Let me Re-Introduce Myself – Teaching Yoga and New Plans for 2022

Hello Friends, Long Time! 

A few months ago, I shared on Instagram that I had quit my job and was working towards a Leila 3.0.  Well…. I’m still working on that, but a few people have been asking what I’ve been doing since. Here’s a brief update.  

Has anyone heard that Gwen Stefani song, “Let Me Re-Introduce Myself?”  I resonate a lot with her lyrics right now.  Gwen’s always been Gwen, but has shown up in different ways in different seasons of her life.  And though in no way am I comparing myself to this Goddess, I feel like I am going through a bit of a persona transformation. I thought I’d better re-introduce her to you too. 

Yoga Teacher Training

The most drastic change was that I ‘went back to school’ to be a Yoga Teacher – crazy right!  I don’t write about it a lot, but I’ve been practicing various forms of physical yoga for quite a while, actually since college.  I’ve always been physically active and have explored various fitness regimens – kickboxing, running, dancing, Zumba, cycling, etc. While I enjoy them all, I always am drawn back to yoga.  It’s some supernatural force that pulls me like a magnet.  And after several years of cultivating body awareness, I have realized that yoga is the only form of exercise, that leaves me feeling not only accomplished, but energized, as opposed to feeling accomplished but drained after a hard run. 

So, last spring, after I resumed my practice when the studios began to open up again, I felt this jolt of community… and something else I can’t name.  This unnamed emotion inspired me to research Yoga Teacher Training courses to further my practice and learn more about this energizing force.  I was a little disheartened to discover that the majority of the local trainings were all semester-long full day Saturday or Sunday classes.  I couldn’t sacrifice that much time away from my kids.  Plus, my husband would never survive that much time solo parenting!  (nor the kids!)  

I pushed the idea to the side, but I think something else happened. As I researched and imagined what it would look like for me to transform into a Yoga Teacher, I believe… I apologize in advance if I sound like a bat-sh%t crazy person… But, I believe I manifested the idea to come true.  I took steps to enquire at the studios and join the mailing lists. Then over the summer, ironically, my favorite studio, CorePower Yoga, emailed me. They announced they had developed a unique HYBRID Teacher Training program! 

This could not be more perfect for my schedule and stage of life right now.  My classes were in-person Tues/Thursday from 7:30-10:30 PM (after Ethan goes to bed and Mark is home to put Maia to bed). And the Saturday classes were virtual from 12:00-3:00 during the kids nap time.  And the remaining yoga classes (50!) could be taken any time in-person or Virtual.  I received the benefits of in-person community without it being overwhelming or over-demanding on my family time.  I signed up right away.  The certification is a 200-hour course, the equivalent of a 15-18 credit hour semester college course!  Let me tell you, it was INTENSE but I loved it.  I am proud to announce that I completed all of the requirements and graduated right before Christmas.  Hooray!     

I’m also, even more happy to share with you, that I have successfully passed the audition. I have been hired as a Yoga Teacher at CorePower Yoga! January was my first month of teaching! I have successfully (well… that’s open for debate) taught 8 classes, 20 students through the one-hour C2 Power Vinyasa Yoga sequence!  I still have much to learn and I hope to improve my delivery, craft, and message as I continue on this Yoga Teacher journey.  If you’re ever in the area, please look up the Laguna Hills studio to see my schedule and drop by for a class! 

Architecture

So, after many months, actually over 2 years of discussion with my husband about my career and his career and my side project passions and the demands of kids and home life, we made the decision together that it will be best for all of us if I took a step back in my career as a full-time practicing Architect.  I have been writing about this also – a lot of emotions here – and will share more about that later. 

So, I aligned my resignation as a Project Architect at the Irvine based large corporate Architecture Firm I had been employed at, to coincide with my yoga program and the start of my daughter’s Fall school year.  I gave myself 2 weeks of summer vacation with her which was super fun. Then we both went back to school together! 

My goal, after I graduated the yoga program, was to return to work as an Architect. But as a part-time Architect. And to spend the remaining work-week hours, either teaching yoga, or doing other creative projects that are on my heart like writing or volunteering. 

And the last but not least important detail – drum roll please – I am working FOR my husband.  (cue terrifying screech).  Mark is also an Architect and co-owns his own small practice which has been growing a rapid pace for the past few years.  By the way, if you know any talented drafters or architects, please contact me.  I have made it through my first week, deep sigh of relief. Time will tell if this will be a good idea or not, but it’s the current plan.  At least I’ll have learned all the calming benefits of yoga and meditation to overcome the stress of receiving orders from my husband, right?  I am still the boss at home. Come 5:00, there will be a shift change.

Other

Sorry for the blanket headline here, but I’ll just touch on a few other activities that I’ve been exploring;  I’m journaling and writing, though I haven’t been publishing.  I’m taking on some tasks around the house; most notably, I redecorated my daughter’s room and gave it to her for her 5^th birthday.  Talk about time sucker – painting 4 walls pink by yourself is a lot of work!  But she loved it, and drew me a photo of a trophy that made my heart melt.   I’m doing a lot of purging and organizing around the house, in a Marie Kondo style.  (#sparkjoy!)  I’ve been taking Krav Maga self-defense classes which have been fascinating… and painful.  I’ll share more about that in a future blog post. 

And most importantly, I’m spending more time with my kids as my husband leans into his workload during this busy season.  I am very grateful to be able to enjoy quality time with each child separately right now. Which wasn’t possible with a full time in-person job.  Ethan and I go to the beach once a week and enjoy post nap cuddles in mama’s bed.  Maia and I get dressed up and attend church on Sundays. And then out for a treat and some lady’s time.  And once in a while I take her to her favorite trampoline park and we jump to our hearts content.   I hope my children will remember their mother as a woman with professional aspirations and passions. But, also as a loving friend who makes time for them and wasn’t always just ‘working.’ Which, regardless of whether or not my kids felt that way, I felt that way before I made this shift.

Conclusion

So this is the current Leila.  I’m sure I will evolve, and I’m giving myself permission to do so.  I hope this Leila 3.0 can find a small place in your world somehow: reading my words on your laptops, swapping texts on your phones, or sharing meals in our homes.    Or maybe, one day, guiding you in your practice as your Yoga Teacher!?  One can dream.

If any of these topics resonated with you, or you’d like to hear more about them, please let me know. I’ll focus on those writing projects first.  Leave a comment, send me an email, or type a text with your feedback, and maybe share an update on you and your family. I would love that even more.