What my yoga retreat taught me…

Sunrise taken from the beautiful Ojas Retreat center.

"It is better to do one's own dharma, though imperfectly, than to do another's dharma perfectly." Bhagavad Gita 18:47

Before leaving for my yoga retreat, I found the journal I had written during last year's retreat. Lately, I'd been asking myself where yoga fits into my life, whether I truly wanted to teach, and what my svadharma really is.

Svadharma is a Sanskrit word often translated as "our own unique path." It reminds us that we each have a different way of contributing, growing, and serving the world. While our deepest nature remains the same, the way we express our svadharma can evolve throughout our lives as our experiences, relationships, and responsibilities change.

Looking back at last year's journal, I expected to notice everything I hadn't accomplished. Instead, I found myself smiling and thinking,

"Look at everything you have accomplished!"

That simple shift changed the way I experienced the entire retreat and my time away.

One afternoon, I was sitting in the shade, writing in my journal and enjoying the Southern California breeze, when one of the retreat mentors came over and joined me. As we talked, I shared that I'd been questioning where yoga fits into my life, whether I truly wanted to teach, and what my svadharma might be.

He simply smiled and said:

"Maybe you're already bringing yoga into your work. You just don't recognize it."

The realization didn't come during a pose or a lecture. It came during a quiet conversation in the shade.

Each session already begins with a moment to pause and breathe. I encourage clients to notice their breath, soften their nervous system, and become more present. For those who are anxious or overwhelmed, I often share simple breathing practices they can take with them long after they leave my office.

That's when I realized that yoga had been quietly woven into my work all along.

It made me realize how easily comparison can pull us away from our own svadharma. When we're focused on someone else's journey or the next thing to accomplish, we can miss the quiet ways we're already growing along our own path.

As we move through the second half of the year, I invite you to take a quiet moment to reflect:

🌱 What growth in your life deserves to be acknowledged?

🧭 Are you following your own path, or comparing it to someone else's?

💛 Where might you already be walking your own path without even realizing it?

Sometimes we're so busy looking for our path that we don't realize…we're already walking it.

Thank you, as always, for allowing me to be part of your wellness journey.

As Ram Dass so beautifully said, "We're all just walking each other home."