Today's Guest Blogger is my friend Gabrielle DeFusco. She's sharing the story about how she made a dramatic change in her professional life and never looked back. (I can totally relate. #Wink) Her bravery is inspiring, especially because change is good in so many ways, but it's far from easy. It's something people LOVE to talk about, but aren't always able to actually do. #ProudOfHer

For many years, I worked in research while teaching yoga on the side. I loved my job and was very good at it. Strong attention to detail and constant focus and concentration on the computer screen were required to effectively perform my responsibilities. With the research support I was providing, I felt I was making a positive difference in the lives of others. For a few hours a week, I was also a yoga teacher, contributing to society in a different way. I loved my job and I loved teaching yoga too.

After years at my job, my body began to feel unwell; such is the risk with any sedentary career. My muscles tightened, tendonitis settled into my shoulder, and I also developed migraines. These ailments created stress; imbalance was taking over. I was at a crossroads, but quitting my job to become a full time yoga teacher was not an option that I felt I could consider.

Why was it an option I couldn’t consider? I was afraid. I didn’t realize fear was holding me back. I couldn’t imagine saying goodbye to my career in research with its steady paycheck and excellent benefits. And could I depart from my wonderful colleagues - people whom I’d known for years?

As the feeling of imbalance continued to grow, the joy and love of teaching yoga grew more as well. Then one day it happened: my body and mind said “no more”, giving my spirit the strength to finally face the fear. It was time to move on, bring balance back into my life, and take the leap forward in teaching yoga full time.

I now spend my days teaching public and corporate yoga classes, offering private yoga therapy and keeping up on the latest yoga research and anatomy studies. I also write a free monthly newsletter, Yoga Notes By Gabrielle, which offers yoga tips and inspiration for positive living.

I didn’t know what was going to happen in this new chapter of my life, but I felt a new story needed to be written for me. As I look back, four years since starting on my new path, the only thing I would have done differently was facing my fear sooner.

Gabrielle is an Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT) with the Yoga Alliance and has been teaching yoga since 2003. Having a degree in psychology, she fuses together both her academic and yoga studies in creating yoga classes that are accessible to all with an emphasis on stress relief, health, and healing.

Website: www.yogawithgabrielle.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yogawithgabrielle

Twitter: @YogaGabrielle

Instagram: http://instagram.com/yogawithgabrielle

Stressed Out At Work? Read Today's Guest Blog & Get Inspired.