Kimmy West

Identifying a list of women I looked up to, a few years ago, was a major turning point for me. 🦋

I wrote this list during a Visioning Workshop with Lara Franks in 2022.

At the time, I found myself trapped in a disheartening corporate routine, attempting to fit my passions into the limited gaps available, and experiencing a profound sense of disconnection from myself.

This list made it instantly apparent the type of life I truly wanted:

🤸‍♀️ Eva Zu Beck: Adventure travel blogger, who explores the world alone with her dog.

🤸‍♀️ Kylie Rook: Very accomplished yoga teacher in New Zealand who works with people 1:1 in a holistic way, runs teacher trainings, and retreats.

🤸‍♀️ Brianna Madia: Bestselling author, who travels in her giant orange truck with her 4 dogs.

🤸‍♀️ Cheryl Strayed: A brilliant, honest writer who shares incredible books (such as WILD, about her experience on the Appalachian Trail). She shares her human imperfections with such eloquence and acceptance for who she actually is.

🤸‍♀️ Clara Roberts-Oss: An accomplished yoga teacher who runs a successful online yoga studio called Practice With Clara.

All these women:

💛 Ditched the status quo
💛 Are self employed, many are writers (my childhood dream)
💛 Make curiosity and exploration a lifestyle (fresh ideas > boring rules)
💛 Spend a lot of time in nature (no office jobs)
💛 Are extremely active - all of these women either hike, do yoga, travel, some even do ultramarathons!

By writing this list, it became clear that I want to be someone who prioritises wellness and movement. Who makes travel and exploration, spending time in nature, a lifestyle. Who is self-employed, free, and authentic. No offices, florescent lights, and bureaucracy governing my every move.

Flash forward to 2024: ↘

Now, I'm working with Kylie as my mentor - I've left my permanent 9 to 5 role, and am grabbing my dream life with both hands, committing to my business Homegrown Yoga (online yoga studio, and wellness events for women to reconnect to themselves).

Realising who I looked up to, was a very powerful reframe for me about my true values, and my authentic desires.

Why not try writing a list of people you look up to?

Who knows, it might change your whole perspective! 😉

PHOTO: Sitting next to the Ganges in Rishikesh, India during my yoga teacher training - feeling happy, alive, and free. 🌊

Join my Yoga Letter 💌 today, if you'd like to receive a weekly piece of writing all about how yoga philosophy can help you reconnect to yourself:

http://yogawithkimmy.com/yoga-letter-sign-up

This post is from my LinkedIn, follow me over there:
http://linkedin.com/in/kimmywest

Happy International Women's Day! 🥰

A post I shared today on LinkedIn (http://linkedin.com/in/kimmywest):

It became abundantly clear that I was past the point of no return with burnout, when no holiday was long enough to shake off the draining fatigue of my daily grind. 😰👩‍💻💀

I could predict it: No matter how peaceful and rejuvenating my holiday was, upon returning to the office, the same overwhelming feelings would flood back.

I kept asking, why?!

Isn't rest the solution?

Enter Clarissa Hirst's recent newsletter, which outlined the six causes of burnout from Jennifer Moss' book, "The Burnout Epidemic" ⬇️

🌀 Overwork
🌀 Perceived lack of control
🌀 Lack of reward or recognition
🌀 Lack of belonging
🌀 Unfair treatment
🌀 Value misalignment

This "aha" moment came after seeking guidance from a counselor.

I realised that trying to take a holiday to recover from burnout is like:

Realising you’re on fire, putting it out, painstakingly washing off all the gasoline from your body that was fueling the fire, and taking a nice break to tend to your wounds...
..only to dive right back into a bucket of fuel, and light a match. 🔥

(Sorry, morbid 😆)

I realised that being smart and competent doesn't matter if the job doesn't align with my values. 💡

No amount of "self-care" compensates for spending 40 hours a week disconnected from what matters most.

My fundamental values encompass:

🌻 Freedom of both time and location
🌻 Meaningful work that creates an impact
🌻 Excitement, curiosity, and passion
🌻 Honesty and authenticity in all endeavours

My values were clashing with roles where I felt like a mere cog in a wheel, unable to bring my authentic self to the table.

So, I made the decision to opt-out and choose my own wellbeing.

I share this to emphasise that if you're burned out, sometimes a holiday isn't the fix.

Take a moment to be still, to get quiet, and listen to yourself.

My yoga practice became instrumental in this process. By quieting down, being still, and tuning into my intuition, I realized its clarity, honesty, and truth.

