In honor of you, and Veterans' Day, this is Matt offering a brief explanation of why self-giving service is one of the core values at Sol Hot Yoga Studio.
Simply put, I serve now, for the exact same reasons I served for over 20 years on active duty. I’ve traded the camouflage & body armor for flip flops & Lululemon, and the new front line is a few square feet of cork on 146th Street. But, the same purpose gets me up before dawn & keeps me up late at night.
Even if only pure ideals, or maybe because of pure ideals, we believe the strenuous life of self-giving service is necessary to preserve & protect the qualities of Being human. Ours is a humble pursuit to bring a little more happiness into a wonderful community.
There are people (like us) who still believe in the best of what we can be; just like Aesop’s fable, we’re stronger in a bundle. In order for our families & communities to be resilient, we depend on diversity. A bundle of sticks that looks the same may be strong at first, it may even appear indomitable. But, when you break one stick, you learn to break them all just the same. We are stronger when we stand together, casting off the hyphenations (another bully nod to TR!).
Our strength as a community is because of our diversity not despite it, and we're proud to welcome all races, religions, and cultures into our studio. May it serve as your refuge, your sangha, amidst the chaos, distractions, and tension of your day. Come in, sweat it out & we'll get better together. This is the ideal - there is greater value & greater strength in the group; breathing & working together, even if only for a few moments of each day.
As the husband & father to first-generation immigrants, I believe in the Declaration of Independence, just as much today, as though it were written just yesterday. As a former Active Duty military family, the courageous optimism known as “entrepreneurial spirit” has been forged in the fires of countless deployments.
Freedom is a pursuit, and it takes those willing to throw themselves in the arena & choose a strenuous life (to borrow from a few of my favorite Teddy Roosevelt speeches!). In as much, for those of us who choose the life of service, “work” is more important as a verb more than a noun. We are stronger when we see the value in diversity & welcome ALL those who are pursuing happiness; overflowing with courageous optimism & willing to sacrifice the easy road in order to put themselves in the heat.
We are EXTREMELY blessed by the outpouring of support from you – our local community & our growing Ohana. When Sky & I moved back to Indiana 18 months ago, we didn’t know anyone in the area. Unlike any of our military changes in station, we moved because we chose to serve in this community. Now, after being open for only six months, we are truly inspired to meet so many new friends every day, each of you deciding to try something new, to challenge yourself, to improve your quality of being, and many of you are becoming more and more like family.
Ask us why we serve, why one of our core values is self-giving service (seva); the answer is simple – YOU!
Namaste – we bow to you, seeking nothing in return. We recognize the value in your choice because we, too, have made the choice of the strenuous life. It is more than just a workout. It is a work-in. The courageous optimism that gives rise to hope within you, also runs deep within us. This is a truth that is, always has been, and always will be at the heart of why we serve.
We treasure each step of the journey we share, together traveling, as though it were our last.
With all of our love & all of our gratitude, we are proudly open to serve you this Veteran’s Day!
