Some lessons have to be repeated over & over & over again until they stick. I’m recognizing one of those lessons for myself now.
Let go of control.
Sunrise over Kaua’i. Polihale state park.
This is a lesson I’ve had to repeat & repeat & repeat endlessly. I am a pretty chill, go with the flow type of person - or so I like to think. Turns out I’m actually a bit of a control freak. I like to know what’s happening, when, where, and how. And the truth is, I like to be the one steering the ship. So when nothing goes as planned, that is when I get a chance to learn & grow.
And that’s exactly what happened on my latest trip to Hawaii. From beginning to the very end - nothing went as planned. And you guys… it was totally okay.
I messaged my cousin on insta because he’s been living in Hawaii for awhile and I thought it could be fun to plan a future visit & teach some workshops. I had September in mind, but he told me he was running a yoga retreat in two weeks and said to come out & teach. So I booked my flight. I tend to make plans far in the future so that I have plenty of time to plan the details & get myself ready. This is the most short notice I have ever traveled. But it was totally fine.
The full moon just before dawn, a few steps from our first camp site.
When I got there, instead of heading to a retreat center like I planned on in my mind, we went to the most beautiful secluded beach framed by towering cliffs and lush jungle & we camped. I didn’t exactly pack for a camping trip. I wasn’t prepared to be outside for 12 days. But it was totally okay - more than okay. It was better than a retreat center. What better way to connect with the spirit of the island than to live, breathe, & sleep in total connection to it?
It turns out this wasn’t a yoga retreat at all. It was more just a fun trip for my cousin to do a bit of a trial run for a future retreat. So I didn’t need to be prepared with classes, I didn’t have to plan any sequences or themes or adjust for the level of students at the retreat. I didn’t have to work at all. And I guarantee you, had I known that in advance, I wouldn’t have come. I would have stayed home & worked. & I would have totally missed out on an amazing trip & a huge lesson.
Magical moment where we stopped to watch the sunset and listen to the cows in the field.
For 12 days, we lived without plans. When we made plans, sometimes we wouldn’t follow through with them. It turns out that not having a plan tested me. That need for control & structure comes into play in everything I do. It also turns out that not having a plan can lead you to some really incredible places. It can guide you to sit and talk for hours with interesting strangers. And it can also teach you a lesson. To let go, and live a little.
Grateful for the experience, grateful for the lessons.