My life consistently improves when I trust what's right for me, uniquely.

As the Yoga Sutras explain, we're learning to "rest in our true nature."

Society often is trying to get us to operate how it wants, for capitalism and what-not, so resting in our true nature is actually quite a rebellious act! 💪

Sign up for my Yoga Letter 💌 to learn how a yoga practice can help you find balance, give you the courage to follow your own unique path, and lower your stress levels in your personal / professional life:
http://yogawithkimmy.com/yoga-letter-sign-up

Does taking care of yourself always seem to slip down the to-do list?

Make 2024 the year you commit to a consistent yoga practice. Join me for a FREE 30-day online yoga journey starting January 1st: http://yogawithkimmy.com/homegrown-yoga

This isn't just yoga poses; it's a beginner-friendly blend of science-backed habits, ancient yoga philosophy, and key postures tailored to kickstart your practice right from the comfort of your home.

Imagine diving into the world of yoga without worrying about costly studio fees or battling traffic.

This is your personal yoga sanctuary, live on Zoom and with an HD class library at your fingertips. Plus, the flexibility to cancel anytime!

Don't just take my word for it:

“Homegrown Yoga literally changed my perspective on creating my own yoga journey. I wasn’t expected to do retreat style yoga every single day. I became aware of WHY yoga is good for me and figured out HOW to make it part of my day instead of trying to work my day around a practice.”

- Homegrown Yoga student, Anna H.​

30 Day Challenge Outline:

Week 1: Science of Habits
Week 2: Abhyasa (Practice) - Sun Salutations
Week 3: Vairagya (Unattachment) - Balancing
Week 4: Tapas (Heat) - Commitment

http://yogawithkimmy.com/homegrown-yoga

I have two non-negotiable requirements to do my best work:

Ingredient 1: Safety 💚
Ingredient 2: Freedom 🌊

Without them, creativity dries up, and I’ll inevitably become bored and resentful.

Unfortunately, these essentials often get overshadowed by bureaucracy, conformity, hustle culture, and the fear of negative feedback in traditional workplaces.

It’s easy to think it’s just “the way things are,” but I say…hell no. Life is too short. ❌

I stumbled into online marketing - initially blogging about books - which led to thrilling opportunities like attending premieres. One highlight was being part of The Fault in Our Stars film premiere in New York.

Present day, I've turned my passion into HHomegrown Yoga —an online studio offering an opportunity to begin a consistent practice from home.

However, I hit some painful barriers when corporate environments clashed with the ingredients that brought me success.

The problem?

I'd easily charm hiring managers with my experience, but find myself in a rigid structure that stifled my creativity and happiness.

Feeling like a failure, I couldn't align with their expectations.

❌ No room for vulnerability or experimentation.
❌ No freedom to be myself.

I felt like a cheetah forced off the sprawling African landscape onto a treadmill in a fluorescent-lit room—no natural motivation, no flow.

I've realised there's absolutely nothing wrong with me.

It's normal to not be able to do good work when you feel emotionally unsafe and stuck in a cage.

So, I made a change:

⚡️ Embraced my need for safety and freedom.

⚡️ Became willing to repel misaligned hiring managers and organisations by being honest about my needs.

⚡️Left my permanent job to pursue contract and freelance work while running Homegrown Yoga and teaching at studios in Auckland.

I found my inner strength to make these changes through yoga and meditation.

In a world pushing conformity, that isn’t kind to you when you aren’t able to squash yourself into the corporate mold, choosing yourself isn't easy.

To prioritize your well-being in 2024, join my Homegrown Yoga 30 Day Challenge in January. It's designed for everyone, even if you struggle with motivation, and it's only $10 for a whole month of yoga!

Sign up here for your invite: http://yogawithkimmy.com/homegrown-yoga

This is a post from my LinkedIn, you can connect with me here:
http://linkedin.com/in/kimmywest

Hi everyone! Hope you're all doing great! I am slowly emerging from lockdown, and poking my head in here (Hi!) with a favor to ask: a survey.

I'm facing my fears, and starting the online community I've always wanted to create:

A monthly membership, that would function like an online yoga studio! It would be all about creating a sustainable personal yoga habit, and pandemic-proofing your yoga practice.

Everyone who fills out the survey will receive a discount to the membership:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MJCR26W

It would feature live Zoom classes, a class library, monthly workshops on interesting topics, and more.

I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments as well, if you have any ideas / important requests, or anything else to share. ❤