The Quiet Way Dharma Leads Us

The truth is, I’ve never had any desire to be a leader.

Recently before class, I was telling a newer student how grateful I am for the teachers at Forum, how deeply I appreciate that they chose this studio as their home. I still get surprised by that sometimes. I don’t take it lightly - I’m surrounded by women who are powerful, capable, and deeply accomplished. When I said that, he looked at me and said something I didn’t expect:

“They chose you because they wanted to be led by you.”

I honestly didn’t know what to say back. It caught me completely off guard,  mostly because I’ve never seen myself that way.

For a long time, I begged Casey to move back to California with me so I could return to simply being a student, practicing with my teachers, learning from them, and staying close to the people and places that shaped me. Leadership wasn’t something I was striving for. Honestly, it wasn’t even something I thought I was built for.

I barely graduated high school. I never finished college. I’ve never walked into a room assuming I know the most, in fact, I usually assume the opposite. I’ve always known that there are people far more knowledgeable, more skilled, and more naturally gifted than I am, and that’s exactly who I seek out.

What I have had is privilege.

The privilege of practicing under teachers whose depth, intelligence, and dedication changed the trajectory of my life. The privilege of learning in rooms where wisdom was shared generously and without ego. The privilege of receiving guidance I know I didn’t earn but have tried my best to honor.

And honestly, that’s all I’ve ever really wanted to do:

To pass along what was given to me.

Not to be the authority. Not to be the voice. Just to be a bridge - someone who carries forward the teachings that shaped me in hopes they might support someone else along their path.

If that makes me a leader, it’s only because I’ve been led well.

Everything I know comes from teachers who poured into me long before I ever imagined owning a studio. My role has never felt like standing above anyone. It has always felt like standing with people, learning alongside them, growing with them, and creating a space where we can all come home to the practice in an honest, human way.

Leadership isn’t something I claim with ease.

I’m still learning what it is, and what it’s not.

And most days, I still feel like the student who just wants to sit at the feet of the people who inspire her.

I shared all of this with Casey, how I’ve never felt drawn to leadership, how I’ve only ever wanted to be a student, how the only thing I feel certain about is passing on what was given to me.

He listened and said,

“That is Yoga and that’s exactly why this is your dharma.”

Maybe he’s right.

Maybe dharma is what quietly reveals itself when you show up with sincerity, when you serve the practice, when you serve your people, when you honor the teachers who shaped you by continuing the work in your own way. 

Maybe leadership was never something I was supposed to want. Maybe it’s simply the natural outcome of choosing, again and again, to be a student.