Failures, But They Aren't

Tonight we hosted our first yoga class and only three people came. On paper, total failure. I’d spent money on bug spray, citronella candles, $.0.79 on a cucumber for cucumber-infused water…it all adds up. How had I not gotten the word out more? What if every class or event I ever hold only has three people show up?

But yoga won. For nearly an hour, I didn’t think about what I needed to do to promote next week’s yoga and every Wednesday after that. I didn’t worry about the setup, or what I should do differently next time, or how it would be to do yoga under a tent instead of the sky should it rain during one of our classes. I breathed, listened to the wind rustle in the trees, and smiled up at the beautiful blue sky above us and almost-sunset skies behind us as we twisted and downward-dogged.

Because you have to have your first in order to have your second, and starting a new business is really just a bunch of failures and pivots and right turns and left turns until you find out what works. 2019 is all about throwing spaghetti at the wall and seeing what sticks. Technically every noodle that falls is a failure, but without these learning moments, without trying something new and putting myself out there more and really trying to make a difference in my community, I’ll never get to that next step.

I will remember tonight for the rest of my life as the first time we EVER did yoga under the trees at the caboose with two great friends—one who just so happens to be a certified teacher through Asheville Community Yoga’s program. I will cherish this picture of the three of us giggling. I will look back and remember how great it feels to do yoga outside and do more of it, even if it means adding a few minutes of yoga to my weekly hikes. And I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that other people will fall in love with doing yoga at this magical little slice of the earth, and it’s my duty to keep failing until I can share it with more people.

As I was wrapping up this post, I came across this powerful image from my new favorite inspirational and reality-check outlet, Elephant Journal:

Failure felt good tonight. I’m grateful for it and feel that I am no doubt headed down the right path because the three of us enjoyed it so much. I’m happy to start there and continue failing until I get it right.

And any day that includes a Shavasana is a good day, indeed.