Dr. Penny Lane
Nov 23, 20213 min
Every thread of my being avoids being labeled or pegged into a narrow hole or routine. My interests are wide and continually they evolve. I love change, diversity, and exploring. I am a Sagittarius through-and-through in this regard. Never do I settle; always full of wanderlust.
A mentor of mine many years ago said I would never be a specialist in my field because my archetype was too strongly rooted in being a generalist. Well, I was a bit irritated by this statement as I love to perfect my craft. Over the years though, her wisdom proved to be quite sound. While I certainly identify with being grounded in nature, having a mindset for functional and integrative medicine, a lover of movement, and dedicated to self-care, my wheelhouse is ever growing which ultimately makes me a primary care provider with an impressive belt of tools. I am okay with that.
Creating my elevator speech for yoga then seems an insurmountable task. I love connecting breath to movement and the artistic movements of a great sun salutation. Vinyasa is my jam, but restorative and yin yoga connect to a deeper level that my body yearns for and I know heals me in ways no other activity adequately addresses. My love of nature pulls me to the moon salutations and of course, SUP yoga. I even do yoga on hikes, with my little ones, and especially with my pregnant and lactating clients. As an incredible advocate for my clients, I want to reach all of them exactly where they are at, so this invites interest in chair yoga, yoga for golfers, even yoga for the autistic.
Here's the thing though - I know who I am and what I offer - but I am not simple enough to squish that into a few sentences sharable on a moment's notice when asked by an intrigued elevator compondre. I know that when I began doing yoga, my body woke up. Not just my body though, my mind's connection with my body. I started paying attention. I started showing up for myself. I raised my expectations, began checking in and created healthy boundaries. I wanted more for myself and finally made those intentions priorities.
Yoga allowed me to spend time with myself and identify who I was and what I wanted, even what I deserved. After a few years of fairly regular practice, I can see enormous changes in my physical body, more so even in my emotional and mental health, but admittedly, when I watch myself in the mirror or on video practicing yoga, I am not familiar with the image I see. I have still not spent enough time with myself and have yet to really step into this Self.
If I had to isolate an elevator speech, I would share that I believe my place in yoga is to help others meet themselves where they are at, to assist them in noticing what they notice, and to encourage them to honor themselves. My desire is to witness those who live disembodied, begin to step into themselves and enjoy a more embodied presence.
While I am trained in power yoga, kids yoga, and even aerial yoga and am currently working on my 500YTT, there is no aspect of yoga I do not completely adore. I'll keep digging in and keep applying the yogic principles - mind, body and heart. I bring my clinical training to my diactasis recti workshops, my love for gymnastics and dance to my split workshops, my experience as a mother of six to my classes for autistic children, my midwifery experience to my prenatal and mommy & me classes, my love for nature and astrology to my moon celebrations, and even my hunky partner to my couple's classes.
If yoga is part of your wellness journey and you are eager to learn about how you can use yoga and mindfulness practices to develop a deeper relationship with yourself, I am your gal. We will walk this journey together, winding down its many trails and opportunities - full of wanderlust in the most yogic sense.