This week has been filled with excitement and inspiration. I had an idea a few months ago and I’ve been working towards turning it into a reality since. The first step was to find the right partner to help me build this reality.
I first approached a teacher I admire and think would be a great option for this project. The caveat: she no longer lives in Sandpoint. We met, I pitched her my idea, she loved it. Unfortunately, she found out later on that being available to travel to Sandpoint so often during an extended period of time wouldn’t be possible due to a family situation. So she very lovingly let me know she wouldn’t be able to be as available as needed to be that involved, but that she’d still like to be part of it somehow.
Agreeing that we would figure out how she could still be part of it, I moved on to another amazing option: someone that has been an incredible help at Grounded since the very moment the concept of creating a studio was born. This is actually one of the people that encouraged me to go for it after hearing what had happened. This is one of the crucial building blocks at Grounded, one of the people that confidently told me “find the space and I’ll follow you”.
Whilst she was eager to help and be part of this new idea of mine (as she always is about anything that gets a person closer to fulfilling a dream), she had to be wise about their time availability and protect her bandwidth. So, as much as we both wanted it, she had to pass on the role. Much as the first amazing option, she said she’d still like to be involved in one way or the other.
So I started thinking that maybe I shouldn’t go through with this idea at all. After all, I had already approached two very qualified people to be part of it and, as much as they wanted to do it, they had to pass.
There was a problem with that, though: the idea made me happy. Thinking about it got me excited and fired up. I would catch myself smiling, mentally planning it, visualizing how it’d pan out over the next year. I wasn’t ready to let it go, and even though I could technically bring it into fruition on my own, I was reluctant to do it: it would require an implied level of arrogance that’s inconsistent with everything I believe in.
So after sitting with the thought of not knowing what to do next, I did what I always do when I find myself lost or unsure: I went and took a yoga class.
I’m actually having a lot of fun not telling you exactly what this idea is. That’s not the point of this Thought.
Yoga has given me countless answers (and questions) over the decades I’ve been practicing and teaching it. Sometimes these answers come in a well-formed sentence the teacher says, sometimes it’s a random thought I have, or an image that pops up in my mind, or a memory that decides to come up to the surface. In this case, as I was taking Kim’s Saturday Slow Flow, the answer was a very real, tangible visual, literally right in front of me. She was attending the same class.
I knew she was the right option the moment I saw her. I found myself feeling surprised at how I hadn’t thought of her as the perfect option before. We are similar enough to work really well together, yet we’re different enough to bring amazing options and perspectives to the table. We share morals and ethics, our passion for the project is anchored in respect, and we both have a lot to offer together.
I approached her after class and asked her if I could pitch her this idea. I could see her eyes twinkle as she was listening to me, her smile widening with every word. She asked the right questions, and with humility and self-awareness asked me if she could sleep on it for a bit, even though she intuitively knew where to go.
From that moment on and throughout the next few days, our excitement and good “gut feeling” kept expanding, and just a few days after that pitch she gave me a very exciting, grounded, real “yes”.
The phrase "third time’s a charm" maps perfectly into yogic philosophy, sequencing, and energetic frameworks. In yoga, the number three represents stability, evolution, and ultimate alignment.
The first time we have an idea, play with a concept, or try something, we’re doing it from a place of curiosity. In a yoga pose, for example, this is where our body and mind are figuring out the mechanics, the “how” and “where”. As we play with it for a second time, we get to go a bit deeper, rearrange layers, revise concepts. We already have the basics, so how can we make this moment, pose, situation feel more authentic?. In a yoga pose, this is where we bring in the breath, and with muscle memory as a foundation, the pose feels more familiar.
The third time is when the magic happens: this is the flow state, the “charm”. We can let go of expectations and technicalities, and experience the moment as a unique, natural happening. In yoga asana, this is where our movement turns into meditation.
Yoga is full of magical threes: if we talk about the chakras (the body's energy centers) the "charm" points directly to Ajna, the Third Eye Chakra. Located between the eyebrows, it represents intuition, clear sight, and inner wisdom. Relying purely on physical sight (the first two eyes) can be deceptive. Activating the "third" eye is the charm that grants us clarity, helping us look past surface-level illusions to see our true path. Furthermore, in yogic philosophy, the physical world and our states of mind are woven together by three fundamental forces known as the Gunas. True harmony is found when these three "strands" are balanced: tamas (heavy energy that leads us to feel stuck), rajas (feelings of competitiveness), and sattva (clarity).
In a vinyasa practice we usually talk about the concept of Tristhāna, the three places of attention: asana (pose), pranayama (breath), and drishti (focus). Practicing poses alone is just gymnastics. Breathing alone is just breathwork. But when you lock all three components together simultaneously, the "charm" happens: the practice transforms into a moving meditation that pulls you completely into the present moment.
In yoga, every moment in life is a process that invites us into exploration. Through curiosity, fine-tuning, and depth, we can live within the magic of experiencing everything fully - and if we keep trying, we might find just the right person that will help bring our ideas to life.
A simple prompt to explore ajna:
If you have an idea or have been thinking of a particular situation that you can’t quite figure out, invite your third eye into the party and see if third is actually a charm: In the morning, with this idea or thought in mind (maybe write it down), sit in a quiet space, maybe burn some incense, set a timer for 3 minutes, close your eyes on focus on the space in between the eyebrows. If your mind drifts away, bring it back to this space until your timer goes off.
Once it does, take a deep breath, open your eyes and write down your thoughts.
Repeat this during sunset and before bed.
A Yoga pose to connect with the gunas: Vrksasana (Tree Pose)
Try it three times, holding it for five breaths each time. Focus first on form and spacial awareness, then on breath and calming the mind, and finally as you enter it for the third time, focus on the moment as a whole: an experience you’re having for the first time and that will never take place again.