Setting Intentions, Finding Your Voice, and Making Space for Change | The Perfect Space Therapy

“If It Speaks to You, Let’s Set an Intention for our Practice Today.”

So many times have I said those words to start a class, or as I began my own practice. So many times I’ve been reminded to go back to my breath and the intention I’ve set. Setting an intention can be a powerful practice in and of itself. It helps to create space for reflection, growth, and change. For two years, my intention has been “peace.” The first word to pop up in my mind, time and time again. And it was appropriate. I was on a rollercoaster ride. My ex-husband died, four grieving kids, an unplanned pregnancy with my new husband, parents sick, parents dying, a huge out-of-state move, the start of peri-freaking-menopause, leaving a toxic job and acclimating to a new one….the list goes on. It made sense that my brain sought peace through movement and meditation.

And Then My Intention Changed

Fast forward to the start of 2026. It had been a whirlwind of a move and a very wide range of emotions, to include me, pretty much crossing my arms and stomping my feet, ignoring my practice because it “just wasn’t the same” as my “yoga church” back in Hendersonville, NC. Nonetheless, in January, I realized I had finally found my footing in Beaufort, South Carolina.

And I noticed because my intention had shifted. Some time early in the year, I was on my mat, in my zen den of a home-office, in the early morning. It was chilly and I wore pink socks my dad gave me. The incense burned smoke rings that, if not placed correctly, had the potential of waking up the entire house with a fire alarm screaming. I wrote my gratitudes down for the day and began breathing. Really breathing. And when I set my intention that morning, it was different. Peace wasn’t what came to mind. Instead, a voice inside whispered - “get big…be bigger.” I spent some time with that. Days maybe, rolling it around in my mind and whispering to myself, getting used to the way those words felt on my tongue. I understood what the words meant - I just needed some time to better understand what they meant for me.

After days of thinking it through and weeks of talking it out with both my husband, and my best friend, I recognized it was time to grow. To get big. To stop being afraid of stepping on toes or taking chances. I recalled a time, maybe five summers ago. I was in the pool with my new baby girl and I had this feeling of discomfort, despite the beautiful day. I was teaching at the time and slated to start the school year quite soon. I remember looking at my husband, telling him something was about to change and that I could tell because I was becoming uncomfortable in my own skin. Much like a sea creature who’s outgrown their shell, my body knew before my mind that it was time to grow. That’s how I was feeling, once again.

The Perfect Space

The Perfect Space was a pipe dream born on the outskirts of Baltimore - and was carried across the tracks, through WNC, and finally down to Beaufort, South Carolina; The Low Country. But it had been shoved in my back pocket for a very long time. This seemed like a good opportunity to revisit it. And so it began. Notes were written, ideas were bounced back and forth…how do I maintain the current job I love, while allowing for the birth of something new. The idea was for a private practice - yes - but the traditional route wasn’t necessarily what I was looking for. I wanted something new that incorporated all the work I’ve done. I had been a teacher, I was certified in yoga, I had a pocket full of degrees, finally trained in EMDR and CPT, and I loved counseling people with regards to their trauma. How do I incorporate it all, without stepping away from something else I was enjoying? More importantly, how could I possibly do this without stepping on toes or making others “mad” at me.

The Stuck Point I Didn’t Know I Had

And there it was. My very own stuck point stemming from years of work-related trauma. Be big. The words played like a my favorite Avett track stuck on repeat in my mind. Except there was no skip or shuffle button. No Alexa to help me turn it off. That’s because, I realize now, that it was meant to be heard, and I hadn’t been listening close enough. Be big. Get bigger. Grow. More importantly, the meaning behind the words - STOP being so damn afraid. STOP making yourself smaller to accommodate everyone else’s feelings. Be respectful. Approach every single thing with all the love in your heart. But quit quieting the voice and let it be heard.

Making Space for New Beginnings

So. Here we are. A beginning made of baby steps and thoughtful forward motion, beneath the mid-summer sun. The Perfect Space Therapy - Intensives and Retreats. A way to help others create space for new beginnings, much like my own. I am excited for what the future holds.

Maybe your intention has changed, too. Maybe you’ve spent time searching for peace, holding it all together, or making yourself smaller for the benefit of others. Maybe you’re beginning to wonder what might happen if you made a little more space for yourself. Whatever your next intention might be, you doing have to figure it all out at once. Sometimes the first step is simply listening.