Grounded Change

One month from today, I’m leaving my professional practice. I graduated as a chiropractor in 1989, hoping vaguely that I’d be helpful to people and that I’d have a good time doing it.

What I underestimated was the degree to which I’d fall in love with so many of the people who come to see me. Their bodies, their stories, and their hopes and struggles have made my clinic a beautiful place to be for twenty years.

Nevertheless, I woke up one day this summer knowing that, if I were courageous enough, I’d move on. And, god, once you’ve said that out loud, you’d better find the courage or be willing to live with feeling like an overgrown chicken for the rest of your life.

So. I said it all out loud and now I’m leaving, having almost no idea what’s next with work and earning a living.

I would have been afraid to do this five years ago.

I’m 48 (and a half). Maybe age has something to do with it. Maybe it’s the changing of seasons. I suspect meditation and yoga are also connected.

What I feel, at this age, which I did not feel at 20 or 30 or even 40, is a solid trust in my gut feelings. If I sense it’s time to move on, then it is. If I don’t know what’s next, then I don’t need to know yet.

This gorgeous rootedness is like an internal, full-spirit Downward Dog. It feels strong, stable, and dependable. It feels more certain than most of the outside world.

Wish me luck, and tell me: would you change your life if you had the courage, or are you doing exactly what you love? Has yoga given you the same sense of trust in your gut? (If it hasn’t, it could be that you’re too young, in which case you have lots to look forward to.)

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Thanks to the beautiful people at my clinic for the last two decades, thanks for courage and trust, and thanks to you for the conversation,

Kristin