I turn 40 today. My 30’s were hard and great and transformative, and I am ready to lean into the next decade.

For the past several months, I have been reflecting on 40 important people, places, things and memories from my life so far. It has been a rich experience to look back at the first 4 decades of my life and to consider those who have been there since the beginning (I love you Mom, Dad, Grandma and Max,) those who have come and gone with deep impacts, both incredibly healing and traumatic, (I see you Kitty, Butch, Joe, Bobby and Mike,) the places I have lived, loved and grown (shout out to Burr Ridge, Bloomington, 2843 and my current home,) the way yoga entered my life and saved my ass (thank you Beginning Yoga and The Samarya Center,) my beloved partner of 16 years (hi love,) and the birth of my two babies (Satmato Yoga Therapy and Rainier Beach Yoga.) 

I also spent time reflecting on my next 40 years, and inspired by Stacey Abrams’ visit to Seattle, I made an Excel spreadsheet of 40 things I want to accomplish in the rest of my years in this body. Some of these dreams include writing a book, speaking with courageous vulnerability, collaborating with some of my mentors, becoming the elder I wish I had in my life as a younger person and dying fearlessly and peacefully. 

As I reflect on the past and ponder the future, I am also reminded of the gift of this moment and want to offer you a gift for my birthday. This is a practice, Centering in Presence, I learned from Reverend angel Kyodo williams and I offer this to you as a way to connect to our inherent dignity, interdependence, history, future and center. You can find the practice here.

Love,
Laura