Happy Monday :)
My favorite work day of the week. I am excited to share a very personal story on how I find my way in the spiritual world.
Young Erin was full of energy, enthusiasm, always on the move, and lacked an attention span. I don't quite know if I was a super intuitive child but the more I read and learn about the journey it's hard for me to think there wasn't a little curiosity as a child. My parents were Catholic and Methodist so I grew up going to Church but I can't say that was ever something I felt really called to continue with or do. But I was the child who prayed continusly and always asked for signs if I should go do something or not.
I was an athlete my entire life, from gymnastics to swimming after injuries and when I was 15 I got shoulder surgery that ended my swimming career. I was on track to swim in college, so this surgery and news was something completely unexpected. I didn't love swimming as much as I loved gymnastics, but it came natural to me and was the sport I was at the top of the leader boards for. After the injury I went through a state of depression and lonliness trying to figure out what my next step was. I still remember the day my mom looked at me after months of struggling and being like you have two choices, you can allow this situation to continue to control your life or you can do something about it. I chose the later, got a job at a county club daycare center and threw myself fully into fitness. I started to run, A LOT, found a hot yoga studio that changed my life, lost 15 pounds and turned my entire confidence around. That time in my life catapulted me in a direction I needed to be on for who I am today. Yoga and running provided me the space to be with my thoughts and time to really understand who I was and where I wanted to go without outside influence.
Fast forward to my senior year in college, I was a few months away from graduation with no job or internship(bad news lol) and the pressure was on. I ended up getting an internship offer in Dallas, which I knew I wanted to leave Columbus, and knew immedatiely I had to take it. Now, looking back, I have always had a strong inutuitive sense if I should do something or not. I respond pretty black and white and don't typically questions things I know I need to do. Moving to Dallas for the internship, and taking the job after college was the first big step in my journey as I moved away from everything I ever knew and to a city where I knew only my dad's friend and had to create a new life for myself.
I moved to Dallas in January 2019, started a job and always had a desire to become a yoga instructor. The studio in Columbus made me want to own my own studio one day and I knew learning how to teach was part of the journey. In February I walked into a Corepower where they was a sign about teacher training, I again knew right there I had to do it. My desire and the opportunity was right in front of me. This is the manifestation at it's finest. Something you desire, are an energetic match for and taking action to find pops up right in front of you. I started teacher training a few weeks later and that was the first real spiritual experience I had. That was the first time I felt opened up to emotions, the permission to be vulnerable and the opportunity to connect with like-minded people. It is where I met my best friend and it really opened me up to this entire world. I've shared the story about reading the book "Signs", which I feel was the very first book that opened up my intuitive sense. Every sense the book I will get gut feelings or have dreams about certain things happening before they do. For example: I had a dream my first dog passed away about 5 months before he did, sad :(. I knew intuitively that two of my bosses at my second job were leaving a few months before they did, which ultimately worked in my favor. I had a dream my friend left her SO about 5 months before she did, the list keeps on going. The point here is once you started to move down a path that you feel called to go down, any path for that matter, you strengthen the inner voice inside of you. When you continue to show up and be honest with yourself and follow what's true you shift away from things that aren't in alignment and towards things that are in alignment with you. As someone who has lead with her head over her heart for most of her life, I learned when you listen to the voice inside you(heart) follow what's true for you. It will lead you to a life full of happiness, joy, and abundance. Will it be easy? Nope, but for me it was harder to remain unhappy, around people I didn't enjoy and failed relationships because of my own issues.
My spiritual journey has only continued after my yoga teacher training. I found meditation about 2ish years ago after sitting in a job that had absolutely sucked the life out of me. Meditation was the one place I felt still, calm, happy and had hope. It gave me the space to get REALLY REALLY self aware about the things I wanted, and move away from what no longer served me. It led me to giving up alcohol and coffee for a few months, gave me clarity on my move to Austin, and helped me manifest my boyfriend, Mitch into my life. My spiritual practice now consists of 15-20 minute meditation everyday, weekends I am flexible, I read books as I feel called, and I with everything in me trust in a higher power. Through a layoff, a company bankrupcy, and now having less money than I had in high school, my spiritual work is being tested and I know that when you surrender and listen to what's inside, things far greater than you can imagine flow into your life.
I hope this post inspires you to add something into your life. Whether it is movement, meditation, picking up a spiritual book, going for a walk in nature, or simply taking a big deep breathes and asking for guidance. You will be shocked what happens when you take one step. Let go of fear, control and anger, let in love, abundance and joy.
With Love and Light,
Erin :)