behind the studio

hi there, I'm charlotte!

mama of breathe strength

opening up a yoga studio has been a dream dancing in my mind for a few years now.
and it's finally time. here's how it all started.

my healing journey began in 2010.

after unexpectedly losing my mom and, shortly after, being diagnosed with familial hypercholesterolemia (a fancy term for genetically high cholesterol), I went from a carefree 17-year-old, to a responsible, health-conscious young woman. and it all happened very quickly.

since then, even more tough life situations and health hiccups have come charging forward, kicking sand in my face and knocking me over, but each time I've rose above.

I was so lucky to grow up around such a positive, supportive, loving family. a family that encouraged happiness and love, no matter what the circumstance. that has really allowed me to propel forward into possibility instead of getting stuck in my discomfort.

to this day, I am still healing. I am still uncovering the mental scarring that comes with losing a parent so young. I am still getting used to the difference of my diet compared to the diets of those around me. I think I always will be -- but I know I will always rise above; I breathe strength.

"healing" seems to be a buzzword these days -- but that's because we all have something to heal from.   everyone's story is different. everyone's journey is different. everyone's needs are different.

but we are all in it together.

healing is multifaceted. so is this studio. keep an eye out for our grand-opening -- you'll see exactly what we mean by that. ;)

until then, join us for our community, donation-based classes and events.

stay up-to-date with classes & events by following us on instagram @breathe_strength or checking out our website: www.breathestrengthwellness.com

THE EMPATH

she breathes the air
with eyes wide open
she sees what most overlook
but to her it's magic
the light glistens
and the sky dims
the birds converse
and the stars -- they wink
a secret language shared between her
and her
she recognizes that all beings' conception is uniform
we are all one
disparate in manifestation, yes
but connected
deeply connected
she will not stray from this connection
she craves it
sometimes it overwhelms her
she feels it in the others
like twin telepathy
we are all siblings

CONNECT AND EXPLORE

the two most important things in this beautiful life are connection and exploration.

connect and explore.

to yourself / by yourself

to others / with others 

to nature / in nature

to figure out yourself is to discover what moves you. what makes your soul happy. who makes your should happy. where your soul is happy. 

there is no wrong decision; every experience teaches you something new.

nothing is permanent. you'll never know until you try.

you cannot remain guarded. an open heart is an open door.

open your heart to open your mind.

connect. explore.

WHY ME

I can't sleep. If this goddamn blood pressure cuff squeezes me one more time I'm going to lose it. This is so unnecessary. I shouldn't be here. My picc line stings. My veins are black and blue. Why is that machine beeping? Here comes my nurse. Should I pretend to sleep? Screw it. She's probably here for more blood work, anyway. 

Oh, how easy it is to let negative self-talk dictate your reality.

"Why me?" is easier than "challenge accepted."
Self-pity is easier than self-confidence.
Anger is easier than acceptance.

When your reality becomes interrupted and your sympathetic responses kick in, it's hard to turn off this kind of negative self-talk. But it's so critical.

In times of uncertainty, remind yourself that this is not an obstacle in your path; this obstacle is your path. You are right where you should be. You are being taught a very important lesson. You have graduated and moved on to a higher level of acceptance. Every situation teaches you something, and often these lessons are repeated in different forms until that lesson has been learned.

Take yourself out of the situation and just observe. Think rationally but with compassion and acceptance. Be kind to yourself for experiencing these emotions; be there for you, then help yourself find the silver lining.

"Why me?" I'll tell you why --
because you're ready for this.

WHAT DRIVES YOU

"find what you love. do that."

Sure, ok. This sounds so simple. But why is it so hard?

We are taught to go to school, 

to get a job,

to get married,

to have kids,

to continue working,

to retire.

These standards make it challenging to take moments to ourselves.

To sit with ourselves, in silence, and discover what makes our internal flames ignite.

To allow ourselves to fuel those flames. 

With experience.

With curiosity.

With no judgement.

To take chances.

To fail.

To make changes.

To succeed.

To challenge those standards and create a reality that we are so in love with.

I dare you to wake up and break away from habit. 

Do something that you love every day.

It doesn't have to be huge; can be. It can be your full time thang, if you want. 

Or it can just be a minute

every day

doing something that makes you smile.

For me, it's teaching. One day I'll do it full-time.

Until then, you can catch me at the yoga studio. 

Teaching. Practicing. Smiling.

Home

There's just something about waking up in your space.
About being surrounded by the beauty that you spent hours collecting.
About knowing exactly where everything is.
What everything is.

There's just something about coming home to your space.
About plopping on your dream couch after a long day.
About filling your refrigerator with nourishing fuel.
Just for you.

There's just something about being alone in your space.
About cuddling up with homemade ginger/turmeric tea and Netflix.
About looking around and realizing this is all you.
This is just you.

And you have company over.
And you make dinner.
And you blast music.
And you make smoothies.
And you do yoga.
And you vacuum.
And you light candles.
And you serenade your kitten.
And you run out of paper towels.

There's just something about going to sleep in your space.
About losing millions of socks in the marshmallow you call your bed.
About going to sleep with a radiant smile.
Because this is all for you.

A NOTE TO MYSELF

"don't stress, beauty. let the transitions occur so you arrive at your destination with integrity. trust the process. do what you can do, but don't put too much pressure on yourself. it will all work out. there is so much goodness in your life right now. so much love. so much opportunity. seize the day, you beautiful soul. bring the sunshine and dance with the unknown. open your arms to this beautiful thing we call 

life."