After I sold my 21-year-old Kids Yoga business, I knew that in order to truly transition into my next chapter, I had to dismantle my old identity with intention.
For me, it meant ritual.
Specifically, death ceremonies. I know, that may sound weird—but stay with me
Here’s why it worked …
When you wear an identity for decades—whether as a business owner, corporate exec, mother, wife, or other.—your grooves run deep. Your patterns feel automatic, your beliefs seem like facts, and your stories shape how you see yourself.
If you want to successfully step into something new, you need a conscious way to honor what’s ending and invite in who you are becoming.
So I crafted my own rituals.
On multiple occasions, I took myself into the woods sometimes alone, often times with loved ones—because being witnessed was everything.
I laid my body down on the earth, in a ditch, covered with leaves—yes, really!
I spoke out loud … appreciating the children, teachers, schools, yoga studios, collaborators, and moments of success and challenges that filled those years. I lovingly offered gratitude and spoke to the ending of my chapter with Next Generation Yoga.
It wasn’t long, but it was deep.
Sometimes I grieved, sometimes I felt joy.
Often, I had no idea how it would unfold, but it always came together in a way that made perfect sense.
After every ceremony, something in me shifted. I released my outgrown identity, felt less attached to old ways, and more at home in my authentic self. I sensed a readiness for what was next—even though I had no idea what that was.
My death ceremonies were grounding, healing and liberating.
Because, here is what ritual does … it marks your ending, it gives shape to the invisible, and it helps you move through the bewildering, beautiful mess of transition—with depth and meaning.
And when you don’t ritualize your transition, something can get stuck. Outgrown identities and stories can linger for years, and the grief of what’s ending may go unexpressed.
If you’re in the midst of a transition—no matter what stage nor if you’re clear on what’s coming next—the sacred act of ritual might be exactly what helps you move forward.
Our culture celebrates baby showers, bar/bat mitzvahs, sweet sixteens, graduations, marriages … but we have few ways to honor midlife, divorces, career changes, health diagnosis, menopause, or other less-visible, inner changes.
So, what if you threw an “empty nest fest”? Or, held a sister circle to honor your peri/menopause? Or created your own letting-go ceremony, witnessed by friends as you lay to rest your outgrown identity?
Let the act of ritual make your transition tangible. Honor what’s ending. And step forward with courage into whatever’s next.
Truly, you don’t have to navigate this alone. And you definitely don’t have to do it perfectly, or let it drag on.
Start small. Light a candle. Write yourself a love letter. Go for a walk. Gather your people. Let your ritual fit you, exactly where you are.
And if you want a gentle witness or a little encouragement, just hit reply. I would be so honored to hold your story as you create your next chapter with deeper meaning.