Stand as tall on the inside as you are on the outside…

Meet Mimi Rieger

This noble piece of advice or I call it my “mantra” was spiritually gifted
to me by my grandfather on my father’s side. Although he himself was
short in stature his wisdom rose high as did his progressive aims in
business and creating community. Standing at 5’8, I inherited my height
from my maternal grandmother who taught me to be diligent, hard
working and to always be kind. It was only until I found my true path
did these treasured bits of guidance begin to take shape and I was able
to recognize the strength, resilience, awareness and growth I was
cultivating.

Yoga found me in Washington, DC in 1998 as I worked to make roots in
a brand new city. My southern upbringing provided me with robust
social skills but I lacked the personal moxie and evolution to know what
my true calling could be. Enter my very first yoga teacher, David. He
knew nothing about me, we did not speak for the first month I took class
at his studio, I kept my head down and did my work on the mat. Under
his watchful eye the magic of Yoga began to sink into my muscles and
immersed more compassionately into my soul. Things began to shift and
a glimmer of that taller version of myself began to take a stand. As I
grew stronger and more agile on the outside, I grew kinder, more
confident and softer on the inside.

As a martial artist, prolific mover of all types of fitness and dance I felt
very at home in powering through circumstances both physically and
emotionally, a dead end destination. As yoga began to open my eyes I
no longer saw this new city as a one-track highway but a grid with
infinite possibilities. I learned to navigate my life on my own terms, take
risks both professionally and personally and chose to spend time with a
new community; one that challenged me and my less, cultivated
perspectives on “real life” and learned to become a person of service.
After a steady practice for 3 years I became a yoga teacher, that’s when
the above mantra began to take real shape. As a guide, I could no longer
hide behind the movement, the postures and the breath, I had to take a
tall stand and trust that I actually knew what I was talking about; my
diligence and hard work at the forefront of my new journey.
Coming from an OCD, often thin skinned, tenderhearted individual like me,
this was quite the RISK. BIG TIME!

Fast-forward 17 years. That risk has awarded me with incredible
experiences and life moments. Gaining insight into who I am and who I
continue to become has presented opportunities beyond my
imagination. Today, as a small business owner and teacher I have been
honored to teach on International teaching platforms, film videos, teach
First Lady, Michelle Obama in the White House for her “Let’s Move”
initiative and other amazingly fortunate experiences that as a budding
yogi I could have never fathomed.   I continue to be inspired to seek, to
reach, to serve, to explore, to love, to risk, to think waaaay outside of the
box and to be still and let things happen (very hard!!).   

This is a brief glimpse of how my valued family, the practice of yoga, and
the willingness to diverge on a different path has contoured my soul.
Keeping myself healthy with practice, time with my family, laughter,
travelling to my bucket list destinations, cultivating my design business,
and taking time to just “be” has created a cornerstone for me in DC. As
my story continues to unfold and my insides continue to rise taller I am
excited to see where the next path leads me…

You can practice & get inspired by Mimi throughout the week at Flow.