Covered But Still There.

August was a blur. Not just with work—but with life in general.

Like many yoga teachers, I let my schedule get away from me in July and August. I picked up too many classes and left zero space for my own practice. So for September, I pulled the plug on that. I asked to be capped at one or two classes a week, and none on Tuesday through Thursday.

Were they disappointed? Probably. Did I care? Not this time. I told them I need routine. I need predictability. If that meant no classes at all, so be it.

Because here’s the truth: yoga teachers are often… unreliable. 

I’ve taught the early class only to have the next teacher ghost entirely. I’ve shown up to practice and had the scheduled teacher skip—knowingly—without calling anyone and I had to step in and teach. I’ve seen classes go wildly over time - giving me less time to prep the room for my own class. And I’ve had “urgent” coverage requests that turned out to be nothing more than someone wanting to sleep in.

Some of those things may or may not have happened recently.

So for once, I didn’t feel guilty drawing boundaries. Because honestly? I’m exhausted. My mental health has been running on fumes, and my physical health probably isn’t much better.

Meanwhile at home, August was about reclaiming my space. 

I finally had some internal windows drywalled, which means my home gym now has privacy. I repainted my office in a dark, moody navy, and the TV lounge is next on the list.

And the gym itself? When the drywall came down, I discovered cedar tongue-and-groove planks hiding underneath. 

Gorgeous. A rare good surprise in this old house. Sadly, they have to be covered back up—cedar doesn’t insulate, and I can’t exactly bleed AC and heat all year. But it was a beautiful glimpse before the drywallers return.

Next week, I’m off work to paint the space and lay new flooring. I’ve been without my gym for over a month and a half, which hasn’t helped the mental health situation.

But here’s the bright side: September is here. Pumpkin Spice Lattes are back. Tucson temps have dipped just under 100, which means it’s officially Autumn by local standards.

So yes—things are looking up. Even if it means covering the cedar.