Reintroducing myself... Again and again.

On evolving and shifting through the seasons of life.

If we’ve never met before and you ask me “What do you do, Laia?”

Don’t be surprised if I just stare at you with a perplexed look on my face for a split second.

“I am a figure skater!” I replied for the longest time.

I remember when I was a figure skater. It truly feels like a lifetime ago yet it has hardly been a year since I last coached… I decided to take an indefinite hiatus from the sport after becoming too disenamoured with its toxic culture, and now I only get on the ice occasionally, just for fun, just because I can.

For a while though, after the breakup, when someone asked me; “What do you do, Laia?” I habitually reached into my pocket to spill out my default answer with its subsequent anecdotes and stories, only to realize they no longer felt true…

After the initial shock though, I now end up answering something like “I am a yoga teacher”, or, “I am a writer”, which are absolutely true statements, yet they feel skewed and incomplete.

Although it describes what I do with portions of my time and energy and it gives you basic information about who I am, it all seems so confining, so final… Almost as if it’s easier to just put myself in one all-encompassing box and call it a day.

I wonder if I asked each one of my friends and acquaintances, from the people closest to me to online friends that I’ve never met IRL “what laia does”, what wide variety of answers would come up.

I personally rather just go have a cup of coffee with you and truly get to know each other, but I know that’s not always practical or necessary.

I recently had to write a short blurb about who I am and what I do for my upcoming workshops and classes in Spain in May (more details this upcoming week!) and since there are many new folks here on my Substack, I thought I’d share an excerpt with you:

I am Laia (she/her/ella). An Afro-Catalan woman from Barcelona, living in the US.

As a former professional athlete living with a chronic illness, I've gained valuable insights into the benefits of self-care and the importance of pausing and slowing down. I'm dedicated to sharing accessible and sustainable practices of yoga and meditation to help people create a more harmonious life.

As a black and chronically ill individual, my mission is to empower non-normative yoga teachers to find their unique voices and develop tools to make wellness practices accessible to the communities they serve, taking up space and creating a more inclusive and diverse yoga industry.

Additionally, as a writer and creative, I'm passionate about supporting other creatives and innovators and fostering a genuine community dedicated to finding balance while staying productive and inspired. I've developed unique techniques that intertwine yoga and meditation with writing, journaling, and other accessible methods to help each other stay creative and mindful.

I wonder how long it’ll be until this season is over and I need to not only reword and rewrite my bio, but find a way to reintroduce myself, as it seems to happen again, and again…

I am curious to know, how do you answer when people ask you “What do you do?”. If you feel so inclined, I’d love for you to share it in the comments, so that we can connect with each other a bit.

Until we meet again,

Much love,

Laia

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