce. You are powerful. You are strong.

You can make friends. People like you. I know this because I like you. 

I love your hidden talents- nanu nanu, the worm, the way you teach kids in your classroom about empathy and human emotions, your horse whinny, your auditory memory.

You may not know this but you look so powerful when moving through practice. 

Give yourself permission to be the person you want to be. 

Live for your own approval. Give less fucks about the approval of others. 

You are doing a good job.

Your contributions matter. You matter. 

You deserve joy. 

I see you- mothers and daughters, women about to be mothers, women working to grow their families and working through the lonely and isolating struggles that can accompany that pursuit. Babes who run businesses and a woman who sold her successful business because she wants to create beautiful things. Women experiencing grief that is fresh and raw. Women experiencing grief that has settled into their teeth and bones. Women caring for aging parents. Women that create art. Women striving for career growth which can feel like a sprinting on a treadmill, working hard and getting nowhere. Women who are caretakers that occasionally feel depleted and sad. 

Just remember, you can do this. 

You are enough. 

Your triumphs and sorrows matter to me. 

Life is hard sometimes. There are going to be days you don't want to get out of bed. There are going to be days and months where it feels like there is no end in sight. 

Carry this space with you. On those days, recall Sonja singing while fat snowflakes floated out the windows. Carry the wind whistling in the tower, the clarity of stepping away from your life to just be nobody. Remember your cheeks starting to hurt while you smiled listening to Nora for an hour. Remember dancing and slapping your body and being totally free. 

Remember to feel your heart beat. 

Remember to watch the trees sway. 

Remember to take a few hours or days each year or season to recall where your truest happiness lies. 

Until next we meet, I'll be thinking of you and cheering you on. 

With love, Amanda

Cover Photo taken by Sarah Lamb atop the observation tower on our sunrise hike Sunday morning. @s.lambphotography