Hi friends!
Welcome to my blog, and actually, to my first post! Even with just one post, I'm already finding that writing is providing a sense of clarity around what the most exciting things for this business could be. There are tons of ways we can connect and find ways yoga can help provide a sense of balance for us all, and I'm looking forward to creating that dynamic for you. But let's start with talking about who I am and what Lark + Evergreen means because unless you've read my About page, you may have no idea where the name Lark + Evergreen comes from...and names are important! Even my About page doesn't share all of the details, so let me dive in by telling you a little about how I got here.
In early 2019, I was blessed with twins! And as I’m sure all parents will attest, what a life changer that was. While I didn’t know it at the time, it was the beginning of a new chapter in my life, not just becoming a parent, but becoming more attuned to myself, my passions, and my goals. Fast forward a bit, after deciding to leave my full-time job and spend more time at home with my kids, and I had a thought, “Maybe I'll open a yoga studio.” You guys, I have no idea where that came from. I had no experience teaching yoga; what could that even look like for me? So with the nudging of my very supportive husband, I decided to begin my 200-hour teacher training, studying with an incredible mentor and teacher of mine. And in the midst of COVID-19, working to finish my training virtually, I began to wonder “What if I could use yoga to help other people? What if that’s bigger than “just” yoga poses?” (As an aside, a lot of people don’t know that yoga is more than a physical practice, but I’ll save that for another post :) ) All of these “what ifs?” have led me to believe that it really is possible to help people with yoga in so many ways!
Fast forward a bit more, and I’ve completed my training: Shout out to Lotus Yoga studio in Dallas, TX for such a great experience! So at this point, I was working through all the backend details of starting a business, hiring an attorney, building a website, researching booking tools, etc. etc. When push came to shove, I needed a name before my attorney could move forward. And let me just say - do you know how HARD it is to name a business?? I mean, for any parents out there, it’s hard enough to name a human! When my husband and I named our twins, we had a list going before we ever found out we were pregnant. We considered how the names sounded together, how they sounded with our last name, what their initials would spell, and -- believe it or not -- how it might sound over a loudspeaker if they were ever to play sports :) In the end, we waited to name our son and daughter until after they were born; we wanted to meet them first and be sure the names felt right. And thank goodness we did! Our front-runner names did not belong to these two tiny humans, but we found the perfect fit...four days after their birth.
For a business, you don’t get to wait until your business is born to name it!! I found I had so many different priorities and fears with naming a business. I wasn’t looking for initials, but I did want it to have significance. But also, not be too lofty. I wanted it to feel down-to-earth. And then one day, with the pressure of time on my hands, the word “lark” hit me. It just hit me.
A lark, who, unlike most birds, sings when they fly and rises well before the sun, is a symbol of cheerfulness, a shift from night to day, and a fresh start. What I LOVE about this is how each day, each project, each stage of life, can be a fresh start or a new awakening. On its own, this symbolism is huge to me, but I love it even more when pairing it with determination and perseverance...approaching each day by starting anew and showing up again and again, no matter what. And what better a word to connote perseverance and determination than “evergreen” - a tree that sticks around all year and doesn’t drop its leaves, no matter the weather. Do you see the tie there? We can show up every day, no matter what’s going on, and look at our surroundings with a new vantage point, ready to take on the world. Pretty powerful, huh?
My hope is that this stirs something in you, that something about Lark + Evergreen or its symbolism resonates with you. Maybe you have an area in your life that is crying out for a new beginning. Or maybe something is begging you to keep showing up, even if you don’t know what difference you are making. I will leave this with you today by encouraging you to tell someone (anyone!) what spoke to you today. If you let it, it may be the first step in a new journey.