Year-End Reflection — A Year of Kizuki 

This year unfolded with quiet revelations.
Some arrived gently, like morning light.
Others knocked hard on the door of my heart, demanding to be seen.

What stayed with me the most was 気づき — the moments when awareness met reality,
and changed me from the inside.

When Effort Became Pause

I began the year filming yoga videos for Instagram and YouTube, hoping to reach more hearts and expand my work.
But somewhere between uploading and comparing, I lost my breath.
I couldn’t hear my own voice in the noise.

So I paused.

At first it felt like a step backward —
but in that stillness, I found a 気づき:

Not everything blooms in front of a camera.
Growth also happens underground.

I may return someday — when my voice feels true again.

When Learning Became Doubt

My 800-hour Yoga Therapy training filled my calendar and my mind.
Weekly mentoring. Monthly modules. Late-night self-study.
And the practicum —
150 hours of listening, guiding, not knowing.

My clients expected support.
I expected perfection.

Some days I carried doubt like a stone in my chest:

• Am I good enough?
  
  

• Do I know enough?
  
  

• Can I hold what others carry?
  
  

But with every session, every mistake, every breath,
気づき whispered:

“You are not finished — and that’s okay.”
“Learning is not proof — it is becoming.”

Doubt did not disappear —
but it softened into guidance.

When Work Became Validation

This year I began teaching at Quest —
my first job in the yoga world outside architecture.

Medical charts, HIPAA modules, new systems —
a lot to take in.

But walking through those hallways,
I felt something shift inside me:

気づき — “I belong here.”

Not because I know everything.
Not because I am perfect.
But because I care —
and because I am willing to keep learning.

Next year, I will continue this path.
After certification in June, I hope to offer Yoga Therapy in this setting —
where healing and awareness meet.

When Aging Became Connection

Teaching chair yoga in senior housing surprised me the most.
I thought I would be the teacher,
but often I leave feeling like the student.

Their slowness teaches patience.
Their stories teach presence.
Their smiles teach meaning.

Driving there is not always easy —
but every time I teach,
気づき lights up in my chest:

“Yoga is not about who can bend the most —
but who can feel the most.”

I will continue.
Because they remind me what yoga truly offers.

When Community Became Permission

My public donation class in Milwaukie is small —
sometimes just two students.

But inside that quiet room,
I found freedom.

A space to experiment.
To try new poses.
To make mistakes.
To laugh.
To breathe.

My students meet me with curiosity, not judgment —
and 気づき holds the room:

“Connection is not measured by numbers —
but by presence.”

I am grateful for this space —
a small room where I am allowed to grow.

My First Year as a Yoga Teacher

Financially, it is still hard.
Some days I worry.
Some nights I lie awake.

But in my heart, I feel something honest:

I am exactly where I need to be.
気づき (awareness) is guiding me more than certainty ever could.

This year, I didn’t just teach yoga —
I learned how to live it.

Stepping into 2026

Next year, I wish for:

• A steady breath
  
  

• A steady income
  
  

• And a steady heart
  
  

I will continue to build my business gently,
trusting that what is true will expand naturally.

I will deepen my understanding,
sharpen my skills,
and offer my presence —
to myself and to others.

Above all, I will walk with 気づき,
step by step, breath by breath:

Awareness of where I stand.
Awareness of who I am becoming.
Awareness that growth takes time — and I am willing.

To My Future Self

If you read this one day and feel lost again,
remember:

You kept going.
You grew.
You cared.
You stayed in the work, even when it was hard.
That is enough.

Because
気づき is not a destination —
it is the light that follows you on the path.