#173 Turning the Obstacle into the Opportunity
Lessons from Ganesha
In 2019, I quit drinking. Even though I was proud of how many days I had put together, I carried so much shame about how bad things had quietly gotten. I didn’t want anyone to know. I shared bits of my story with a few close friends and colleagues in Abu Dhabi, but posting publicly on Instagram or Facebook felt impossible.
When an online sobriety program encouraged me to share openly, I agonized over it. I worried about what my boss would think. I worried about parents at my school. I worried about people judging me.
But when I finally shared, something unexpected happened: people resonated. Really resonated.
And that moment cracked open an entirely new chapter of my life. It became the seed of Sober Girls Yoga, the Sober Yoga Girl podcast, and eventually my book.
I realized there were so many more people than I ever imagined who were quietly struggling with the same patterns: drinking too much, too often, and wanting a gentler path than the ones they’d been offered. My greatest obstacle became the beginning of my purpose.
Now, almost seven years into sobriety, I can see how many seasons that one decision set in motion. Seven years in the Middle East. Seven years of entrepreneurship. Seven years of building retreats, YTTs, making mistakes, learning boundaries, and discovering who I am without the numbing.
Life really does move in cycles. And as I step into this next seven-year cycle, I find myself wondering:
What will this one bring?
Ganesha & the Gift of Obstacles
In Bhakti Yoga, we honour different deities as reflections of the inner qualities we’re cultivating. For a long time, I felt hesitant to bring statues or images into my home because I didn’t know the stories well enough. I didn’t feel ready to honour them properly.
But this past year, they started arriving anyway, as gifts.
Last February, my book editor Saloni brought me a small silver Ganesha from India. In July, Komang, one of the staff at a retreat centre I worked with, surprised me with a Ganesha painting. Not long after, my Balinese friend and fellow YTT teacher ID made me a mala with a Ganesha pendant.
At some point, I just laughed and thought:
Okay, Universe. I hear you. Ganesha it is.
Most people know Ganesha as Vighna-harta — the remover of obstacles. But he is also Vighna-karta — the placer of obstacles. That second part is the piece I didn’t fully understand until recently.
Why would a deity place obstacles?
Because obstacles aren’t punishments. They’re redirections.
They slow us down when we’re moving too fast.
They nudge us back toward our dharma when we’ve wandered off course.
They strengthen our resilience, our faith, and our discernment.
I’ve started to see the challenges in my life this way. If a door closes, maybe I’m not ready yet. If something falls apart, maybe it’s creating space for something truer.
This year alone:
If I hadn’t hit certain emotional walls in relationships, I wouldn’t have learned the boundaries I desperately needed.
If I hadn’t hit struggles with getting my meals catered for retreats, I wouldn’t have hired a chef for Mindful Bali - something that ended up being one of the best decisions I’ve made.
The obstacle always carries the opportunity inside it.
Why These Stories Matter
Learning the mythology behind the deities isn’t about religion, it’s about relationship.
Deities in yoga aren’t “gods” in the Western sense. They’re archetypes of consciousness, mirrors of our inner world.
Ganesha teaches groundedness, courage, and wisdom in the face of obstacles.
Durga awakens our inner warrior and our boundaries.
Lakshmi reminds us of beauty, love, generosity, and abundance.
Saraswati calls forth creativity, intuition, and expression.
Through mantra, storytelling, and practice, we strengthen the parts of ourselves they represent.
Bhakti gives the heart somewhere to rest.
It turns spiritual practice into relationship: something felt, not theorized.
And ultimately, it reminds us of a core teaching of the Upanishads: Tat Tvam Asi — you are that.
The qualities you admire in the deity are already within you.
Bali Bhakti Flow: The Goddess Awakening
(You can still join us live from Bali — or catch the replays.)
4-Week Online Series
Mondays 8:00am Bali / Sundays 7:00pm EST
Nov 17, 24 • Dec 1, 8
A devotional vinyasa journey into feminine power, storytelling, mantra, and myth — filmed in HD from the Mindful Bali shala.
The Energies We’ll Explore
Ganesha (technically a God!) — New beginnings & removing obstacles
Saraswati — Creativity, flow & authentic expression
Lakshmi — Abundance, gratitude & grace
Durga — Boundaries, courage & fierce compassion
What’s Included
Myth-inspired Vinyasa flows
Live harmonium-led kirtan
Mudras, chants & myth each week
Teacher resources + themed lesson plans
HD replays delivered every week
Join here:
https://alexandramcrobert.thrivecart.com/bali-bhakti-flow-1-goddess-awakening/
A Few Updates
Thank you for the beautiful Mindful Bali review —
Today I also had the joy of attending a class taught by one of my YTT grads from two years ago at School of Unified Healing — such a full-circle moment. It’s amazing to see the ripple effect of training yoga teachers and the impact they are having on the world, two years later!
Upcoming YTT Availability
My next in-person 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training with available spaces is:
March 15 – April 5, 2026
But book quickly because it is almost full!
1 spot remaining for a new student
1 spot remaining for a returning student doing a YTT extension
After that, we’re full until June — so if Bali is calling, now’s the time.
You can save your spot here: https://www.mindfulbali.com/200-hour-ytt
Love, Alexandra