Welcome Back, Whenever That May Be

Over the past few months, I’ve noticed something really lovely happening, familiar faces returning to class after time away. Some haven’t been for a few months, others a couple of years, and one or two haven’t stepped onto their mat (with me) for almost two years.

Each time someone walks through the door again, there’s a sense of warmth and reconnection. It’s not just about coming back to yoga; it’s about coming home to yourself. And every single time, I welcome people back with open arms.

Because I understand.

There have been times in my own life when yoga was the thing that held me together, when stress, uncertainty, or change made it hard to breathe easily. My mat became the place I could pause, exhale, and remember who I was beneath it all.

And then there were other times when life felt easier, lighter even, and my yoga practice quietly slipped into the background. I didn’t always make it to class (shock horror!), and at the time, that was okay. I was in a different season of life, just as we all move through our own seasons.

Sometimes we drift away because we’re overwhelmed, busy, or simply focused on other things. Other times, we stop showing up because we feel we’ve “lost it” - lost flexibility, lost motivation, or lost connection to the part of ourselves that once made time for yoga. It can be surprisingly hard to return when that voice of self judgment whispers, “It’s been too long.”

But here’s the thing: it’s never too long.

When you step back onto your mat, you’re not starting over. You’re simply continuing from where you left off, picking up threads of awareness, kindness, and strength that were always there, waiting patiently beneath the surface. Yoga doesn’t judge, and neither do I.

What matters most isn’t how consistent your practice has been (although that is great), but that you’ve chosen to return. That willingness to reconnect, to breathe, to move again, that’s where the real practice begins.

In my classes, I try to create a space that feels steady and welcoming, a place where you can arrive exactly as you are, without pressure to perform or be anything other than yourself. Whether you’re coming back after a few weeks or a few years, there’s a place for you.

I think one of the most beautiful things about yoga is that it mirrors life itself. There are times of growth, times of rest, times of uncertainty, and times of renewal. The rhythm changes, but the essence remains. And just like in life, we can always begin again.

I know how much it means to have kind, consistent people who hold space when things get tough. Those experiences have shaped how I teach and how I hold space for others. My hope is that when you walk into class, you feel that same sense of understanding, that you’re not alone in your journey, that you’re part of a community that gets it.

So, wherever you are right now: whether you’re flowing steadily through your practice or finding your way back after time away, please know that you’re always welcome. Your mat will wait for you, and so will I.

We’ll keep showing up together, in whatever way we can, through the ups and downs, through the calm and the chaos, one breath, one class, one season at a time.

Naomi Hurst