145. Where the Light Gets In – Taylor Somerville
This last year has reminded me of the famous Rumi quote: “The wound is the place where the light gets in.”
This last year has reminded me of the famous Rumi quote: “The wound is the place where the light gets in.”
In 2014, I found myself at an all-time low. I was working on a trading floor in an extremely fast-paced environment, and I was going through a divorce. It was then—over-stressed, anxious, and short-tempered—that I found breathwork. The practice created the "space between stimulus and response," as Viktor Frankl said. It helped me find calm; it gave me space to not overreact. It also led me to a regular fitness routine, a healthier diet, and to cold therapy, which helped me build mental strength.
These practices had such an impact on my life that in 2017, I left my fifteen-year career in finance to bring the power of the breath to others. It was slow at first, but heading into 2020, things were picking up. I was traveling to teach workshops around the South and was about to start leading certifications for new coaches. I also began making plans to open a brick-and-mortar studio.
Then Covid hit. Given that all my work was in close contact with others, I couldn’t continue with business as usual—but I also knew the services I offered were essential, especially as the pandemic swept the globe, and fear and anxiety and a whole lot of stress with it. So I went virtual. I began leading breathwork sessions on Zoom, and it has brought me new clients and friends all over the world. Ironically, the pandemic has allowed me to make a much larger impact.
I would never want to discount the tragedy of the last year, or how others had a much more difficult experience of losing jobs, getting sick, or losing loved ones. But very often, life’s challenges are a chance to step into the fullest version of ourselves. If we allow them to, they’ll let the light in.
– Taylor Somerville
