We are excited to welcome a guest blogger this month, Julie Ship.
My bedroom is used for sleeping and for storing packed and unpacked boxes. I’m moving from Port Coquitlam to Coquitlam. It’s not a far distance, but here in the Tri-Cities, we all know that where PoCo city limits end and Coquitlam ones begin is often confusing. I’m separating from my common-law partner of 10 years. There, I said it aloud for all to read.
I’m glad I’m moving in the summer because challenging things often feel weightier in the winter. Though, this doesn’t mean that I’m not processing a lot of emotions, stress, fear and financial worry about the costs of living as a single again. Even writing this blog post is a way to push through the fear of admitting I’m going through a hard time.
Have you ever gone through a tough time and told yourself to “stay strong” just to get through the thing? I’ve been doing that for the past few years. It all began with processing what my intuition had been telling me, then contemplating what truly makes me happy. From there, I had to weigh the pros and cons of separation and finally communicate definitively what I needed and that it was time to move on. Then there were the mortgage and house logistics, lawyer consultations, contract writing, and home hunting all while co-habiting and negotiating who would feed the cats. It’s been a lot. I can say though that I am now ready to step into a different future.
After all the thinking, negotiating and packing, I’m ready to step over the edge of what we had and into a more nuanced version of what I want to create for myself. By the time you read this, I will be in my new home, meeting new neighbours and creating new routines. One of the routines I’m eager to keep through the transition is my yoga practice.
Imagine yourself in class… you know the moment you’re lying on your back with your hands beside your ears and you must plant your feet and hands firmly and PUSH into Wheel Pose (chakrasana). This is the moment of my life I find myself in. You can’t really think your way into Wheel. You have to know you want it, trust yourself and your body, and just push, hold strong, and breathe. Alternatively, sometimes pushing myself looks like just showing up and letting the tears stream in a good yin hold.
Amidst all the boxes and the fear of the unknown, and fear of doing it all alone again, I know I have the grit to push through something difficult to get to the other side. This type of steadfast courage is often required of us to get through life’s challenges. I always find this easier when I take the time to stretch, breathe and morph into new postures of myself.
The Sanskrit term for non-attachment and letting go of expected outcomes is called Vairāgya. Vairāgya also represents freedom from desire, including the desire to be seen as worthy by society for being in a romantic relationship. Even though I know I’m not more or less worthy of health, happiness, and love based on my relationship status, I do know that society celebrates marriage and anniversaries and pregnancy announcements more than it does, single-successes like breaking free from mismatched or unhealthy relationships, solo-hiking pilgrimage trails, or reaching financial savings milestones.
So as I push into my courage and let go of the social constructs of what makes me worthy of attention, I will try to apply what one of the teachers said yesterday in class… “We’re on this Earth to be seen, be heard, and to take up space.” Push into that space you want to inhabit, even if the outcome is unclear or uncertain. I’ll see you on the other side and I will be open to connecting about the journey.
Julie Ship has been a karma yogi volunteer with YogaGen since July 2025. She has maintained a yoga practice since the late 90s when she took her first class ever at the old Sudbury, Ontario YMCA. Julie works full-time helping educate health care practitioners and people living with chronic pain and has recently revived her English teaching practice.
Favourite YogaGen class: Aerial for Spinal Health with Nancy