“Following your bliss is not self-indulgent, but vital; your whole physical system knows that this is how to be alive in this world and how to give to the world the very best you have to offer. There IS a track just waiting for each of us and once on it, doors will open that were not open before and would not open for anyone else.” – Joseph Campbell

‘Doing what you love’ is something everyone dreams of, but how many of us really give ourselves the opportunity, or have the daring to take the leap, potentially giving up financial security, risking the opinions of others, or having to overcome feelings of ‘not being good enough’…

Doing what I love has always been something deeply fundamental to me. It doesn’t mean I haven’t been through the struggles of difficult decisions, others’ opinions, letting go of society’s and my own expectations, the call of responsibilities, or financial sacrifices. It’s just that doing what I love has always been a deeper force, like a silent serpent weaving through my life and again and again shedding whatever doesn’t fit the heart-weave. Sometimes I think it’s because, growing up, I heard umpteen times these words from my beautiful mother: “Whatever you want to do, I’m a hundred percent behind you. If you want to be a doctor or a check-out chick, you have my full support.”

And those words went deep – they followed me through starting a degree in physics (I wanted to be an astrophysicist, ha!), to finishing a degree in environmental studies and international development, canning plans for an honours degree to play music, performing, touring, recording as a violinist in a band, to a cellist/singer with my own band, to work out on Aboriginal communities in the Central Desert, back to Melbourne to work with asylum seekers and embarking on the journey to becoming a full-time yoga teacher, into training as a doula and setting up a non-profit free birth support organisation. And now somehow combining all of these loves and passions into a rich, varied and exceptionally rewarding ‘career’ – and one that gives me the flexibility, freedom and diversity that I love.

Throughout this whole journey, my practice of meditation and yoga, which began in my mid-to-late teens, has been the loving guide back to my heart’s calling – sometimes gentle, and sometimes decidedly fierce. But the more I have trusted and gone with these callings, the more joy, freedom and trust I have found, and the more support I have received from those around me.

Which amounts to two things: 1) GRATITUDE, and 2) continuing to follow my bliss…!

So, my dear friends and fellow yoga adventurers, I’m heading overseas on 16 May for four sweet months of study, adventure, teaching and discovery, with an itinerary that looks something like this:

Bali, 4 weeks: Embodied Flow advanced yoga training
Melbourne, 1 week: I’ll be teaching an Embodied Flow weekend workshop 20-21 June at Gertrude Street Yoga Studio
Peru, 5 weeks: spending time at a friend’s healing centre in the jungle of Peru, teaching yoga, and a few little adventures
Greece, 3 weeks: assisting on the Embodied Flow 200-hr teacher training
Bali, 3 weeks: teaching two retreats: Women’s yoga, ayurveda and bellydance retreat (Aug 29 – Sep 5) and Embodied Flow yoga retreat (Sep 7-14).

If you are in Melbourne, please join me for the Embodied Flow workshop 20-21 June. Otherwise I will be back teaching regular classes again in the last week of September, and I am already excited about the wealth of experience and discovery that I will have to share with you when I return.

In the meantime, I look forward to sharing the next month of classes with you before I leave, and I will keep you up to date on my adventures via my newsletter and blog while I am away.

From one heart to another, I wish so much for you to also experience the joy of following your own bliss, and I would love to hear of your own adventures and breakthroughs as you do this! Please stay in touch – I love receiving your news, discoveries, thoughts, and experiences – we are all in this together!

In love and adventure,
Mei Lai xo