'Failure' as a beautiful catalyst for change.

Why ‘Failure’ can be one of the best things to happen to you - the story behind how I took the leap to start a business.

GIVE THE FINGER TO YOUR INNER CRITIC WHO TELLS YOU CANNOT OR SHOULD NOT.

One year ago, I did something absolutely ridiculous.

If you at all suffer with imposter syndrome, with doubting yourself or feeling unfulfilled, please do dive into this story about one of my most shameful 'failures' so far.

Without any qualifications in spinning or personal trainings, just years of yoga teaching under my belt and an incredibly positive mindset, I applied for and was accepted for a big group audition at the soon-to-open Soul Cycle London (this audition felt like Mean Girls, it was so so so awkward!)

The audition that ensued was one of the most uncomfortable things that had happened to me up until then. I went in armed with my two songs, my best energy, most inspirational messages and fully expected to get my chance to lead people through my two songs in the second round. After waiting for 2 other heats of people and only a handful being selected for progression, I finally got my chance to hop on the bike... and I failed HARD! I didn’t even get through the first round! The shame at my reality not matching up with expectation was painful.

As a yoga-teacher-not-a-spin-instructor going up against a room full of London’s best spin instructors (all there under-the-radar so their current employers wouldn’t know), I don’t know why I was so convinced I would do so well, based on my energy and personality alone. At least after my heat, when my number wasn’t called, I saw I wasn’t alone in my disappointment - seasoned cycle instructors had been ruthlessly cut after just being watched on a bike for 10 mins too and here were people who did this already, day-in, day-out.

I went away cloaked in shame and sadness, what had I been thinking! My confidence took a serious hit… but thankfully not for long. In fact, it led me to an epiphany!

I STARTED THINKING BACK ON HOW I HAD CHASED SO UNAPOLOGETICALLY AFTER SOMETHING SO FAR REMOVED FROM MY COMFORT ZONE BUT THAT MADE ME FEEL SO ALIVE - I REALISED I HAD BEEN LIVING MY LIFE IN A COMFORTABLE ROUTINE WHERE I WAS NO LONGER CHALLENGING MYSELF TO REACH NEW PEOPLE OR BREAK OUT OF MY HABITS OF THINKING OR ROUTINE. I HAD ALWAYS WANTED TO USE MY SKILLS OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT IN THE CORPORATE WORLD, TO HELP OTHER YOGA TEACHERS REACH OUT TO MORE PEOPLE IN LONDON, AND HELP FIND THEM NEW CLIENTS WHO THEY COULD REALLY MAKE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE TO. BUT I WAS SO SCARED OF SHARING THIS WITH OTHER TEACHERS I KNEW AND LIKED, WHY WOULD THEY TRUST IN ME OR PUT THEIR FAITH IN ME?

The Soul Cycle audition changed all that. If I thought I had what it took to make it in a profession so far removed from my own, well then there was nothing stopping me from putting that same courage and fearlessness into a craft and an industry that I actually knew and loved so well, my own!

FROM THAT ABSOLUTE CAR-CRASH OF A DAY, WAS BORN SOMETHING NEW, A YOGA AND WELLBEING AGENCY WHO ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING A DIFFERENCE. IT'S LIKE SOMEONE LIT A FIRE UP MY @$$!

For the past year I’ve been slowly building and testing The Yeh Yoga Co’s concepts, working on our delivery and finding what it is people really need in London.

They need connection. An opportunity to slow down. Some time for them, away from goals, targets and the stress of the achievement-mindset, where they can learn how to bring their body, mind and emotions back into harmony and find a way to exist in a happier way in any environment and with each other.

I truly believe yoga, mindfulness and other wellbeing practices are the way to do this, and putting my heart and soul (article pun intended!) into reaching as many new people at offices as I can, is what has come out of my huge failure last year. I stopped feeling shy and embarrassed about asking teachers I liked and respected to join me in my mission, and support me in bringing this desperately needed humanity back into the workplace. 

It’s been a joy to collect together a great team of teachers to share this vision with me, and this is only the beginning. We've so far worked with brands such as Dell, KPMG, Lloyds, Hearst UK, River Island and more and it's exciting to see so many more companies waking up to the changes that could be made for the better in their culture.

SO, TO ANYONE OUT THERE WHO IS SCARED OF TAKING A PLUNGE INTO UNCHARTED TERRITORY, WHO FEELS LIKE THEY’RE NOT READY, I UNDERSTAND YOUR RESERVATIONS AND I AM HERE FOR YOU. HERE TO BE YOUR CHEERLEADER AND SAY, HEY YOU KNOW WHAT? I’VE BEEN THERE, AND I GOT THROUGH IT AND YOU CAN TOO!

Do you feel terrified of the journey ahead, and all that may go wrong? Or is there a layer of feeling there, an excitement for ‘but what if it all went right?!’ - If it scares you, if it excites you, if it makes you feel alive, then go for it. I can’t recommend putting yourself out there enough. 

So, one more time for the people at the back - I believe there's no such thing as a failure in this life. Instead, there's an abundance of opportunity for learning and growth. Failure is only the mindset in refusing to see these things.

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Thanks for reading beautiful YehYogis!

I’d love to hear your thoughts on how you approach ‘failure’ in your life - do you only ever see the bad points, or do you actively look for the good? Are there any absolute howlers you’d like to share with the community?! I’m a big believer that the more ‘shameful’ stories we can share amongst us, the less power they have over us, and in fact the more empowering they become, as we realise that actually our ‘inner critic’ is just a narrative and we can, and must challenge what the monkey mind wants us to believe!

Pop your comments below or feel free to share on @yehyoga
Big love and hugs,

Emily xxx