Leaving the Comfort Zone (Part 3 of 6)

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be.” ~ Lao Tzu

When we left off, I was comfortable and accomplished after my second expansion. I spent six years at the Dojo serving the community and watching the studio grow. I felt at peace and told myself, “I have come so far, and this is it.” I believed I would be there forever. I had enough space, I was no longer teaching out of my home, and for the first time I wasn’t under threat of being shut down. Everything felt right… until the nudge came again.

Classes at the Dojo grew quickly. I brought on teachers, and in 2007 I began training others who wanted to explore teaching yoga. My space could only hold so much, so certifying other teachers felt like a way to let yoga reach beyond my walls and into other communities where this practice could support growth, balance, and self-realization.

As my trainings and offerings expanded, the nudge came back even stronger. I couldn’t understand why because I thought I had reached the end of my journey of expansion. I could not imagine being anywhere else. Then in 2014 , another Divinely inspired disruption occurred. The cold weather brought frozen pipes. We patched them and carried on through the warmer months, but the following winter the pipes began to burst. The plumber warned that soon we would have no running water unless I replaced them all.

I agreed the work was necessary, until I saw the cost. The cost to repair was tens of thousands of dollars, nearly the same as my down payment years earlier. My plumber had always been honest, so I knew he was being truthful.

The house, built in the 1950s, also had other issues waiting to surface. I was not just looking at pipes but at a list of future repairs. Fear and frustration returned, and I sat with the weight of it. Still, I knew the message: see bigger, trust bigger, and move forward. I wanted a space where I could truly settle in and consistently offer classes. The best option was to move into commercial space, and that terrified me. I feared the commitment and losing the “home feel” I had at the Dojo.

I reminded myself that I had been uprooted before and made it through. I would make it through again. Each disruption had been a doorway to something greater, and this one would be no different. This challenge was preparing me for the next leap of faith.

Read Part 4: The Rhythm of Surrender

With love and gratitude,
Dana Andrea

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