Gratitude changes everything

A video posted by Kate Mak (@katewmak) on Mar 28, 2015 at 7:07pm PDT

Today, my second yoga retreat in Bali starts and there are about 18 people who have taken a leap of faith, said yes and made their way with a flight across the Pacific ocean to join me. I am SO excited to share, write and pen another chapter of my life with all of the wonderful people.

I know that I did not get here alone and it has been years of work, support and love that have gotten me here in the middle of a rice paddy in beautiful and blissful Bali in addition to this stage in my career. 

(It feels like I'm about to do some Oscar acceptance speech stuff)... 

Thank you to my family. Especially my parents. Growing up in an Asian family who immigrated from Hong Kong, I know that my family had great hopes that I would be a doctor (of course). So, when I told them I was leaving my neuroscience lab in pursuit of this yoga thing it definitely wasn't expected. But, they have been supportive and to my father who works so hard to give his family every luxury in life, thank you for working this hard so that I have the great opportunity to choose where I want my life to go. 

Thank you to every single student who has hit the mat with me. Without you, I cannot evolve. Every single time that I teach, I learn just as much from you all as you may be from me. It is an exchange of energy, of life, or experiences and of knowledge. The way I teach is constantly in a flux of evolution as I learn and adapt alongside you all. It doesn't matter if you have only practiced with me just once, a handful of times, several months or years... there's gratitude for you and a deep well of love. 

Thank you to my Lululemon family for always supporting me in everything I do and for asking me what my dreams are (and to hold me accountable to them). Thanks to Reggie bear for always being my #1 supporter, I know that you and others (April Miranda, Don Shipton, Anna Smith, Kim Dykes) spoke so highly of me and helped me get my ambassdorship. Thank you Lindsay White-O'Neil for picking me of the many to represent the Chinook store. Thank you Cara Kingstone for being a pillar of support, love and inspiration for me... you have gone above and beyond for me!! Thank you my lems (former and current) from every part of the city (there are SO many of you)... I love you all. 

Thank you to my teachers for fostering me. There are so many of you! Thank you Ananada Ashram (Nikki, David, Radha, Ma Bha, Bharati, Lauri and extended faculty) for being my spiritual home and for always inviting me in with open arms so that I can fill my cup again. Thank you Kelly Kamm for being the first to show me the ways of bhakti and for always being so open to sharing. Thank you to my fellow teachers for being so amazing, so loving... from sea to sea, all of you! 

Thank you to Guenevere Rodriguez for that one fateful afternoon you shared your time with me and acted as a catalyst for me to rocket myself to GODDESSdom. 

Thank to this beautiful Earth we have for all the beauty, splendor, mysteries, adventures, and lessons you continue to provide me every single country, city and town that I land into. 

Thank you for even the fleeting moments of connections my heart has made to hundreds, thousands of people. 

Thank you retreaters!!!! I am BLOWN away every time I think about it. It takes a lot of commitment and definitely that leap into the abyss to come along on an adventure. Thank you for coming... I hope to make this the trip of a lifetime for you. <3

Gratitude unlocks happiness and there is no happier kitten than this one!! 

Back from ballin' in Bali

Wow wow wow wow wow wow wow!

That's really what I want to say about the retreat in Bali. It was the 5th retreat I have run but the first one I ran on my very own from start to finish.

It was a very scary decision to make in committing to it on my own. What if I wouldn't get enough people? What if I couldn't handle it? What if they thought my curriculum was terrible? What if, what if, what if... All of those what if's were based in fear. I refused to listen and forged forward knowing deep in my heart of hearts, I could!

Thank you to all the incredible staff at SoulShine Bali! I cannot believe how amazing you all are and I can't wait to see you all again in 2015 (what? Hint hint, 2015 retreat).

Thank you to everybody who took that leap of faith... Many traveling transpacific for the first time to Bali! It's not an easy journey to make nor is it a comfortable one. I cannot even begin to explain to you just how much you all mean to me while you held the space and welcomed me so openly into your practice and into your lives while holding me up while I opened and exposed my vulnerability to you.

There was a tremendous amount of growth for me at that retreat. I learned so much about myself, about teaching, about leading, about following and about life.

You all gave me the strength to let go to move forward. None of us are impervious to life's curveballs and hang ups and it's always with the support of old and new friends that you learn to ride it out.

For the closing ceremony, I shared a very special and sacred part of myself (I will share more about this in a later post, it is something I am still terrified to write). A small token to remind us to always listen to your intuition and to run as fast as possible with your heart over the fence towards great joy and love.

If you believe you can, you're already halfway there. Don't stop now... The world waits for you with bated breath for all your greatness.