The Unfolding…

*Our first day on the Woodstock Square. Jon (with less ink) to my left ;)*

By Cara Chang Mutert

The stillness and silence of this Thanksgiving morning has prompted me to write again. The gray skies, the sharp chill in the air, the deep gratitude in my heart.

Having turned 60 this year, I look back on my life, each decade, with true wonder at its unfolding.

A loved child. Often a lonely child. Always a thinker. Like all those before me, wondering what is this life? What does it mean? Why am I here?

My life as a young child living overseas in a just-developing country in the early 70’s, without a doubt, changed my perspective of life. Unfathomable poverty, deprivation, shocking suffering, and so much more became a compass in my heart.

After six years of witnessing the widespread scarcity of others, and then returning to the US at 13, the shift back to abundance everywhere was confusing. Social standing felt like it was everything. My struggle became, “how do I fit in?” I felt like a stranger living in my own country. Fast forward through my awkward middle school years, and “starting-to-figure-out-how-to-fit-in” high school experience. (More on that another time.)

College evolved as an awakening of what I didn’t want. Two years in, I realized partying to fit in had a limited shelf life, especially for a lightweight like me. After transferring to a healthier learning environment, I found myself on a path to a “respectable” life, majoring in journalism/pr.

Ten years into living my life as a writer/editor and mother of 2 boys later, my heart/brain still yearned for something deeper. Through the rediscovery of myself through yoga, I made the choice to return to my first love of dance and tossed the practical writing career aside. I fell into teaching ballet and modern dance at the local college and dance company, and movement reignited my life.

Meanwhile, we had a daughter, and my husband/life partner Rob, also experienced his own epiphany of the heart. He peeled off into creating his own heart vision, working to redirect, support, and inspire kids through action sports, specifically skateboarding.

Raising our three kids in a skatepark, The Yoga Lounge was just a little spinoff of Warp Skatepark. An upstairs “lounge,” a quiet space for us and parents to relax while kids skated below in the skatepark. My initial thought was to simply offer a place where I could practice and share my love of yoga with anyone who wanted to join me.

Of course, that was just the beginning. One class turned into to two, and so on. I sought teachers who could help guide me. And as my own awareness through practice and teaching began to grow, so did my passion for yoga. As it turns out, that passion was contagious. And for that I am so grateful.

Now 20 years into The Yoga Lounge, my gratitude cup is a large vessel, and it is spilling over.

While the years have not been easy, with hardships, heartbreaks, and great life losses along the way, I am grateful to the hundreds of curious practitioners who have walked up our YL stairs. Even more so, I am deeply humbled by the commitment and dedication of our long-time students/supporters and gifted loyal YL instructors who have held steady in their practice through it all. It literally has been two decades of sharing hope and loss, joy and sorrow, trust and faith.

It has truly been a community effort. I am grateful to you. I am humbled and blessed by you.

From a deep place in my heart, thank you.

Cara

Wait. What?