I’ve been thinking a lot about growth lately—not just the kind we track in spreadsheets or celebrate in business wins, but the deeper, sometimes uncomfortable kind that actually transforms us.

Last week, I watched a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis in my garden. I know, I know—it sounds like the beginning of every yoga teacher cliché you’ve ever heard. But stay with me, because what I witnessed wasn’t the Instagram-worthy moment of a butterfly spreading its wings in slow motion. It was messy. It was struggle. And it reminded me so much of what we go through as teachers building our practices, our businesses, our lives.

The Struggle Is Part of the Design

That butterfly didn’t just slip out gracefully. It pushed and rested, pushed and rested, for what felt like an eternity. My first instinct was to help—maybe gently open the chrysalis a bit more, make it easier. But here’s what I’ve learned (both from nature documentaries and from building this yoga teaching journey): that struggle is essential.

When a butterfly pushes against the walls of its chrysalis, it’s not just trying to escape. That resistance is what forces fluid into its wings, giving them the strength to fly. Without the struggle, the wings stay weak and crumpled. The butterfly that gets “helped” out never flies.

Sound familiar?

When I Started Building SutraSuite

When I first started building SutraSuite, I thought growth meant adding more features. Then it meant getting more users. Then it was about the perfect pitch, the polished landing page, the marketing strategy that would finally click.

And yes, those things mattered. They still do. But they weren’t really growth—they were just the visible wings.

The real growth? That was happening in all the moments I wanted someone to rescue me from:

• The user feedback that stung but was exactly what I needed to hear
• The code I rewrote seven times because it didn’t serve teachers the way I knew it should
• The nights I questioned whether I could actually build something that would truly help
• The moment I realized I needed to listen more to yoga teachers’ real struggles, not what I assumed they needed
• Learning to say no to feature requests that didn’t align with our mission

Each of these moments was me pushing against my own chrysalis.

And because I understand the yoga world from the inside, I’ve seen these same struggles with the teachers I know:

• The incredible teacher with only one student who showed up (but taught their heart out anyway)
• The passionate instructor spending hours on admin instead of teaching
• The talented practitioner who knows their pricing doesn’t reflect their worth
• The dedicated teacher who needs systems and structure to support their gift

Their growth journeys inspired this platform. Their struggles became my mission.

The Phases We Don’t Talk About Enough

Here’s what nobody tells you about the caterpillar-to-butterfly journey: there’s a phase in the middle where the caterpillar quite literally dissolves into mush. Inside that chrysalis, imaginal cells—these wild little cells that were always there—start building something entirely new from what seems like chaos.

In our teaching journeys, we have these phases too. Seasons where what worked before doesn’t work anymore. Where we have to let go of the version of ourselves we’ve been to become who we’re meant to be next.

Maybe you’re in one right now:

• Outgrowing the studio space that once felt like home
• Realizing your pricing doesn’t reflect your experience anymore
• Feeling called to teach differently than you were trained
• Recognizing you need better systems to hold your growing business
• Wanting to reach more students but not knowing how

That discomfort? That’s not failure. That’s your imaginal cells activating.

Why Growth Is Worth the Work

The butterfly doesn’t know it’s becoming a butterfly. It just follows an inner call, cell by cell, push by push. And one day—after all that dark, solitary work inside the chrysalis—it emerges with wings.

Growing your teaching practice, whether that means more students, more income, more impact, or simply more alignment with your authentic self—it’s worth it because:

You’re not just building a business; you’re becoming who you’re meant to be. Every challenge is strengthening your wings. Every moment you want to quit but don’t? That’s fluid moving into the places that will help you soar.

Your students need the version of you on the other side of this growth. They need the teacher who pushed through the doubt, who learned the systems, who did the inner work. They need your wings to be strong because you’re going to help them find theirs.

Growth compounds. Just like that butterfly will pollinate flowers and lay eggs for the next generation, your growth creates ripples. The systems you build, the boundaries you set, the authentic way you show up—it all makes it easier for the next teacher, and the next student, and the next person whose life you touch through your practice.

What Growth Actually Looks Like

In my journey building SutraSuite and witnessing the growth of the teachers I’ve worked with, I’ve learned that sustainable growth isn’t about forcing ourselves into uncomfortable positions until we break. It’s about:

• Recognizing the season you’re in. Are you in caterpillar mode (building, learning, gathering)? Chrysalis mode (reorganizing, letting go, transforming)? Or butterfly mode (flying, sharing, pollinating)?
• Building the structures that support expansion. Just like the chrysalis protects the transformation, the right systems—booking, marketing, student management—protect your energy so you can focus on growth that matters.
• Trusting the timing. The butterfly emerges when it’s ready, not on our schedule. Some growth is fast; some takes seasons. Both are valid.
• Asking for support, not rescue. There’s a difference between someone cutting you out of your chrysalis and someone holding space while you push through. Find mentors, communities, and tools that empower your process rather than short-circuit it.

Where You Are Right Now Is Perfect

Whether you’re just starting your teaching journey or you’ve been in the chrysalis feeling like you’re dissolving into chaos, whether you’re spreading your wings for the first time or you’re ready for your next metamorphosis—where you are is exactly where you need to be.

Growth is worth it not because of where it takes us, but because of who we become along the way.

Every struggle is strengthening your wings. Every challenge is part of your transformation. And one day, you’ll look back and realize: you were always meant to fly.

What phase of growth are you in right now? I’d love to hear about your journey. Share in the comments or reach out—we’re all in this transformation together.

P.S. If you’re in chrysalis mode and feeling like you need some structure to support your growth, that’s exactly why I created SutraSuite—to handle the logistics so you can focus on the transformation. But wherever you are in your journey, you’re already enough.

Always in your corner,

Alicia H. SutraSuite Founder