Starting My Journey
~The Beauty Of Ongoing Transformation~
My main inner transformational journey began during my sophomore year of college, but I did not know this was my first major step. If you were to tell me that I would be a certified yoga instructor who is passionate about mindfulness, wellness and inner growth, I would have laughed and thought you were absolutely crazy!
At this time in college, I had begun to experience panic and anxiety attacks and my heart decided to make its own beat-box rhythms. One of my friends invited me to try yoga. I remember in the yoga classes that I would feel panic and anxiety (not to mention my lack of physical flexibility and self-concept), I relied on having water glued to my side, and refused to go to a class (or anywhere) alone for fear of the unknown. It became a scary place for me. When a colleague shared meditation with me, I had even stronger panic and anxiety attacks—so I avoided anything mindful as much as I could! No thank you!
…Apparently, avoiding was not what was in store for me…
In 2016, I was really feeling “off”. Honestly, I was probably depressed but convinced myself so deeply with a plastered smile that I was 100% happy. You only know and feel what you think is true, so that is what I thought happiness felt like to me. I had a beautiful and successful life, family, friends…how could I feel depressed?
Then December came, one of my good friends wanted to do something unique for her birthday. She wanted to host a Psychic/Medium party—yes, I know, oh boy, Lindsey is going off into woo-woo world, I am OUT—However, this was such a terrifying, empowering, strange, life-changing moment…and was the pivot and push that I apparently needed. The skeptic in me was shattered into pieces. From the session, the woman helped me realize that I needed to make a change in my life and to step into who I need to be.
Days later, I decided to find a yoga/wellness studio. Lucky for me, there was just one option on my commute route, easy choice. On the day I decided to check it out, I had already passed the studio and something made me turn the car around. I knew it was the exact location I needed to be at because the woman who helped me spoke the identical statement I heard just a few days earlier. Since then, my life has changed—it is transforming:
Within a few months, my current education role was developed and matched my personality and life goals—I got the job.
My new supervisors were dedicated to learning, and it is thanks to them that I became an avid reader and learn so many new skills within myself.
Wellness kept tugging at my heart, and Breathe for Change came to my path to become a certified yoga instructor with a specially designed approach with educators in mind.
Mindful Schools became my next step in growing to understand how to integrate the gift of mindfulness into schools.
Then Mindvalley happened. Mindvalley was the thread that finally put all of the fabric pieces together. What I had been learning was becoming clear. I engaged in Anodea Judith’s Chakra Healing Quest—no words for the power of this Quest/Class!
Simultaneously, I made a connection with a Breathe for Change member from New York who was coming to Chicago for a Trauma-Informed yoga training with Catherine Ashton. This piqued my interest, and it is thanks to her that I experienced the training—A complete stranger stayed with me and my family as we trained together—Now we are good friends and support system. This is where we learned to facilitate Circle of Hope sessions.
As soon as the 30 day Quest was completed, it just so happened to align to a wellness retreat/deep learning…in New York just a few weeks after meeting my new friend from New York! Plus, this was my very first time traveling alone, I was beginning to turn inward to find The Butterfly Within.
When I returned from the trip, I made a comment about my Mindvalley Quest in my mind about thinking it would be interesting to become one of the Ambassadors to help support those on their Quest. A few days later I was randomly messaged and asked if I wanted to become an Ambassador—woah! Thoughts in my mind: Am I ready for this? Am I good enough? Do I know enough in order to support others? Why me? Well, I believe that when a door opens, you walk through and see what happens. Little did I know that this would be my next pivotal moment.
As an Ambassador, I was now connected to people ALL OVER THE WORLD! I was hearing new world views, I was holding space for new ideas and emotions. I began to form strong relationships with my Ambassador group. The support, love, inspiration, and life-long growth mindsets helped me to transform exponentially. I am so grateful for them, the Mindvalley community, all of the Quests and teachers. (Anodea Judith, I cannot thank you enough for your inspiration and guidance).
Throughout all of this, I have been doing a lot of reading. It has become my beautiful daily addiction (along with a service heart) and have been adding the details to my butterfly wings.
I have learned to embrace my authentic self…once I embraced myself, like the chrysalis, I have begun to learn how to design and align The Butterfly Within me.
So much more could be said and shared, but I felt that this part of my journey needed to be shared with you. I hope that you feel inspired, inspired to take action to find The Butterfly Within. When you do, you not only transform yourself, but you transform those around you and even around the world.
The Butterfly Within me sees, honors, and values The Butterfly Within you,
Lindsey
This image is from one of the Mindvalley Ambassadors from Australia. She sent this picture around the same time I made the commitment to create The Butterfly Within. Connected miracles are found everywhere, you just have to listen.
