When my dog Timmy was diagnosed with kidney failure, our days became filled with IV drips, home-cooked meals, and quiet moments of tenderness. His final journey taught me that love isn’t about holding on at all costs — it’s about compassion, presence, and the courage to let go. Through grief, I discovered that letting go is not the end of love, but its deepest expression.

Caring for yourself isn’t selfish—it’s essential. Just like the airplane oxygen mask instruction, putting on your own mask first allows you to show up fully for others. Through our yoga classes in Bali, we learn to honor our needs, cultivate self-compassion, and practice mindful presence on and off the mat.

Made arrives at my studio every morning at 6:30 AM, carrying small woven baskets of flowers and offerings. Watching her, I learned that self-compassion doesn’t start with elaborate routines—it begins with presence, gratitude, and attention. From her unhurried movements to her laughter at escaped chickens, Made taught me to treat each task, each moment, each imperfection as sacred. Self-compassion, I realized, lives not in grand gestures, but in the gentle, consistent care we bring to our daily lives.

We are born to express, not conform. In a world where creativity is numbed by technology and societal programming, our path back to wholeness lies in honest communication and soul-led expression. Through body, voice, art, and silence—we rediscover who we truly are.

Today's yoga teachers are no longer confined to guiding students through asanas. They are evolving into holistic mentors who use the body as a tool to connect students with their inner world. This expanded role aligns perfectly with the principles of life coaching, creating a synergistic approach to personal development.

Music and mantra has always been a mysterious teacher of its own kind to me. When I first found the practice of Kirtan, totally by chance, in 2013 walking into a traditional Satyananda Kirtan during a yoga retreat visit in Thailand, the mantras stuck in my head for days on end. Even without me remembering the exact words or even being able to pronounce the words correctly, the process had started and I was sucked into this beautiful world full of melodies and chants that would somehow bring me a little bit more peace and calmness.