Shifting my Drishti: Meet Jen Walts!
Shifting my Drishti
I arrive at the top floor of Thornes. I shift my gaze to the end of the hall. I’m welcomed by the familiar sight of soft light. I pull the door open as quietly as I can and make my way in. I find a comfy home for my shoes. My bare feet are quite happy with the shine of the floors. I check-in at the friendly front-desk, take a moment to hydrate, and enter the citrusy-walled sanctuary. I set up my mat and catch up with the faces of new friends and those I’ve seen before.
I arrive on my mat.
I look out the windows and take in Mother Nature’s task of the moment. I breathe.
I remind myself to simply ‘Be’.
I pick my drishti, and it helps me to arrive.
Maybe the top right corner of that brick building. Maybe the soft curtain directly to the left. Maybe the natural knot in the wooden floor-space in front of me. That’ll do.
I turn inward. Where does my focus need to be today?
I mentally note my intention.
I invite my body to move the way it wants to.
The teacher arrives...
Begin. Breathe. Heal. Move. Fumble. Stretch. Inhale. Exhale. Return to my drishti. Play. Laugh. Lengthen. Ground. Inhale. Return to my drishti. Feel. Ignore. Exhale. Feel again. Notice. Pause. Listen. Find a new drishti. Balance. Inhale. Grind my teeth. Notice. Exhale. Release my jaw. Create space between the ears and the shoulders. Feel my heart open. Relax. Settle in. Rest.
How grateful I am to practice in this space.
How humbled I am to learn and grow here.
How honored I am to shift my focus to this special place!
To the community of Yoga Sanctuary, you are a community I am happy to set my gaze on.
As a young dancer, I was encouraged to select one spot beyond the stage to focus on in an effort to ease performance nerves. I always felt a bit of tangled friction working this advice into my dancing, and yoga helped me unravel this a bit more. When I began to practice yoga, it took me some time to realize that my mat was not a stage. I was no longer in a studio to practice performing. I needed to shift my gaze inward- no audience to look beyond- just me! I learned to shift my focal point depending on what my body and mind needed in each moment of my practice- both internally and externally. From performance to presence...what a beautiful shift for my heart to experience.
I harnessed my professional energy over the last ten years into the world of education as a high school teacher and community leader—from Worcester to Hyannis to Springfield. My work in that field allowed for a similarly appropriate shift from performance to presence. With my students & colleagues, I worked to create a sanctuary of sorts, where learning was gorgeously messy, creative, fun, & safe. I suppose my earlier description of entering the studio at Yoga Sanctuary looks a bit like my mental practice of entering my old classrooms. It was a season in my life that I consider to be a true gift.
In this season of my life, it feels serendipitous to pivot my professional and creative energy to this new position as studio manager, a shift in my gaze, my newest drishti. The skills that I have developed as an educator have intricately made their way into so many parts of my life, and as the studio’s manager, I intend to lean on my qualities as a person who is compassionate, a strong communicator, a deep listener, creative, reflective, warm, organized, flexible, and human!
I am in my first year of parenthood, so that last word has never resonated with me as clearly as it does today. So much beautiful forgiveness and messy learning is happening in our home on a daily basis. My partner, Alex, and I welcomed our little one into the world on Labor Day last year- yes, Labor Day! We are in awe of our sweet boy, Ferris. He may be visiting the studio from time to time to get to know his mama’s favorite place. I actually found out we were expecting when I was finishing up my 200 hour Yoga Teacher Training with Sara Rose Page! That was a particular season of intense healing in my life, and I am forever grateful that Yoga Sanctuary and its teachers held me intuitively in a way that I deeply needed. Yoga continues to be an incredibly important grounding force and invitation in my life.
Besides yoga and breathing...I love warm coffee, pretty pottery, hiking with my little family, journaling, Toni Morrison, feminism, firepits, & strawberries. I’m also a birth and postpartum doula. My favorite yoga pose is tree pose. I love watching my little one discover nature. Rainbows make me giddy. Parades make me cry, but in a good way — I'm also sneaky good at mini golf.
Whether you’re a long-time supporter, new member, or even just thinking about attending your first class, I am so excited to connect with you. I want to know about your favorite yoga pose, why you practice, and what keeps you coming back to Yoga Sanctuary. There's something special about this place.
I’ll see you at the top of Thornes!
Yours,
Jen Walts
Studio Manager