“It is better to travel well than to arrive” ~ Buddha
The Journey, that is what defines you and makes you into the best version of yourself.
In 2015 I created Walkabout Travel. It was the year I discovered Yoga with the assistance of my amazing “little sister”, Echo. It was also the year I discovered who I can be as a human, and it was the same year that I stepped outside of the tiny box I had built for myself and began a journey out into this amazing world we call home. This year I have continued on that journey in the creation of Walkabout Yoga.
Over the last 4 years I have constantly attempted to better myself, through Yoga, travel, meditation, and consistently learning new and exciting things about myself and the world we live in. Before that, a lifetime of abuse (physical, mental, verbal and other abuse), depression, anxiety, alcohol and drug abuse (sober since January 1st 2015!) had kept me from experiencing life as I was truly meant to do. I finally chose to better myself, to distance myself from those who would harm me and to step into a world I had only dreamt of for so long.
My journey began when I decided I would no longer allow others to tell me how I should live my life. It was the day that I decided I would move out of my home, and into my truck so that I could afford to travel. And although the last 4 years have not always been easy, they have taught me invaluable lessons and I have made some amazing friends, most of whom I now call my family.
My first yoga class was at Sukha Yoga in Austin, Texas. Echo took me there and opened my eyes to an amazing world of love, peace, understanding, and family and from that day to this one, I have honored that gift and the teachings I have learned throughout my journey in Yoga to live each day as mindfully and as fully as I possibly can.
This year, September 2019, I finally received my Yoga Teacher Certification. It was something that I knew I wanted to do from almost the very first moment I began studying yoga. My training in Guatemala was just over 4 years after my journey had begun in Austin, Texas and it was again because of my amazing little sister, Echo, that I was able to begin a new path in my life. A path of teaching the things that I will constantly learn to others out there who are looking for the healing and love they long for.
Walkabout Yoga, my teaching, will always be somewhere “out there” in the world. I have goals for 3 retreats in 2020 and plans to open two spaces in 2021. The retreats, online classes, and workshops will be available to anyone who wants to learn yoga, meditation, the amazing history of yoga and its path, Ayurveda, and any of the many ways that yoga can heal the mind and body.
The lessons of Yoga are a journey in and of themselves and the path that you walk in it will constantly allow you to grow and flourish in this ever changing world of ours. Being a teacher, and always a student, I will bring my love of this path to you in everything I do. It is my hope that you will follow and create your own path in this world, one that allows you to become the human you were always wanting to be. Each persons’ journey is their own. It defines you, mentally and physically, spiritually, and emotionally while constantly shaping you into the human being you want to become.
In Australia, to go “On A Walkabout” was, and still is, to travel out into the unknown to find oneself. To become the person you decide you should be. The First Peoples of the world, Aboriginals, Indians, etc. went out into nature to test their abilities and to return to their tribes and family a more complete and whole person. For the last 4 years, I have been on my own Walkabout into this vast world of ours. Challenging myself to learn new things, to see new cultures, to explore the places I have always dreamt of seeing. All with the goal of becoming a better human, for myself, my family, and every one that I meet.
My personal walkabout is not yours, you have to decide to step out of your comfort zone, to challenge your spirit and explore those things that have always scared you. The goal of creating Walkabout Yoga was to provide you with a way to heal yourself, to find the community and love that will allow you to become more aware of the world and your place within it. To answer your questions, to be there when you need to talk to someone, to give you guidance and to hold space for you. Walkabout Yoga is about inspiration, inspiring you to take that first step on your journey. Once you do, every step after that becomes that much easier, especially when you have the tools to cope when the path becomes hard.
So, I ask you; Will you join me on a Walkabout? I would love to see your smiling faces out there in the world.
Namaste my fellow humans!
“We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.” ~ T.S. Elliot