“A photographer gets people to pose for him. A yoga instructor gets people to pose for themselves.”

– T. Guillemets

I used to be a photographer. And there were many things about taking photographs that I loved very much. Capturing life’s sweetest and most precious moments was really special.

This is me and my best friend and business partner, Kelly. We shot a ton of weddings and other fun things together as Maid & Anchor Photography. It was a blast.

My goal and hope as a photographer was to show people just how beautiful they are to those outside of themselves. Most people struggle with some sort of insecurity that blocks us from really grasping our true beauty.

But it wasn’t IT for me, as much as I did and do enjoy it. There was a disconnect; like the mission was definitely right: I want(ed) people to know just how amazing and beautiful and strong they are, and I want them to be confident in that. But there was, I think, a breakdown in how I was trying to communicate that with the world. And when my passion for photography began to dwindle, that got even more difficult.

When the door opened for me to pursue my yoga teacher training two years ago, I made the decision to “retire” from photography and pursue yoga as my full-time passion.

I can’t tell you what that did for my heart.

Creating space for people to find their inner beauty has grown into helping them discover their inner strength, ability, and peace.

And it’s taken me out of their equation, allowing them to find it within themselves.

Yoga students don’t come to me for me. They come to me for yoga, for themselves. I’m just holding space.

And getting myself out of their way, only serving as a place holder, has allowed for my own growth in a way that photography never offered me.

Some days, I miss photography a little bit. And every day, I’m so grateful for the wonderful 8 years I was able to work with so many great families. But when I feel my mat beneath my bare feet, close my eyes, and hear the beautiful song of ujjayi breath echoing though the room, I know for sure: this is where I belong.

My heart for people is the same, only my delivery is different. And honestly, I feel like it’s more effective.

God has blessed me richly to give me eyes to see the most in people and a heart for them to see it in themselves. How much more fortunate am I to be able to be able to do that through the modality of yoga? An art and practice by which I have been so in love with for so many years?