When Ricky first shared that he set a goal to attend 366 classes in one year, I was shocked but not too surprised because Ricky was a studio regular. As often as I saw him checking into classes, I didn’t doubt his ability to meet this challenge. It takes discipline, grit, determination, and ultimately vulnerability to meet a goal as big as the one he’d set. I got curious as the year went on, wondering what changes Ricky would see in himself at the end of the year. Not only did he exceed his goal of 366 classes, but he also made time to share his reflections and experiences with me.
Jane Morimoto: Would you please tell me about how you challenged yourself and what inspired it?
Ricky Pfaff: I started a new chapter a couple of years ago and I remember coming to the first class by myself. I was terrified, right? Before, I always kept an eye on my partner, knowing where I was going and where we would be positioning. But, I really wanted to give yoga a shot. I was having some rotator cuff problems. I was having a hip problem. It was pretty brutal, especially as you get older.
At the end of that year, I made the commitment going into last year that I would challenge myself and do 366 classes. By that time, I kind of had figured out what yoga was. It wasn’t just a physical practice, it was much more of a mental practice. It’s a community, especially at Breathe. The people that I had met and the teachers that I had met during that time were things that I wanted to fill some of my time with. Then it just became my lifestyle.
JM: What were some hurdles you encountered during your challenge?
RP: Getting out of my comfort zone and doing different classes because there are so many different varieties of classes here. I remember doing my first dance workshop, it was way out of my comfort zone, but it ended up being one of the greatest experiences. Taking that first step to try something that made me uncomfortable, and then committing to make sure that I did at least one of those a month – something that I normally would not engage in or do that would challenge me and make me uncomfortable.
JM: You had to get out of your comfort zone, but then you also had to allow yourself to enjoy it.
RP: I had to go within and figure out what that was. I’m coming from raising three kids, and being accountable to them. Then I owned two companies, so my focus had nothing to do with me. I didn’t even know how to take care of myself. I didn’t even know what I wanted. That was part of this whole journey: “What does Rick want? How do I get that?”
JM: Do you feel comfortable taking new classes now?
RP: Yeah, and that was my goal going into this. I really wanted to learn the poses, the names, and the cues.
JM: How would you describe what you’ve learned at Breathe?
RP: Balance isn’t on the outside, the balance is coming from within. Opening up and looking beyond – I have learned from Breathe. I get to carry that with me out there, and it’s changed me so much.
We look for external stuff to provide us joy and happiness. We’re always searching for something to do, whether it’s purchasing something, being around somebody, accomplishing something, or looking for somebody to compliment us on something that we did.
Everything that I get to carry in my heart has taken away so much out there that I don’t go looking for peace, happiness, or joy because it’s not there, is what I have found. It’s inside me. I get to share it with my kids. My one daughter lives out of state, and she’s a yogi. I get to have these conversations with her. She shares her experiences with yoga there versus my experiences here. We’re talking a different language than we would have ever done in the past.
Things like that have cued me through this past year and a half, that my life is so different today than it has ever been.
You learn at Breathe to put your ego away. We’re just all students. Even the teachers. We’re all equal so the ego gets put away. Being able to carry that out in the world has changed my outlook. The way I deal with people and situations is all internal. I’ve been living with this to approach everything with love and compassion. Every situation starts there. That’s probably been the biggest lesson.
