Digital Detox And The Art Of Living in Possibility

Hello everyone!

It’s been a little while since I’ve graced the pages of my own blog. I didn’t intend on leaving my site alone for this long, but it was nice to have a little break from the virtual world. It was like an unintended social media detox and a much-needed one at that. I am back, however, and more inspired than ever to continue sharing my journey here. So let’s catch up!

First off, I want to emphasize the “unintended” portion of my blogging gap. Since I’ve slowed down and prioritized my blog so much these past few months, I never wanted to lose momentum. However, there were (and still are) some back-end projects I need to work on for my site. Ways to make my site more secure and more efficient for you guys!

Here’s the thing though, and I know I’m not alone in this…when I have too many tasks to do that I don’t want or know how to do, I get overwhelmed with where to start. So, instead of doing research and taking baby steps what do I do? I don’t do anything. I avoid starting my tasks in general and I wait until I absolutely have to do something to even start thinking about doing it. While I was initially upset for getting off schedule, the timing of everything could not have been better.

Social Media Detox

Right before my mini blogging break, my friend announced on her social media that she was deleting her Instagram for good. Her reasoning for her retreat from social media resonated with me immensely. She explained to her followers that she didn’t want to categorize herself as a yoga teacher, island girl, or writer. She didn’t want to think about the numbers or engagement rates of her posts and she didn’t want to deal with the negative experiences Social Media can provoke when you start to publically share your life.

Of course, Social Media is a great tool for entrepreneurship and small businesses. Social Meda is also great for keeping in contact with friends and family even if you’re miles away. There are tons of positive aspects Social Media can play in our lives, but it isn’t a perfect formula.

My friends retreat from Instagram made me rethink how and what I choose to share on social media, and allowed me to revisit my thoughts on the role I wanted social media to play in my life. I’m still on Social Media and that’s not going to change soon, but I definitely don’t want to be inauthentic. I don’t want to feel the need to post a certain type of content, or even post at all.

Also, funny timing; a few days after my friend deleted her Instagram, Kyle’s phone croaked. I do have to say this was slightly inconvenient. Overall though, it wasn’t too bad. I loved that Kyle and I we were spending less time scrolling and more time connecting in person. When we would mindlessly scroll through our social media, we were missing out on being with one another. We’re missing out on conversations and connections. The real-life experiences we could be having instead of scrolling beats dreaming about an experience we see someone else posting about.

Of course, we can build a healthy relationship with Social Media. We can use Social Media to connect and grow as a conscious community. I don’t want to come off as too negative about social media since I do love creating and sharing quality content. It’s important, however, to take what we see on our screens with a grain of salt.

A Few Things I’ve Learned From My Blogging Hiatus…

I’ve said it once, and I’ll say it again, this mini virtual detox was much needed! Hawaii life, despite what you see via the gram, is really busy. We all know it’s expensive to live on Oahu, so that means that Kyle and I work our butts off during the week so we can adventure and explore freely on the weekends. Before my little hiatus, I was creating blog posts twice a week, working three eight hour days at Lulu and teaching 8 or more yoga classes in between. If I didn’t plan my time out accordingly, I would have no room to enjoy the island I live on let alone my boyfriend sitting in the same room.

Of course, I love what I do! I love writing and sharing my knowledge of the yoga practice. I love making connections at work, and I love teaching yoga in the studio. However, sticking to a rigid schedule left no room for spontaneity. My creativity had totally plummeted. I didn’t feel like I was teaching as effectively, and blogging became a chore.

When I gave myself permission to take a step back from it all, I was able to see what I truly valued in my practice as a teacher. I felt a surge of inspiration from the real-life events I was allowing myself to finally have! As a yoga teacher, blogger and content creator, I pull inspiration from what’s happening around me. I use my own practice as an example for my teachings. I read books and journal to keep my thoughts fresh and go out on adventures only to be rewarded with amazing memories. Finally, I was living a life I wanted to share.

So What Now?

This means you will see some small changes as I continue to explore the space freedom has gifted me. I still plan on posting here twice a week, but my posts may be a little different from previous posts. of course, I will still share the informative yoga posts on here, I can’t not. However, I’m not going to limit my posts to strictly yoga and meditation. I want to write more personal posts on here as well. I want to share the aspects of my yoga journey that I don’t get to share in a yoga class. To write about the life I’m living here on Oahu Hawaii. I want to let go of the categories I have created for myself, and stop worrying about how others view this blog.

This also means limiting my time on social media. Not adhering to a schedule in terms of posting, and once again not categorizing and editing myself. I will still take the time to post and engage, but not mindlessly scroll. It’s amazing how much time we have when we stop checking our Instagram every hour. It’s also amazing how much lighter we feel when we stop fixating on the numbers. Social media is not real life, we know this, yet we let social media carry so much weight in our value. It’s insane how much of an impact social media has on our overall mental wellbeing.

Seriously though, don’t fret! I’m not going anywhere and these changes aren’t anything new. I’ve always wanted to be as authentic as possible on here, I’m just finally realizing what my authenticity looks like in the digital realm. So breathe, you will still get your yoga posts. You’ll also get other fun posts too! I’m thinking Ayurvedic recipes, mini journal posts, hiking posts, and overall lifestyle posts that inspire you to get out there and live the life you’ve been wanting to live for so long. Or, further enjoy the little things in your already, fabulous life right now!

Why…? Because this is yoga. This moment right here. The breath your body instinctively takes to let you live. The movements your body makes so you can explore, and all the feelings, emotions, connections and trials along the way. I would not be an authentic yoga teacher if I only talked about the philosophies instead of living them for myself. True Yogic philosophy is meant to be practiced all day every day. They were intended to move us into a space of liberation. Of course, it’s easier said than done, like everything I talk about on here, but we can’t practice Yoga if we don’t live our lives intentionally.

Before this little detox, I was struggling to come up with ideas to post about. I had no pictures to share with my followers on Instagram. Now that I’m giving myself the space to live, the whole world has opened up to me and I see no limitations on what I can do or be! Have you ever had that feeling? If not, I sincerely hope that at some point in your life you experience freedom. It truly is an unexplainable feeling that we can all achieve if we step out of our own way and allow life to lead us.

I want you to be on this journey with me, I want to hear about you and your life. I want to know what living life looks like for you, and the little things you’re doing every day to become in tune with your most authentic self. If you’re interested in building a like-minded community, sharing your experiences and learning more about living intentionally, sign up for my email list. I’d love to share my journey and get to know you more!

Until next time,

Love and light,

-Sarah