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Isn’t it amazing how much power is behind the phrase, “You can’t.” So much beauty has been born from the spark of someone saying a version of that phrase to me. Me: “I’m going to be a fashion journalist!” Naysayer: “You can’t. There’s no money in journalism.” ✅ Did it for three years after college, where I had a salary and benefits in Madison, Wisconsin and loved every minute. Me: “I think I’m going to start a nonprofit and make that my full time job.” Naysayer: “You can’t. That will never work because nonprofits can’t afford employees.” ✅ Founded the nonprofit in 2010, volunteered my time for two years and by 2012 our nonprofit corporation had a board of directors around the country and a growing team of staff. It was my full time job and Riding On Insulin still exists today 😜 Me: “I’m want another dog for dogsledding.” Naysayer: “You can’t. Five dogs is already too many.” ✅ ... what do you think happened?! Her name is Tundra and she’s the cutest little nugget and I've never once thought to myself that six is too many! So that’s all fine and good. I’ve learned to weed through the naysayers. But... what if the naysayer isn’t someone outside yourself? What happens when the naysayer from inside says, I can’t. Woa, different vibe, isn't it? I've been there, too. When Sean and I first visited the Brooks Range last April and scouted (now) Arctic Hive on skis, surveying the property the old fashioned way, with a compass and a looooong surveying tape measure to span the distance of a borderline, we started dreaming. It sounded nice. And simple! Build a retreat center! Bring people above the Arctic Circle! Move here!   But you can imagine my mind created a list of excuses a mile long... I can’t — There’s no solid access trail to haul in gear. I can’t -- I don’t have enough time with all the other businesses. I can’t — It’s 271 miles from the nearest grocery store. That’s a whole lot of doubts! So what changed? What makes someone just send it off the metaphorical “I can’t” cliff and reach for a dream? However complicated the journey has been, the decision was simple. The decision to build in the Arctic with Sean came from a moment of silence. All the I can'ts happen in the chatter. In yoga/Sanskrit, we call them vrittis... the busy mindstuff that swirls in circles of indecision. So much so, that we can convince ourselves (many times out of fear or practicality) to not dive head first into the thrill of a lifetime. The vrittis get in the way of us taking the lead role in our own life — they keep us from being conscious of the silence from which dreams are born. The silence from which we can hear the whisper of our true self. In short, we need to think less, and sit in silence more. Too much thinking and the vrittis take on a life of their own. (And that's not the version of life that I want to live!) When we listen to that inner whisper (we call it chitta, or pure consciousness) more and more, it becomes second nature... like a dear friend and confidant we come to know and count on. A friend who always steers us far away from “I can’t” and always toward the higher good for all concerned, which is often in the direction of our wildest dreams, whether we know it at the time, or not. Conscious Leadership is born in our moments of silence and stillness. This leads me to a SUPER exciting announcement I’ll be making next week about a new 5-week course I’m offering this January called Conscious Leadership. It’s a self-paced course with twice weekly pre-recorded lectures, once weekly live Q&A’s with me, and homework outside the virtual classroom to help you get focused on YOUR ability to hear your own whisper. I don’t want to say too much, because this newsletter is getting long already. Just look forward to next week for all the details! For now, you need to know that the early bird deadline for our 7-month online 200-hour yoga teacher training is Thanksgiving Day — TOMORROW! Save big bucks ($528 to be exact!) by registering now and paying in full. If you’re unsure, don’t hesitate to reply to this email. I will make myself available for questions and concerns you may have! CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS The early bird deadline to save $250 on your trip to Arctic Hive this March is also approaching... TOMORROW! Secure your spot on this adventure of a lifetime with us. CLICK HERE FOR ARCITC HIVE RETREAT DETAILS Blaine and I are hosting a virtual Malas and Mantra workshop on December 9th! This is a fantastic opportunity to make something meaningful for yourself or a loved one this holiday season. DETAILS Aerial Yoga Teacher Training will be offering LIVE online via Zoom this January with me! Have a rig in your home? Dive in with us... DETAILS And... in case you haven't seen our special deal yet, snap it up before it's gone: TODAY'S SPECIAL DEAL: Unlimited two weeks of livestream yoga for just $1 CLICK HERE TO GET THE DEAL In light (and a big healthy YES I CAN!), Mollie 
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Here’s a thing about me: I hate making two trips. I posted this photo on my Instagram story a while back because it truly captures this essence. We forgot to put the ladder in the trailer? Here, let me carry it — amidst all the other things I’ve packed on this wheeler — like a javelin uncomfortably just so that I don’t have to go back twice.  One and done.
You might imagine that by building three Arctic Hive guest cabins over the last six months, one after the other, repeating every single task not one, not two, but THREE TIMES EACH, I’ve had a lot of time to examine this pattern in my life. First time through: Fresh energy! Feeling good! I’ve got this! Second time: [questioning my life decisions] Third time: JUST. BE. DONE. + this really insane lion’s roar that I’ve been doing when I need to release some of that energy. (Highly recommend letting that sound out!) In other words: I’ve gotten comfortable with my inevitable intensity when I have to do something over again. This opportunity to roar out frustration, ponder my patterns, and having a willingness to examine my emotions has been amazing. And in my case with the cabins, I realize that I don’t have to do it over again. I’ve chosen to do it over again. And again. And again. So as I was applying a coat of stain to the walls of the second cabin today (questioning my life decisions — second time through)… maybe it was the fumes, maybe it was the good vibes I’m feeling because I can see the finish line… maybe it was the six month mark that finally kicked something straight in my head. I figured it out. Somewhere along the way, I got it in my head that if you have to do something over again, it’s bad. It means you didn’t learn anything the first time. And as an A+ student who LOVES to sit in the front row and raise my hand and ask all sorts of questions (yep, was totally that kid — still am!)… in my brain, “not learning” is “not OK.” WHEW! I’m ready to let go of this pattern! This is the yoga I love most — self study. Always being willing to examine what’s going on in my life, and learning from my own experiences. Years ago, I spent a day with Tim Gunn (of Project Runway fame — a story for another time), and when I asked him if he thought I should keep doing what I was doing or go back to school, he gave me some of the best advice I’ve ever gotten. He said, “Mollie, your experience will be your education.” And ever since, that’s how I’ve lived. So thank you Cabin 1, Cabin 2, and Cabin 3… you’ve shown me that I am — in fact — always learning, even if I’m choosing to repeat the same thing over and over. What makes each round different is the quality of attention I’m paying to my experience. And honestly? My willingness to have fun with it along the way. All this to say we have some incredible opportunities for YOU to learn with us at Yoga Hive this holiday season. I know there are a lot of excuses for why you don’t have time to prioritize yoga, or join a workshop, or stream a pre-recorded class on Yoga Hive Connect. But my advice? Don’t repeat the same pattern you always do. And definitely don't "wait for 2021" to make a change. Let go of your old patterns and start fresh with us — with ME! So, a holiday deal for you... it's back: TODAY'S SPECIAL DEAL: Unlimited two weeks of livestream yoga for just $1 CLICK HERE TO GET THE DEAL And other things you need to know...
In light and as many trips as it takes, 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
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