Flowing_Lotus

It began when I was working in advertising. . . If you have ever worked in this field you will know the stress and strain that is experienced on a daily basis is difficult to manage. There were days when I would be in meetings with a room full of people yelling at each other, throwing out blame and anger and frustration with every word. ​In the beginning of my career I would jump in and try to fix the mess, calm people down, and figure out how to find the money in the budget to pay for the problems. I was pretty good at it but after a number of years it took it's toll. ​Then in 2008, in my most stressful work situation of my 14 year career, I decided to stop. The situation I found myself in was not sustainable. I found myself going to meetings and trying to flow with the energy presented rather than fight against it. In that surrender to the flow I started to see some hard truths. During these meetings I would doodle and the image of a lotus flower kept surfacing. Unconscious of my decision to draw it but pleasantly surprised when it appeared finished on the page. ​It wasn't easy, but with the support I made the decision to go with the flow and take time off and explore my mental and physical health. I started to practice Yoga again everyday and could feel how much my body and mind needed this practice. As my body flowed through he postures I could feel more shifting and more awareness. I could see how my environment of people, places, attitudes, and habits were impacting me negatively. Like the lotus, I wanted to be free of this mud and rise above it. Now I work to live my life with the flow of the present moment and work to live with joy no matter the situation. Not always easy or possible, but with the practice of Yoga I am able to get back on track sooner and more deeply. ​So the name and image is a reminder to me and to those who encounter it to Flow and watch how you bloom!