Port Jervis: Why I'm Here.

After moving across the country fifteen months ago, I've often been asked with sincere perplexity; "Why did you move here from Colorado!?"  

And to be honest, I've asked myself the question a few times since we've moved. I completely adored Colorado and our life there. I'm a big fan of beauty, nature, and being outdoors - and Colorado has a lot to offer. We had an incredible community and jobs we enjoyed. 

But over the last 12 years, as we've visited Dan's family here, I've often felt a quiet voice in my soul hinting to the idea that we'd live here one day. I didn't think much of it, but I was open to the idea because of my adoration for Dan's family and the pretty landscape I noticed around this part of the country.

We were enjoying our life and community in Colorado when Dan got a phone call from a friend he used to work with at Young Life's Lake Champion, asking if he'd apply for an open position. He'd had a few phone calls like this over the years but never felt like it was the right time. But this particular year, we both felt a change was going to come. We had struggled through some deep loss during our last 2 years in Colorado, and were ready for something different. Dan took the interview and we waited and prayed and when he got the offer, we knew this was an opportunity we shouldn't pass up. So we had two months to tell our beloved community, friends, and family, and prepare to move back east. 

The deeper why, I believe, is because we were meant to be here - for a season - in this specific place at this time in our lives. We felt that God opened a door for work, and for some bigger reasons that we knew of at the time.  I've dreamt about opening my own yoga studio for years but it seemed nearly impossible to do in Colorado Springs - where yoga teachers and yoga studios abound. When I moved here and saw that there was no yoga studio in Port Jervis at the time, I started planning. 

My vision was to create a safe + sacred space.

A place where people could come to find peace, respite, and restoration from whatever it is life had brought them. After some years of deep grief and loss, I knew the value of having a safe place to find healing and restored hope, and I wanted to create that for others. From what I'd read and heard, I also knew that Port Jervis had some needs for emotional healing and restoration. I was excited to offer a bright light in the form of a welcoming space to this area and to the people who call Port Jervis home. 

Since we've opened, I've been delighted by the community that has started to form around our studio. I'm happy to share the space with my sister-in-law and help each other grow in our businesses and dreams. Im also so thankful for the other teachers that have joined Flourish, who bring their own unique and beautiful contributions to the studio and to our students. 

We currently have one Donation-based class each week on Monday evenings called Yoga for Healing, which everyone is welcome to! We take time to breathe, move, and go inward to address some of our emotional and spiritual needs for healing. I'm also in communication with some of the local schools to begin offering therapeutic yoga for kids with emotional struggles. I'm so excited to see what comes of this and other opportunities that arise - to offer a place of emotional and physical support to this beautiful community. And I'm so thankful to be here.