My Move to Canada: 3 Years In

Hello from the Great White North! More specifically from my beautiful mountain home of Invermere, in British Columbia.

I can’t quite fathom how time could have possibly gone so quickly since my last post, but here we are. What was meant to be a year’s ‘sabbatical’ - checking out of life in the UK, out of my calling as a yoga teacher and into connection with myself - somehow turned into three years of adventure, self-exploration, struggle and learning.

When so much time has passed, it feels like there’s no possible way to catch back up. Not knowing how to begin has stopped me writing this post so many times. Initially, I needed some space and a break from looking after everyone in my life but myself. Eventually, I wanted to reach back out but the guilt I felt about abandoning my community for so long without explanation held me hostage for a while. Finally, I came to accept that part of living in yoga is understanding that things will come to pass at the right time in their own way. Letting go of the illusion of control and fear of unknown outcomes allowed me to accept that I would find my way back when I was ready.

So here I am, three years later. Three years wiser. Three years lighter and ready to share with you again. Excited to share with you again.

In a literal sense, there isn’t really a way to catch you up on everything that’s happened in my absence, besides recounting every single experience I’ve had in the past 37 months (which I’m not going to do). I’ll put a picture gallery at the bottom of this post, with a few highlights, but I’ve realised that what I’ve been doing isn’t really what’s important.

What’s important is that I have discovered an immense trust in my own intuition. I’ve learned that I have layers of strength and resilience that I didn’t know existed. I’ve learned how to truly be who I am, no matter what. I have found grounding. I have found a home away from home. I have reconnected with the truest version of myself. I have embodied the below reading that I love so much:

From the second that you're in this world,

They tell you what is "fair",

The questions you're allowed to ask,

And the ones you wouldn't dare,

Placed on the path they've paved for you,

Life pushes you along,

Without the chance to stop and think,

If it's right where you belong,

But beyond your pathway's edges,

Is where living really starts,

A land of risks and danger,

And a land of broken hearts,

They'll tell you you should fear this land,

That there's no good there at all,

As they live their lives as they've been taught,

Behind expectation's wall,

But the best people you'll ever meet,

Have wandered off their track,

Found themselves along the way,

And have no need to wander back,

So forget about life's road map,

Follow your heart at any cost,

For you'll never truly find yourself,

If you're too scared of getting lost.

~e.h

So, what’s next?

I have just renewed my visa for another two years and intend to apply for Permanent Residency here in Canada. After spending the last 3 years working at a ski resort here in the mountains, I have left the security blanket of my desk job to find my way back to teaching. There are some wonderful studios and spaces in the Columbia Valley where I live that I hope to begin to teach in.

Eventually, I hope to be able to run retreats and yoga holidays so that I can share the remarkable place that I call home with those of you I’ve taught and connected with over the years.

It’s May, spring is on the way (it happens very late up in the mountains!) and a feeling of new beginnings and opportunity is in the air. I’m really excited for what’s to come and can’t wait to bring you with me.

I’d love to hear from you - please let me know how you’ve all been and what you’ve been up to whilst I’ve been gone. For those of you in the UK, I’m hoping to set up some online class offerings for you soon.

In the meantime, sending love and light,

Vx