|
I had an errand that took me to Anchorage for a few days, and I decided to head to Alpine Fit — a woman-owned, Alaska-founded apparel company. As I walked in, a friendly woman approached me and introduced herself. Jamie proceeded to answer my zillion questions, grab my sizes, deliver them to my dressing room, and help me figure out the best fits for my body. After I’d settled on some bushwhack leggings and a tank top, I approached a display with trepidation. I stared longingly at the 5-panel hats. For as long as I can remember, I’ve thought of my head as TOO BIG, literally. I shared this with Jamie, explaining how challenging it is to find hats that fit properly, including the extremely trendy 5-panel hats that every company sells. She asked, “Do you mind if I measure your head? Just to see?” I obliged. She measured. And promptly told me that my head was “pretty average sized”. MY HEAD IS AVERAGE! This completely blew my own perception out of the water. I grabbed the 5-panel hat, fitted it on my head, and turned to Jamie, my expression saying, I probably look ridiculous, right? I was shocked to see her expression didn’t validate my own. “I’m not sure what you see, but I think it looks great.” My habit here would be to smile graciously — while simultaneously writing off the opinion of someone I’ve just met. But something about this conversation felt different. I heard the echo of Sean, saying the same thing to me over the years —that I don’t look as ridiculous as I feel in a 5-panel hat. In disbelief, I looked back in the mirror. I silently tried to loosen my grip on my long-standing view of my head... Was it possible that I don’t look silly? Was it possible that my head is actually just a normal-sized head? “I really want to be a 5-panel hat person,” I admitted out loud. Jamie smiled and shared that she’d felt the same way when she started wearing the style. “I think if you want to wear 5-panel hats, you just have to start,” she said. Mic drop. She was right. And I bought the hat. [Photo proof below: Hiking in a case of LaCroix to our home yesterday!] 
Every time I look at myself in the mirror with this hat on, I’m reframing my perception... one glance at a time.
Imposter syndrome is real, isn’t it? I think we all have a deeper version of my “5-panel hat” story where our own long-standing perception gets in the way of trying new things, and becoming who we want to be — and more importantly, who we’re meant to be. I can honestly say that I’d never be able to have this internal dialogue without the tools I’ve learned through years and years of studying and applying yoga philosophy. It’s so much more than making shapes and getting flexible... yoga is an entire framework for understanding myself, loving myself just as a I am, and fully standing in my power in every moment. The Online Yoga Training I developed over the last decade starts up again this week. It’s a 6-month program that’s part live on Zoom and part pre-recorded. It features the same material as SHEWild here in the arctic, minus the in-person immersion for those who can’t (or don’t want to) get away to the arctic for a week. Here’s my promise: Any training with me will have nothing to do with becoming just another fitness instructor. My courses have everything to do with discovering deeper layers of yourself, learning to love who you are, and giving yourself permission to become a brighter version of yourself — average-sized head and all :-) If you’ve ever considered taking a yoga teacher training, and promptly given yourself 27 excuses why “you’re not cut out for it,” allow me to reaffirm this the way Jamie reaffirmed it for me. If you feel that whisper from deep within, that’s all the message you need — you can totally do this. We start Thursday June 6th, and all Zoom sessions are recorded if you have to miss a few — all the details can be found here. Payment plans are available. And, if you’d rather take this same training that has a component at Arctic Hive, here are the details for SHEWild 2025. Wherever you are, I hope you’re having an amazing weekend! In light, Mollie
0 Comments
I had an errand that took me to Anchorage for a few days, and I decided to head to Alpine Fit — a woman-owned, Alaska-founded apparel company. As I walked in, a friendly woman approached me and introduced herself. Jamie proceeded to answer my zillion questions, grab my sizes, deliver them to my dressing room, and help me figure out the best fits for my body. After I’d settled on some bushwhack leggings and a tank top, I approached a display with trepidation. I stared longingly at the 5-panel hats. For as long as I can remember, I’ve thought of my head as TOO BIG, literally. I shared this with Jamie, explaining how challenging it is to find hats that fit properly, including the extremely trendy 5-panel hats that every company sells. She asked, “Do you mind if I measure your head? Just to see?” I obliged. She measured. And promptly told me that my head was “pretty average sized”. MY HEAD IS AVERAGE! This completely blew my own perception out of the water. I grabbed the 5-panel hat, fitted it on my head, and turned to Jamie, my expression saying, I probably look ridiculous, right? I was shocked to see her expression didn’t validate my own. “I’m not sure what you see, but I think it looks great.” My habit here would be to smile graciously — while simultaneously writing off the opinion of someone I’ve just met. But something about this conversation felt different. I heard the echo of Sean, saying the same thing to me over the years —that I don’t look as ridiculous as I feel in a 5-panel hat. In disbelief, I looked back in the mirror. I silently tried to loosen my grip on my long-standing view of my head... Was it possible that I don’t look silly? Was it possible that my head is actually just a normal-sized head? “I really want to be a 5-panel hat person,” I admitted out loud. Jamie smiled and shared that she’d felt the same way when she started wearing the style. “I think if you want to wear 5-panel hats, you just have to start,” she said. Mic drop. She was right. And I bought the hat. [Photo proof below: Hiking in a case of LaCroix to our home yesterday!]  Every time I look at myself in the mirror with this hat on, I’m reframing my perception... one glance at a time.
Imposter syndrome is real, isn’t it? I think we all have a deeper version of my “5-panel hat” story where our own long-standing perception gets in the way of trying new things, and becoming who we want to be — and more importantly, who we’re meant to be. I can honestly say that I’d never be able to have this internal dialogue without the tools I’ve learned through years and years of studying and applying yoga philosophy. It’s so much more than making shapes and getting flexible... yoga is an entire framework for understanding myself, loving myself just as a I am, and fully standing in my power in every moment. The Online Yoga Training I developed over the last decade starts up again this week. It’s a 6-month program that’s part live on Zoom and part pre-recorded. It features the same material as SHEWild here in the arctic, minus the in-person immersion for those who can’t (or don’t want to) get away to the arctic for a week. Here’s my promise: Any training with me will have nothing to do with becoming just another fitness instructor. My courses have everything to do with discovering deeper layers of yourself, learning to love who you are, and giving yourself permission to become a brighter version of yourself — average-sized head and all :-) If you’ve ever considered taking a yoga teacher training, and promptly given yourself 27 excuses why “you’re not cut out for it,” allow me to reaffirm this the way Jamie reaffirmed it for me. If you feel that whisper from deep within, that’s all the message you need — you can totally do this. We start Thursday June 6th, and all Zoom sessions are recorded if you have to miss a few — all the details can be found here. Payment plans are available. And, if you’d rather take this same training that has a component at Arctic Hive, here are the details for SHEWild 2025. Wherever you are, I hope you’re having an amazing weekend! In light, Mollie |
MollieOriginally hailing from Wisconsin, Mollie is a cheesehead transplant to Northwest Montana, with degrees in Retail and Journalism from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Today, she lives off the grid, half the year in a Tiny House & half the year in a yurt — both of which she and her husband, Sean, built by hand. Nonprofit Executive Director by day, Mollie also owns and teaches at Yoga Hive — a chain of community yoga studios in the valley. Archives
November 2024
Categories |
RSS Feed