We were lucky to catch up with Lori Flower recently and have shared our conversation below.

Lori , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you get your first job in the field that you practice in today?

As I transitioned from being a student of clinical mental health at Naropa, I wanted to combine my 22 years of yoga teaching in the mental health field. I have an ever evolving sense of how these modalities complement each other. Yet, I wasn’t sure how my first professional job could combine them. I was on Linked In and saw a company called Charlie Health, recruiting Creative Arts and Contemplative arts therapists. This was for telehealth group therapy with young adults and Adolescents. When I interviewed, I was pretty certain I was the right person for the job since it combined all of the practices I have been focused on for the past 25 years ! It was a natural fit and they brought me onboard immediately.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?

I recently started a private therapy practice called Sage dragon counseling. The wisdom of our inner selves is often in the connections between our body’s experience and our mind’s thoughts. Our practice combines connected, cognitive therapy and somatic awareness. We integrate clients’ key emotional concerns with their desires to feel better mentally and physically. I use sensitivity to body sensations, and even yoga postures and breath work to help clients move through difficult feelings and thought patterns. At Sage Dragon, we connect to the inner wisdom of self in nature, drawing on the proven resources of the natural world to create inner peace and connectedness. In addition to one on one counseling services, I offer nature based group therapy and wellness retreats.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

Resilience is what got me here today. Throughout my profession as a yoga instructor ( in Vermont) I had to find creative ways to offer yoga to various populations. I worked in schools, gyms, senior centers and even branches out to lead yoga hikes and longer retreats. I was also doing Thai Bodywork sessions. I was a single mother and an independent contractor. The population that I was serving did not have much wealth and so I offered sliding scale options. The market was also saturated with a growing population of yoga instructors so instead of increasing my rates over time, I was often forced to decrease them in the competitive market. I became more niche with my offerings after going through Acroyoga teacher teacher training in Montréal, my favorite hobby turned profession! It was more a labor of love since I am not motivated to do things just for money. My goal was stable housing at the time, but I could not afford to buy and so we rented a new place nearly every year, moving from place to place often co living with a variety of house mates. I was persistent and focused. When the opportunity came to move out to Boulder 3 – 4 years ago, it felt like a power move. The community here is thriving more than I experienced in central VT so I can serve a greater size population. I took out loans to attend graduate school, with the awareness that it can be financially beneficial for the long term as I set myself up as a therapist. This line of work is ultimately my souls calling. It is the kind of service I would do even if I had all the money in the world. I see how much it helps people and that is why I am here.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I would say that my reputation is building every time I make a post on social media, teach a yoga class, or guide group therapy. Time is the salve that lubricates everything. Dedicating myself to this career path & intentionally performing my soul work is the salve that I use for soothing self and others everyday. I keep it simple- not getting into my head with grandiose ideas about my career. I take practical baby steps and that has led to a very big path and journey ahead.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.karmiconnection.com
• Instagram: Breathingislife
• Facebook: Karmic Connection Yoga
• Linkedin: Lori Flower
• Youtube: Lori Flower

Image Credits
Joseph Lawlor and Self