Mis en Place. It's a French phrase used in the kitchen that means "everything put in its place".
Your station in order. Your prep. Your tools. Everything organized and ready to go, so when the chaos happens, it's organized chaos. When your meez is organized, things function well. If you haven't prepared, it's going to be a sh*tshow...
After several years working in kitchens, I knew a thing or two about mis en place. But despite everything being organized on the surface, under it all I was suffering.
My back was killing me. The tight spaces, awkward movements, and heavy lifting demanded in a busy kitchen were taking a toll on my body. Standing over a hot stove or a prep table day after day had left me in chronic pain.
I saw countless doctors looking for an answer to my back pain. Most of them offered no solutions and sent me on my way. I fought to get an MRI, which showed nothing definitive.
Meanwhile, my mental health was spiraling. My anxiety was getting to the point that, every time I had a meeting scheduled with my boss, I had a panic attack.
Just when I was starting to think I would never escape the physical pain and stress, a yoga studio opened 3 blocks away from my house.
I signed up for a new student special and went to five classes the first week.
I kept cooking. And practicing yoga. Things started to shift.
I started working in kitchens in my late 20s - a time in my life when the intensity of restaurant life made sense for me. I was an angry, confused punk rocker reeling from my mother's suicide and satiated by less than desirable lifestyle choices.
The kitchen, (and punk rock) loosely glued everything together in place in my life together at a time when I hadn't yet dealt with my trauma.
I will always be grateful for the kitchens and music community that held me up despite the brokenness I felt, in spite of my pain. They did, however, both support and amplify those wounds.
Yoga helped me heal. It put me on the path to less pain in my body and gave me the tools to improve and better my mental health.
The kitchen and punk rock said "You feel like you are broken. So do we. Welcome."
Yoga said "You feel broken. Do you still want to feel that way? Maybe it's time to move forward."
I clearly remember the day I took my first vinyasa class from my favorite teacher Sarah. I had never experienced a yoga class like that, where everything made sense and flowed in a progression. The physical practice was fused with breath and philosophy. I was able to do things in that class I couldn't do in others. My body felt stronger and more stable. My pain was noticeably diminished. And my mind was...quieter.
Taking class with Sarah her was like practicing yoga in vivid color. Something about her classes just cracked me wide open, and I was forever changed. She showed me how to practice in a way where everything felt right—organized, intentional, and capable of supporting any level of inner chaos.
Vinyasa means "to place in a special way". It's the Mis en Place of the yoga practice. An intelligently sequenced class is a magical experience.
Yoga gave me the physical strength and mental resilience to move forward. I finally knew I needed and deserved more. Eventually, that pull to do something better for myself was loud enough and I left the kitchen.
I started Sugarcane Yoga and began teaching yoga full time in March of 2018.
I traded my chef coat for yoga pants, and never looked back.