Change Can Only Come From Within
By Carrie Froggett
For me this story is the merging of two rivers, interspersed with rocks, sharp turns, the odd waterfall and ultimately finding my way to the ocean. It's still pretty wavy! But there's definite progress.
1. Yoga
Since my late teens I've found solace in yoga. I wasn't sure exactly what it was about the practice, but it always seemed to be there for me. Initially, I stepped onto the mat for fitness. To help manage my weight, increase my flexibility and spark feel good endorphins. And sure, as anybody who has a regular yoga practice knows, all these boxes were ticked.
But Yoga was more to me. It began to open doorways that I didn’t know existed (and 20 years later, it still does!) and every time I walked through a new doorway, had a new experience, learnt something new about myself, my love for the practice got deeper.
It followed me around the world. I used it as a tool to keep me grounded. I chased it. Wanted to know more. Wanted it to help me fix things, find things, make things. And the more I practiced, the more I was expecting to see changes in my life. I was making one mistake. I was looking outwards.
Then something happened. I found a teacher that taught me that the magic happens on the inside. I'd experienced what she meant but had brushed it away. Believing what the West has always told me, that the answers were outside! The magic of the East, and the reason why Eastern philosophies have been going strong for 3000 years, is that those who really were in touch with the human condition, really were onto something. We have so much to thank these Ancient traditions for, and I believe they offer an education of a lifetime.
From this day on, I learnt to accept that the learning and the transformation was only going to happen beneath the surface. And from this day on, I started to see incredible shifts in my life.
People walked into my life that I'd hoped and dreamed for, I was able to navigate life changing situations relating to work, life, travel, and the incredible transition of becoming a mother.
All simple life stuff. But hard stuff none the less. And with my good pal yoga by my side, I was able to support myself from the inside.
2. Work
I've always taught and teacher trained. English, initially. Overseas. I adore learning about new cultures, travelling, living in remote and adventurous places, eating new cuisines. I adored teaching, teacher training and working with people in different places. But I always found myself coming back to yoga and the thought of becoming a yoga teacher began to cross my mind.
And then it happened, I took the plunge, quit my job and embarked on the most life changing thing yet. I did my Yoga Teacher Training and I've never looked back. It was the most incredible month of my life, I learnt so much in those 4 weeks and was able to integrate this learning into my daily life. Everything changed and I knew that from that moment on, teaching Yoga was my purpose.
I've always believed in aligning your passion with your work and felt so lucky that the two were finally coming together. It was no easy feat but with incredible perseverance, drive and self-belief I was able to shift my world into teaching Yoga.
I left Asia and moved to Scarborough with my husband and baby bump. We knew very few people, and certainly had no links to Yoga! I contacted the yoga teachers I could find, had coffee with them, and met Ani Tshela at the Buddhist Centre. I fell in love with the space there are started to offer classes. I began to meet some lovely people as they began to join my classes, and while I navigated the waters of a having a baby (and then a second 17 months later!) I was able to keep my student base and my teaching going. Things were going really well and then lockdown hit!
The two coming together
Enter, The Frog Project (online!). I've always believed in community and bringing like-minded people together. Working with people that inspire and that can grow and learn together. And all the mutual respect and support that can come from both of these things. The Frog Project is a culmination of all of this.
We took the business online as soon as Lockdown was announced. It took us 2 weeks to get online. We did it properly. We built a website, set up a schedule, invested in some good quality recording equipment and we were live.
Having lived through almost two decades of experiencing the everyday benefits of yoga (and especially through more turbulent times), I knew we needed to be offering classes to our students even though we could no longer meet in person.
Online became the new thing. "From our living room to yours" became our slogan. And we went all in. It's been a year, we know have 5 incredible teachers based all over the world and over 80 regular students. We are in the final week of our first Yoga Teacher Training course and the second batch is due to start in April. We also support businesses to support their employees physical, mental and emotional health with our Yoga for Work programme.
We are totally passionate about what we deliver and it all comes from the belief that the magic really does happen on the inside. Yoga isn't about fitness, yoga isn't about what your body looks like in a pose. Yoga is about connecting to your body, through your breath, and allowing a little space and stillness to creep into the mind.
It takes time, it takes commitment, but once you start you can't stop. A door will open, and then another, and then another. Physically, mentally, emotionally, spirituality.
As part of our International Women’s Week of events, Carrie is presenting a Yoga workshop on Wednesday March 10th at 3pm. If you would like to book on this session you can click here.
If you would like more information about Carrie and The Frog Project you can email her carrie@thefrogproject.org or call 07966292767.