When I first began NJ Beach Yoga 16 years ago I had no idea how to begin a business and how the weather would determine my summer income. I just knew I LOVED teaching yoga and I loved the beach. I had taken courses about the business of yoga and also in fitness, most geared towards studio / gym owners. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time in Sea Isle City and began working as an independent contractor in without having to worry about filling a studio. I had spent 20 years prior as a Dental Hygienist in a small room with my patients and knew I wanted to mix my locations, spend as much time as I could outside work with different populations up with my 2nd career. I had the enthusiasm and support from family and close friends to go for it. That is always key - have cheerleaders support your crazy ideas :) It started small and the first year on the beach I would get so upset if the wind was blowing mats around, if it rained, if the noisy beach cleaning truck drove by during class, if the tide came up fast and got my mat wet. I would think about it all day and waste my energy fearing it might happen the next class. These were all things out of my control! It was then I realized if I was going to teach students flexibility I needed to model it more in my going with the flow. I also needed a slogan for the back of shirts I wanted to print the next year. I was talking with some students after a class and we were watching the waves when I said “ride rather than resist the waves” as a response to someone sharing how she worried about something out of her control. She said that’s a great mantra and BOOM - it fit beach yoga. It has come to be my mantra throughout the pandemic too all these years later. Waves rise and they fall, begin and end, ebb and flow. That’s life and it sure is easier to now let the rainy days be canceled classes, make sandbags to hold down windy mats, guide students into exhaling distraction when the beach truck makes noise and know if a wave sneaks up and I get wet - I’ll dry off eventually. Enjoy your tides today, namaste, Teri
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