Yoga Journey

Last summer, something small — almost ordinary — shifted the course of my journey in an extraordinary way.

A mail carrier was delivering to our home when she noticed I was outside building a Zen garden. Buddha statues were placed thoughtfully among the stones. I had always felt drawn to the Buddha’s teachings. I had studied them lightly in the past, quietly, privately. But this moment felt different.

She paused. We began talking.

She shared that she was from Thailand. She spoke about her country, her culture, and what the Buddha meant in her life. There was an ease between us — a sense of familiarity that felt as though we had known each other long before that afternoon. It was one of those rare, soul-recognizing-soul connections.

Before she left, she placed a small Buddha charm in my hand. A gift. A blessing. A quiet passing of something sacred.

I still wear it to this day.

She was only filling in on that route. I never saw her again.

But that brief encounter was my first true experience with karma — or perhaps more accurately, divine timing. She felt like a guide. A signpost. A gentle nudge from the universe pointing me toward the path I was about to fully embrace.

For over ten years, I had practiced yoga — primarily Vinyasa Flow. It was movement. It was exercise. It was discipline. But it wasn’t yet devotion. I hadn’t immersed myself in meditation. I hadn’t studied the roots, the history, the meaning behind the poses. I hadn’t explored the quieter, deeper practices like Yin, Bhakti, or Restorative Yoga.

That began to change.

Over the past six months, I started leaning in. Listening more closely. Learning more intentionally. I began attending my local studio with new curiosity — not just to move, but to understand.

This summer, I signed up for Yoga Teacher Training. I am currently becoming certified in Restorative and Yin Yoga. I completed my Aromatherapy certification. I have taken courses in Yoga Therapy for Career Wellness and Mental Health at Work. With my Master’s degree in Organizational Psychology, I now see how seamlessly these worlds can integrate — mind, body, work, spirit.

What once was exercise is now embodiment.

What once was interest is now calling.

All because one person paused long enough to speak… and I paused long enough to listen.

One encounter can change the direction of your life.

But you must be open.
You must be aware.
You must be willing to answer when something — or someone — gently calls you forward.

Sometimes, your guide only stays for a moment.

But the path they illuminate can last a lifetime.

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