Follow your bliss: Why I quit my job

FOLLOW YOUR BLISS: WHY I QUIT MY JOB

One of the biggest struggles for me has always been decision making. Be it big or small, I find myself pondering the options and outcomes way too long. Lately though, I feel as the universe has been handing me big platters of decision making practice and I am slowly honing this skill and becoming more intuitive, especially when it comes to decision making for myself.

I feel like I’ve always been pretty gifted in seeing and supporting my peers in the right direction for their highest self, but when it comes to myself, it’s often been foggy, messy and uncertain. Luckily though and like I wrote in a previous blog text on my decision to relocate back to Finland (after having lived in Mexico for nearly seven years), I am slowly learning to listen to that squeaky little internal voice and whisper (before it becomes a roar).

After moving back to Finland, I quickly started working with event production. It was a massive change coming from the laid back beach life style and after having been my own boss and working within wedding planning and the hospitality and wellness industry in the tropics. All of a sudden I found myself in a hectic corporate world with completely new tasks, in a new environment and with a very different client base. With a pace where your daily hours run out and you add darkness, cold weather and adjusting to Finnish culture and customs into the mix, you have yourself one exhausted gal. And when exhaustion happens, energy shifts.

This shift manifested in many ways; I started experiencing bodily stress symptoms such as eye twitching, bloating and even mood swings. My body knew before my head did, it was time to slow down and change direction. It was simply way too much and way too fast. I did my best to keep pushing through as I didn’t want to give up and I thought to myself that maybe things would change for the better as there was a vague silver lining in foresight. When things didn’t fall through as I had hoped, I finally decided to resign. It was time to breakthrough my fears and leave the secure corporate world for the unknown world of entrepreneurship.

“My body knew before my head did, it was time to slow down and change direction.”

Letting the dead leaves drop.

Follow your bliss.

Because what it all comes down to is time. And life is short. The time you have in this precious life is scarce and your days are limited. As cliche as it may sound, if you’re not going to chase your dreams or try something you’ve always dreamt of, you’ll probably regret it later in life. Sure, it’s risky, crazy and nerve wrecking, but for me it is absolutely necessary and having regrets later is not an option. There’s also the benefit of working with what you love and on your own terms and you get to enjoy a whole new level of personal, professional and financial freedom. Besides, being an entrepreneur is not completely new to me as I used to work for myself also while living in Mexico. That being said, in all honesty, there’s a huge difference in running a business in Mexico compared to Finland. But, I am up for the challenge and more importantly, I simply have to give it a go.

I also believe in the phrase “todo pasa por algo”, meaning everything happens for a reason. I needed to go through this year to get clarity on what it is that I want to pursue and what is truly important to me. I am extremely grateful for this almost one year that I worked with a lovely team and for the fact that I get to call my ex colleagues not just my former co-workers, but friends. We had a good run and I truly wish the team all the best of luck and success in the future.

You know, it’s interesting now in hindsight reflect upon my decision and notice how big decisions and releases tend to happen around fall. There’s wisdom in nature and just like the trees you can let the dead leaves drop. You release and shed and let go of the things that did not serve you for something new and better.

So what does the future hold for me right now you might ask? Well, I am going to work with the things I love; yoga (corporate yoga classes, privates, studio classes and yoga retreats), wellness, copywriting, content creation and marketing. I am very open to new opportunities and projects and if you see that there is something we could work on together, make sure to drop me a line. I will also be launching something I’ve always dreamt of, so stay tuned for this secret I am revealing in the near future. Oh, but first things first, I am heading to Mexico to enjoy life on the beach for the darkest month of the year; November.

Let me know if you’ve made any similar transition or have any tips, tricks or input on this scary journey that I am about to embark. I would love to hear from you!

Stay tuned,

Con amor and excitement for this new chapter,

Eva

Yoga privates in Sayulita | Blog post by SayulitaLife

[This is a guest post by Stacey Elkins for SayulitaLife]

A Relaxing Treat in Sayulita: A Private Yoga Class with Eva Estlander Yoga

Photos: Camilla Fuchs Photography

Savasana love.

It was early Thursday evening and it had been another busy day, leaving me feeling exhausted and drained. As I took my place on the yoga mat at Don Pedro’s Brisa Mar Palapain Sayulita, I could feel the day’s stress already start to melt away. A gentle, cool breeze, the scent of incense, and the sound of waves hitting the shore further enhanced my relaxation as I prepared for my first private yin yoga class with Eva Estlander Yoga, in which she is in high demand.

