I’ve been thinking a lot about Greenville Yoga lately. Since I’ve been back from Sedona, something has become very clear to me: This is where I want to be. When I was meeting with Blake and Amanda (our Studio Stewards gathering (manager and social media maven) they shared that I have buried the lead! After my journey, I realized Arizona will always be my happy place. There is something about the desert that fills me up. But Greenville is home. And this time, I mean that with my whole Self. I am not sure the chapter after this one, but this current chapter I am ready to be here. Body. Heart. Mind. All in the same place at the same time. I knew when I came home, it was time to put both feet in. That feeling has awakened a new energy and a new vision for Greenville Yoga.

One of the most fun parts of my “job” is seeing when people begin to come more alive, more into their own. I’ve known and worked beside Blake for a few years now. I’m really not even sure how we met. But somehow, she became our studio manager. After so many years of answering the same phone calls and emails, buying toilet paper, candles, et cetera, I needed some backup. And in walked Blake!

JOY Ride to Sedona (part 2): The Next Right Step

The arrival at my sister’s was only about three hours earlier than if I had arrived by car, following my original (flawed) itinerary.  The journey from Memphis to Fort Worth was much less exciting than my previous day.  Luckily, my sister and I both enjoy solitude.  She went for her nap and I stayed by the pool letting the sun and the Texas heat bake out any anxiety left in my body. 

For months I was planning my getaway.  Life had thrown me some curveballs and I was tired.  I truly couldn’t wait for a four day drive across the country alone and two weeks alone in my Soul Place, Sedona.  After that, my dad and I were meeting in Santa Fe for a special father / daughter time.  I gathered my belongings- coloring books, beads to make necklaces, tarot cards, journals, hiking boots, yoga mat and bolster, snacks galore!  I got my car cleaned, packed and ready to go…

In 2006 Susan started coming to Greenville Yoga. We were just a year old then. In 2007 she began a consistent Ashtanga Yoga practice with our dear Emma (who lives in Hawaii now). Susan had a dance background so the flow of Ashtanga Yoga made sense in her body.

As Susan’s practice has evolved, so has her life. She was single when she began two decades ago. Now she is a married mama of three! We don’t know how she does it all and stays so calm. As with all seasons, this is a season of shifts.

The strawberry full moon this week, asking us to let go, to make room for what’s next. It’s not lost on me that this was the intention of my trip to Sedona. A closing of one chapter to discern what wants to come next. And here we are on an astrological threshold as well. Each morning I do a little tarot and / or oracle card spread. Even my tarot cards here signal death and rebirth, clearing and resting before the next growing season.

I am so fortunate that my reality is shaped by all the hours spent at Greenville Yoga. It gives me a view of the world that is bright and hopeful. Being in this seat also allows me to meet some very cool humans. It was New Year’s 2025 and this beautiful woman with all white hair showed up for our special New Year’s Gathering. She said she found me because we both took Martha Beck’s Wayfinder Coach School and she’d just moved here from San Diego. California AND Martha Beck! I knew I wanted to know more.

Welcome to our first student feature. This is where we come to celebrate YOU! When I was looking around at who might be fun to talk to, I noticed something. Dannette has been coming to Greenville Yoga for years… but something shifted. I couldn’t name what it was, so I couldn’t wait to talk to her and find out more. Read her yoga origin story to learn more.

Some of you may have met Amanda, our new-ish Tai Chi teacher. But you may not know she’s been with us longer than that. In 2023, I saw Amanda was doing a photoshoot, 30 Women Over 30. For some reason it called to me and I reached out. We ended up having a photoshoot together that changed a trajectory for both of our lives. Being photographed by Amanda, it allowed me to see myself differently and be willing to put myself out into the world a little more bravely. And Amanda took off as the yoga photographer in town. (I am calling her that… she may not see herself that way.) I saw so many of our friends, teachers and students working with her and it seemed her photography shifted somehow. So I asked her to photograph our team for new headshots. Now, she is our social media maven, photographer and tai chi teacher extraordinaire. But here is a little more about Amanda and her journey into yoga … in her own words:

When you do what you love, and have for over 20 years, sometimes there’s a wondering… is this what I am still supposed to do? And then the rest of your life starts shifting, kids graduating, relationships changing, parents / aunties aging, and it gets you wondering… who am I without these roles, these hats I wear? The last few months, this has been the question rolling around my mind and heart… Who Am I? And the subquestion … What do I truly want in this “one wild and precious life”?

