Part 2: {Be}yond the Wild Goose
The five year span between the filming of the Wild Goose Yoga DVD and today includes more wild goose chases than time allows me to include! The way God so beautifully brought all the things together is…well, {be}yond my wildest imagination (thus the studio name).
What I did not include in Part 1 was the fact that while God gave me the vision for “be” yoga and the “be still, be gentle, be powerful” class format, He did not give me anymore – no studio name or vision. In fact, the production team kept pressing me to name the DVD, land on a website idea, etc. I came up at a loss time and time again. Nothing moved me. Nothing fit.
The day we were set to film the introduction for the DVD was a bitter, cold January morning (nothing like I would have planned. I hate the cold, and January is my least favorite month of the year…but I kept chasing the goose). I was driving out to Leipers Fork to film on a beautiful piece of property when, as I turned off the main road, I had to suddenly slam on my breaks to avoid running over a flock of 12 wild geese! Having just finished reading Batterson’s book, my mouth spoke the words “Wild Goose Yoga”.
Enters the DVD title.
I later reached out to Mr. Batterson personally to respectfully include him in the way his book had inspired the creation of this DVD and what was now a growing community of believers “loving God, doing yoga.” We sold 1,000 DVDs in the first year, and Batterson was more than encouraging and supportive. His parting words to me were, “You should pick up my next book The Circle Maker. I think you might like it, too.” I added it to my Amazon cart soon after that exchange, and before long, I was praying circles around everything in my path.
Enters the goose inside a circle.
Mind you, I had no idea a studio would ever be part of this adventure! In fact, I had boldly proclaimed, “I will never be a studio owner. I am a teacher!”
…Never say never, especially if you are chasing the goose.
Probably the sweetest, most miraculous thing I have ever been a part of unfolding is how God was weaving all these pieces together. As I stood in Releve’ One that very first meeting, it came upon me so quickly and clearly.
In fact, it was very unsettling. I just kept thinking “This is beyond anything I could ever ask or imagine. They are offering me space, and I had prayed for a 20×20 room”…this was 20×30!
I had once said “Only if the location is close to my home”…this is 5 miles from my front door!
And, I did not want to be in business alone…this was a shared space!
He goes BEYOND!
What in the world was happening?? It truly was Ephesians 3:20 in the making. I would be crazy not to follow the goose on this adventure!
And, I also knew within moments after our first meeting the name was to be “Beyond Yoga Studio”, because it truly is beyond the yoga. My eyes met the brackets of the {R}eleve’ One logo, and I knew immediately “{be}yond yoga” AND the goose within the “O” of yoga was the goose within the circle. Praying circles around this goose chasing adventure.
Enters {Be}yond Yoga Studio.
The branding and logo could not have fit together more perfectly. It truly is {be}yond the yoga! Movement that is still, gentle, and powerfully led by the Holy Spirit…and circled with prayer: “For in Him, we live and move and have our {be}ing.” (Acts 17:28)
As for the rest of the story, I am not sure that it will always include yoga, but I am confident that it will always include the goose and the circle. And for today, YOU are invited to join us on the mat as we practice yoga that goes {be}yond!