03/10/2026
The past three weeks of recovery have given me a lot of time to reflect on the past three years as a small business owner. It feels a little surreal to realize that next month we will celebrate the studio's third anniversary.
Three years ago, almost to the date, I filed for my business license and wrote a business plan. I was trying to decide if it was feasible and if the community I had been living, working, and teaching in for almost twenty years would support this somewhat unimaginable endeavor.
I would be lying if I said every day has been smooth sailing. There have been tears and plenty of moments where I have wondered what in the world I am doing. But I keep showing up. In many ways, that reminds me of why I stuck with practicing yoga in the first place. Let me explain.
I have always been a yogi at heart. I was often the only person showing up for yoga at 5:30 a.m. at the old YMCA on N. 7th Street. When Tony Horton announced it was "Yoga Day" on the P90X schedule, I was the one cheering. I always felt capable on yoga day. When my daughter started swimming in the fall of 2018, I suddenly found myself with nearly three hours to fill during practice. I started going to yoga classes while I waited. Before long, I was hooked. Looking back, I think the difference was consistency. It was the first time I had ever practiced more than once a week. Here's the key moment: It was also the first time I noticed just how busy my mind really was. I would arrive at class, and the instructor would invite us to connect with our breath. Notice the inhale. Notice the exhale. Notice where the breath moves in your body. Meanwhile, my mind was running in twenty different directions. A mental to-do list. Errands. Responsibilities. Everything competing for attention.
But eventually something shifted.
My mind would soften.
The noise would quiet.
And I began to feel connected to my body in a way I had never experienced before.
The desire to share that experience with others quickly became my mission. I told just about anyone who would listen about the moment my mind finally settled on my mat.
The rest of the story is fairly straightforward. I earned my teaching certification, began teaching classes, and eventually decided that the people in my community deserved a place where they could practice without leaving Cambridge. A place where they could consistently show up for themselves.
A space I could call my own and you could call yours.
A haven where you can walk in exactly as you are. Happy. Sad. Tired. Overwhelmed. Anxious. Stressed. Or carrying emotions you cannot quite name yet.
That was the beginning of Iron Zen Yoga.
The studio is here for you. And in many ways, it is here for me too.
Even though I have not been physically in the space with you, you have been on my mind often. Whether you have walked through the doors once or you have been showing up regularly since we first opened, I think of you and hope you are well.
I plan to be back with you in the next few weeks. Slowly and intentionally. The schedule may look a little different as I navigate treatment and recovery. It may need to stay a bit more fluid than usual.
And if the past few weeks have shown me anything, it is that this community continues to show up for me, for the studio, and most importantly for yourselves.
When you are ready to return, the studio will be waiting for you. Just as it has for me. I'll see you soon. ❤❤
