Happy New Year! I cannot believe that we are a quarter of the way through this century! 2025 is certainly following the trend of previous years and having us live through unprecedented times. During difficult situations, it can be hard to find hope or a silver lining, but today is Make Your Dream Come True Day and I wanted to share one of my recent dreams come true in hopes that it will inspire you to follow yours.

            I started practicing yoga when I was around 10 or 11. I somehow convinced a family member to buy me a home practice video on VHS. I would practice sporadically over the years, attending free classes when I could. But one of my dreams since I was a child was to become a certified yoga instructor. I kept this dream on my bucket list year after year, until in 2023 I saw an Instagram ad for a Christian based yoga teacher training.

            I had never even heard of Christian yoga but knew from my practice that Christians believed practicing yoga was rooted in the worship of other gods(it’s not). I did some research into the Yoga Abbey and decided that I would enter 2024 and begin my yoga teacher training. It was the standard 200-hour training, and it was challenging at times to balance work and training, but I was able to persevere and graduate with my RYT-200 Certificate!

            Completing my training has been a dream come true for me, but the dream did not stop there. One of my desires in becoming a certified yoga instructor is to be able to teach donation-based classes that allow for accessibility for the community. I know the health benefits and the ways that yoga has helped me, and I want to help other people achieve mental and physical well-being.  I also know how many times the cost of a yoga class has prohibited me from attending and I do not want that to stop anyone from starting their yoga practice.  

            After taking a bit of a break after my training, I decided that 2025 would be the year that I make my dream come true and I would start teaching community classes. I had my first community class on Saturday, January 11^th! The feedback I received was positive, and I am grateful for the opportunity and honored in the trust that my students placed in me. I was nervous but decided that I would not let fear stop me.

            Fear is not always a bad thing. It is a protective mechanism that is necessary to keep us alive and safe. But it can also keep us paralyzed if we let it. We are almost halfway through the first month of the year, which means that you still have almost 12 whole months to make your dream come true. What have you been placing on hold for years? What dream have you let fear stop you from pursuing? Do not listen to the voice that is telling you to play small because it is safe. By playing small we rob the world of our light, and you never know who your dream is meant to help.

            Start today on Make Your Dream Come True Day, to set an intention and then a goal and then a plan to make one of your dreams come true. It might take time, but the journey is often even more beautiful than the destination. Next year, you could be celebrating your hard work of achieving your dream! I can’t wait to hear about all your dreams fulfilled. Leave a comment below with your dreams!