Eva explained that yin yoga is about relaxing the body, not activating the muscles. It’s about working with the body’s connective tissue, which is a thick, white layer of tissue that holds the parts of the body together. It’s about finding your edge, how deep you can go in a pose (most focusing on the hips, glutes, and inner thighs), without feeling any pain or tingling. It’s about using your breath to move deeper into each pose, which is held between two and eight minutes. Relaxation in yin yoga is the ultimate goal, offering a nice balance from the active lifestyle in which most of live.

For the first pose, Eva had me lie on my back, a yoga bolster placed under my knees, my arms spread out on each side. Her soft, gentle voice acted as a meditative guide as she had me visualize a bright orange wheel of light filling my body and spinning as I inhaled, tension leaving my body as I exhaled. She explained that the body has seven main chakras (energy centers), and that two of them are the main focus in yin yoga: The root chakra at the base of the spine (represents feeling supported and grounded) and the sacral chakra just beneath the naval (represents creativity and sexuality).

Throughout my private class with Eva Estlander Yoga, I felt extremely relaxed as Eva guided me through the poses, which included pigeon, cow, half moon, and more. Eva was very attentive, offering gentle adjustments as needed, which further enhanced the experience. For the straddle pose, she encouraged me do three levels of stretching, which was made possible by utilizing a yoga bolster, yoga block, and a blanket. Each pose offered a nice stretch as I found stillness and enjoyed the solitude of the practice.

During the final pose, savasana, Eva incorporated two natural oils, which are made for the elements of the chakras in which we focused during the class. The scent of orange, as well as a nutmeg mix filled the air, as the sound of a singing bowl and hand drums created beautiful, inviting tones. Eva gently pushed on my shoulders and arms and massaged my temples and between my eyes as I lay on the mat completely relaxed and feeling rejuvenated. The sun had set, the night was silent, and I couldn’t have felt better.

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Energy exchange

I want to write about something that I sometimes struggle with, which is getting fairly compensated for the work I do. I understand this is a sensitive subject, but I feel like it is something we as yoga teachers, and especially female yoga teachers can get better at. Maybe some of you now think, "wait, that's not very yogic to be writing about money", but let me tell you something, yoga teachers still have their bills to pay for.

In yoga, there is something called seva, which translates into selfless service and it basically means that you do an act of kindness or you be of service without expecting anything in return. This is a beautiful philosophy and definitely something that you can incorporate into your every day life or even your yoga practice by offering free yoga classes once in a while. However, when it comes to teaching yoga as your profession, it is still work, and obviously you need to be compensated for it.

To become a yoga teacher is not a walk in the park and most likely you need years of experience under your belt, at least one (usually very expensive) teacher training and lots of teaching hours. Not to mention, you need to understand human anatomy and be able to offer modifications for injuries, be creative (with sequencing and maybe playlists) and hold space. The good news is get to share what you love.

A friend (who also happens to be an amazing energy worker) recently told me that she feels drained after treating her clients if the compensation does not match the energy she is putting out as a healer. This might sound a little wack to some of you, but on many levels it makes sense. There needs to be a fair exchange of energy, and yes, money is a form of energy. It is in our human nature to want to bargain and get the best deals so that we feel that we've gained something, but keep in mind, when you bargain that little extra something you're basically pulling money out of someone else's pocket. That being said, I do believe in giving local discounts, friend discounts and package discounts. Heck yes, who doesn't want a package deal!

Something I've also noticed I am guilty of is the tendency to undercut myself when I want to ensure a job. I think like with basically everything else in life, clear communication also works wonders here. So my tip to you is: ask for what you think is fair and also put yourself in the customer's shoes. Does it feel good? Does it feel fair? If the answer is no, re-evaluate. Negotiating is a fine dance and a skill some people have naturally, when some of us just have to learn and get over the "shame monster" which so often is involved when it comes to chatting monetary compensation. There's a great Finnish saying that goes: "the one asking is not dumb, it's the one paying". Take it with a grain of salt please :D.

These are my thoughts, I'd love to here yours if you have any input or ideas on how to ask for what in your mind feels fair?