I always say the feeling here is co-created by each of you. Seeing the friendships, connections, and care brings a deep joy and gladness into my being. But sometimes you meet your Soul Mate here too! I know because this happened to me.

The past two months, I have been working with a friend of a friend on refining who we are in the community. There is SO much yoga out there these days. There are apps, free yoga, YouTube, and studios galore! It’s a long way from where we began when there was only one studio in town and one yoga class at the Y. In working with Katherine, I am reminded what makes us special. Truly, what makes us special is YOU! You co-create this space and today, I simply want to say thank you.

The last few years I have created a theme for our studio: Time to Grow, Riding the Waves of Change, Rest & Play, Better Together… today I realized I hadn’t created something new for the year! As luck would have it the Lunar New Year began Tuesday and inspiration struck. Thank you Fire Horse!

This year at Greenville Yoga, I would like to extend An Invitation to Awaken.

I was first introduced to this practice in our old studio. It seemed simple enough: creating well wishes for yourself, your loved ones, people who cause you suffering, and eventually, the world. There are, of course, variations, but the method remains the same. First, we tap into our awakened heart —

My sweet friend, and business owner, Perrin White of Breathe Well, Be Well shared a newsletter last week that reflected on all she had created in 2025. It made me smile for her as I know how much she loves what she does and it made me celebrate her win alongside her. When we had coffee that weekend, I asked if I could borrow her idea. Luckily, she said yes!

Here’s what we’ve seen / done / offered and shared in this ever eventful year…

It feels like a lifetime since we gathered for our 20th Anniversary Party. But the effects are still lingering here. You feel it and see it when you arrive. Students sitting on the benches chatting. Teachers helping. Hugs given after a teary class. Whispers. Peals of laughter. We share the bitter, the sweet, the aches and pains, the joys and sorrow. If you are fortunate enough to be here, you know we truly believe we belong to each other.

Click through for updated links…

This summer brought us to a crossroads. Despite growing class attendance, our income didn’t reflect it—and the gap left me adrift. I questioned everything: our model, my leadership, even my relevance. At one point, I reduced my own pay and tapped into savings just to keep us afloat. But what came next? With the help of my coach friends- clarity, connection, and one of the most heartfelt gatherings we’ve ever had.

We’re not the same studio we were a few months ago—and that's a good thing. We remembered what really lights us up, and we’re rebuilding from that place. More collaboration. More joy. Read on to hear the full story…

I wrote a little something to share with each of you at our 20th Anniversary Party. What a party it was! We definitely felt the connection, the magic and the love! You showed up in ways I couldn’t believe. From our first yoga teachers to our most recent new students. Two couples who met at GY and are now married. Two couples I officiated their weddings. We even had several new babies there. It was the most beautiful evening… more fun than I could imagine. Thank YOU for showing up and bringing your most magical selves!

I didn’t anticipate the crowd size we had, so my best laid plans went a little out the window. If you couldn’t attend or were unable to hear, here is the written story I shared. I hope as you read this, you can imagine the rings that we form as we grow our tree.

The people pictured are the heartwood of our tree… our legacy Greenville Yogis. 💖

Over twenty years, we’ve created something that isn’t easily named—but you feel it the moment you walk in. There’s something special here. I know when we left our first location in North Main in 2020, several students were worried that it just wouldn’t feel the same. We spent 15 years breathing, meditating and caring for one another in the same space. When we reopened in 2021, somehow within months people were commenting, “I don’t know how you did it. It feels the same!” The only answer I have is, “Magic!”

Each week leading up to the party, we’re sharing our top three reasons why you won’t want to miss this event. With just two weeks to go, here’s reason number two:

LOVED 💖

At its core, this gathering is about love—the kind that shows up in quiet moments of support. The hugs. The shared laughter after class. The tears (joyous and otherwise). The hands held in stillness, and the knowing nods that say, “I see you.”