Hello, friends,

It is with a heavy heart that I share the news that Hand Craft Yoga will close its studio doors on May 1st. The property our studio sits on is being sold, and it will be official the first week of May. I know, it is a bit shocking. Take a deep breath.

I’ve been running around this land since I was 10 years old. When my parents bought the property back in 1997, I had no idea how much it would shape my life and my future. In fact, at age 18, I would have told you that I would NEVER move back to Spring Branch and certainly would NEVER work at the gym. If there is one thing I’ve learned these past 20 years: Never say never.

I moved back to Spring Branch after graduating college in 2010 to manage Family Fitness. I thought it would be for a few years, at most. During this time, I dove deep into my yoga practice. There is a time I would have told you that I would NEVER be a yoga teacher. I could NEVER stand up there while everyone was watching me. Well, if you’re on this mailing list, you know how that turned out.

Many of you were with me when we opened The Sanctuary back in 2013. That’s where our sweet little yoga community took root, and grew steadily for 7 years before making our big transition into the main building where we practice now. Hand Craft Yoga was born 4 years ago, and has been continuously growing ever since. What a journey it has been, building this special space with you all. I am so grateful!

So, what’s next? Well, you can take the yoga teacher out of the studio, but you can’t take the yoga teacher out of the yoga teacher! I am well aware that this clunky version isn’t exactly the way the sentiment goes, but I think you get the idea. Even though we don’t know what it will look like just yet, I’m not going to stop teaching yoga and leading retreats. The unknown is a little scary, but I have to say, I feel excited.

Here’s the thing…this moment feels like a culmination of all the deeper learning we’ve explored up until now. This is the ultimate integration experience; what all the practice has been preparing us for. Can we move forward without expectation? Without judgment? Without comparison? Can we truly surrender the attachment we feel to certain places, certain times of day, certain circumstances? Can we be uncertain for a moment? What does it look like to really fall into faith? To me, it looks like pressing forward, one step at a time. So far, that’s my plan. Just keep moving forward. Listen to my body. One breath at a time.

Obviously, we have some logistics to work out and we have some celebrating to do! So please stay tuned for all the details on the studio farewell party, final classes, your accounts, my new virtual classroom, and more. If you have any special ideas and want to share, let me know! As you can imagine, there’s a lot to finalize with the sale of the property. So, if you feel called, I’d appreciate any input about how to celebrate our final days in the studio.

I am so grateful for all of your understanding, flexibility, and support. The studio wouldn’t be what it is without you all, and I feel so fortunate that we had the opportunity to create something so special together. It reminds me of the feeling I had when a butterfly once landed in the palm of my hand. I felt so lucky! I wanted to hold it forever! Instead, I watched it fly away, its beauty leaving a lasting impression in my heart.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

With love,

Monica