There will come a time when you believe everything is finished.
That will be the beginning.
At 25, "currently exploring" was an identity I created to share my pursuit of digital nomadism and commit to a life I'd only dreamed of.
It birthed me as a creative entrepreneur, opened my eyes to our world, connected me with an incredible community of humans from all corners, and led me to Grabr - where I started as a consultant and grew to lead, and build with, a tenacious global team on a mission that has had me leaping out of bed in several countries for the last 4.5 years, through 1000x growth.
It was the most fulfilling work I've yet to do with truly inspiring humans, but as Grabr team moves in a new direction in response to COVID, I am excited to share a new direction of my own.
This February, I pulled the trigger on a different long-time dream: completing a yoga teacher training at Bali’s Yoga Barn.
Over the past few years, in an effort to bring grounding to a very demanding and uprooted life season (and all the ailments that come along with chronic stress), I've found myself quietly obsessed with holistic wellness, through both Western and Eastern approaches.
From yoga and Ayurveda to leadership coaching and flow state, to sound baths, acupuncture and more than 100 books on everything in between, exploring the mind/body/spirit connection for optimal health, wellness and peak performance through many lenses has been endlessly fascinating.
During teacher training, led by the deeply insightful Tanya Kaps, I came to realize:
Travel, for me, has always been about freedom.
But true freedom doesn’t require hopping on a plane, or even trying something new.
True freedom - lives in the mind, expands the body, and radiates from the heart.
At our core, of course we all know this.
But to be honest, in the hustle of "speed = survival" - I'd forgotten it for a while.
And I am so thankful for this great pause (sans the tragic circumstances) to let that really sink in.
Everything. Intricately. Connects.
The emotional body is directly connected to our nutrition is directly connected to our immune system, resiliency, relationship quality, ability to synthesize information quickly and clearly.
Tightness or release in the physical body is connected to memory, clarity, peak performance in our projects, and overall joy.
And again – of course we all know this, at our core.
But I can't help but believe that this is what our world needs a little more of right now.
Over the next few months, I am pursuing board certifications in holistic nutrition and wellness, to bring some formality to what I've been dabbling in.
To keep my growth skills sharp, I'm contributing on a Growth Foundations course for Product Managers, and am open to advising on select projects.
I look forward to the future of travel - but after 11 months away, am so cherishing being home in San Francisco, supporting my local businesses as they re-open, decorating my apartment, and expanding in new ways.
To prep for each week in flow, starting July 12, I'll be sharing a little hatha yoga class online each Sunday. Come play!
Down the line, there are a few ideas brewing about how to merge it all together.
For now, allowing each step to unfold.
As seasons change - welcome to a new beginning.
♥ christina leigh (formerly currentlyexploring.com)
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Photo with the lovely India Hussain, shot by Claudia Weaver on a day of pure Bali magic.