Four weeks off teaching yoga: A cautionary tale (Featuring pelvic pain, a blank journal, and blocked “chakras”)

You know that feeling when you're finally getting some time off and you think, This is it. This is when I heal, restore, journal daily, and glow from within?

Yeah, no.

I’ve had four weeks off teaching yoga. FOUR. (With one more to go). I had visions of long, soul-nourishing mornings with incense, gentle flows, deep & intense journaling, and the kind of inner peace that gets you wellness influencer status.

What I got instead?

  • A few serious thoughts about doing some yoga that were sabotaged by cuddles with my dog

  • A couple of uncomfortable encounters with my digestive system (TMI? Too bad, this is real life)

  • The triumphant return of my pelvic pain

  • And a journal that has remained closed tighter than these Tupperware containers my mum uses for her delicious soup

Look, I’m not saying it was all bad. I did wear comfy pants a lot. That’s a win, right?

But mostly, it’s been that strange liminal space where you’re not working as much as usual… but you’re not exactly feeling restored either. Just a weird, bloated, achy potato with big plans and not much follow-through. (But I love potatoes so that’s a win).

Where Buddhism Enters the Chat

Somewhere in that fog of not-doing, I started reading a little about Buddhism. Not because I’m extra spiritual, but because it popped in my head one day and it became another source of procrastination.

And what I found? It was just what I needed.

Buddhism talks about the “Middle Way”—a path that isn’t about striving too hard or giving up completely. It’s about balanced effort. Gentle, sustainable, real-life-in-trackpants effort.

Which means… maybe I did get something right these past four weeks?

Not in the “daily yoga goddess” kind of way. More in the “I didn’t burn out worse” kind of way. I learned that forcing myself to rest “the right way” can be just another kind of hustle. Sometimes not journaling is actually an act of self-compassion. (Or maybe just forgetfulness. Who can say.)

Comeback Energy (Sort of)

So no, I haven’t emerged from my break with glowing skin and aligned chakras. But I’m back. And honestly? I’ve missed you.

My classes are back in just one week. We’ll stretch, breathe, maybe laugh-snort a little in happy baby. No pressure. No weird spiritual performance. Just real people showing up with sore hips and big feelings.

And if you want to go a little deeper (or just escape your house for a few days), my Loving Kindness Retreat in October still has spots available. You don’t need to be perfect or flexible or enlightened to come. You just need to be tired of trying to do it all alone.

So if your self-care plan also included journaling daily and you’ve instead just been talking to your dog while lying on the floor—same. You're doing great.


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