You Are Not Alone

Have you ever looked back on an experience that you once thought was unattainable only to realize that it had now come into fruition?  I am looking back at such a situation now, as I sit here and write this to you.  For years, I have attended various trade shows.  I have visited the One of Kind Show, The Women’s Show, The Whole Life Expo and The Yoga Show to name a few.  I always left these conventions feeling energized and inspired by a room that was so full of creative and energetic individuals who passionately displayed their craft.  For so long I thought, wouldn’t it be amazing to be on the other side of the table?  I can now say that I know that the other side of the table is AMAZING!

This past weekend, I had the pleasure and privilege of bringing New Age Teacher ™ to its first major event – The Toronto Yoga Show – an inspired event this was!  I worked alongside Aruna Humphrey’s of Young Yoga Masters (www.youngyogamasters.com) and Janet Williams of Children’s Yoga Books (www.childrensyogabooks.com). Together, we made A Children’s Yoga Network. 

I am so truly grateful about the experience for a number of reasons.  I learned a great deal about business, people’s passions, people’s fears and I learned a great deal about myself.  Most of my gratitude however, stems from the connections that I was able to make over this past weekend.  Yes, the business connections are wonderful, but I am speaking of connections that extend far deeper.  I am referring to personal connections.  For those of you that I was able to meet – I am talking to YOU!  I hope that if we met at the show and you are now reading this blog, it is because you too felt connected.

I want you to know, that I truly enjoyed meeting each and every one of you.  Every individual that I made a connection with is remembered and valued.

From these connections, there was a common story.  Though these stories may have varied based on gender, age, and cultural background, the stories all had one theme.  Children and teens are struggling.  This is not an insult to the youth of our society; rather, it is a wake-up call.  I could not count on my hands, the number of parents, teachers, coaches, therapists and individuals who work with youth, who visited my booth to tell me the story of their child who experiences stress, anxiety, worry, restlessness, and anger that extend beyond an acceptable norm.  Please don’t feel that you are alone in this challenging journey because you are not alone.  Our society has become so fast paced and many are finding it difficult to come up for air.  As a result, mental health has become an increasingly pressing topic for many parents and educators. 

You are heard.  New Age Teacher ™ continues to be inspired each day by people like you; individuals who are invested in raising and educating healthy, creative and balanced youth.  We are here to help.

So, if I did meet you this past weekend at The Yoga Show, please take a moment and say hello.  It would mean the world to me.  If we haven’t yet met and you have found yourself here, I would love to hear from you too.  None of us are alone in this journey called life, so let’s reach out and remind one another of that.