It has been many months since I put fingers to keyboard with the goal of sharing my reflections
in this space. I have been quiet. Truth is, by nature, I am quiet. I am an introvert.

Perhaps, this is one of the factors that set me off on my yoga journey. The 60 to 90 minutes I
spend in a yoga class is quiet time – certainly it’s a time to quiet the mind, but it’s also time free
of idle chit-chat. As an introvert, it’s not that I do not enjoy conversation and the company of
others, rather I prefer more intimate, personal connections.

Writing a blog is not intimate. I write sharing personal reflections, not knowing with whom I am
sharing my thoughts and ideas. How much should I share? Am I appropriately respecting the
privacy of friends or loved ones whom I mention in my writings? Are my messages reaching an
audience? This week, a reader posted a comment to a blog I had posted last May. “…this post
really resonated with me,” she shared. Reading this, I felt both humbled and encouraged. I
have a voice. My voice matters.

One might wonder how I came to be a yoga instructor, introvert that I am. For me, it’s been an
evolution. Yoga has been my self-care strategy of choice, physically and emotionally, for many
years. I initially had enrolled in Yoga Teacher Training to deepen my understanding of this
ancient practice. From there it became a personal challenge, taking myself leaps and bounds
out of my comfort zone. I needed to know – can I teach yoga? I began teaching a small group
in a private office setting, and then on a volunteer basis at a local library. I worked to find and
develop my voice, over time learning to adjust my sequencing and cueing for the participants in
front of me. I can teach yoga, not in spite of, but because I am an introvert. My belief in the
power of yoga to enable stillness and to shift one’s mindset, allows me to teach from a place of
authenticity, and to share a practice that enriches and sustains me in countless ways.

The New York Times Bestseller, Quiet – The Power of Introverts in A World that Can’t Stop
Talking – by Susan Cain, deepened my understanding of myself and enabled me to reframe
some of my life experiences. There have been many times in my life that I’ve felt that my
abilities were underestimated as my quiet was misinterpreted. Despite my quietude, I possess
an inner strength which has carried me through some significant personal challenges. I am still
learning to honor my innate need for quiet. Practicing yoga continues to bring this opportunity,
deepening my self-awareness and self-acceptance. It allows me to hold space for myself, so
that I can be there for others.

Wherever you are on your journey, and whether an introvert or an extrovert, it is my hope that
you are able to embrace quiet, on and off the mat.

Namaste.