More than a sailing story
From Yoga4Yachties to Finding Stillness Between the Waves
Women Who Sail Australia has been part of my journey for many years. Through both WWSA and SisterShip Magazine, I've shared a number of my Yoga4Yachties stories and articles along the way.
Looking back at those pieces now feels rather special. They captured individual moments from a much bigger journey — one that has eventually become my memoir, Finding Stillness Between the Waves.
There are moments in life when something we have carried quietly for years finally asks to be released.
For me, this book has been one of those things.
I first began writing Finding Stillness Between the Waves many years ago. At the time, I was still too close to some parts of the story. I put it aside, returned to it, and then stepped away again.
This is the second time I have revisited the manuscript seriously. This time, I felt ready to look back with greater honesty, tenderness and perspective.
Today, I am delighted — and a little emotional — to share that Finding Stillness Between the Waves is now published in Kindle and paperback.
More than a sailing story
For more than fifteen years, John and I lived aboard our yachts, travelling thousands of nautical miles across the Pacific and through the Americas.
Our life unfolded aboard Migaloo, Red Sky, Turn the Page and Songlines. It carried us through remote islands, beautiful anchorages, challenging passages, unexpected losses, fierce weather and friendships that crossed cultures and oceans.
There were extraordinary moments of freedom and beauty, but life at sea was not always the endless paradise it can appear to be from the outside.
There was uncertainty, exhaustion and fear. There were times when plans changed without warning and moments when we had no choice but to trust ourselves, each other and the ocean.
Somewhere within that life, yoga found me.
Yoga became my anchor
Yoga began as something deeply personal.
I practised wherever the boat allowed — on the bow at anchor, at the bottom of the companionway while underway, or in whatever small pocket of space I could find.
Over time, movement and breath became far more than a physical practice. Yoga helped me regulate fear, settle my nervous system, move through grief and remain grounded in an ever-changing life.
Eventually, that private practice grew into Yoga4Yachties and led me to teach sailors, island communities, resort guests and staff throughout the Pacific.
I never imagined that I would one day become a yoga teacher trainer or that the practice I began quietly aboard a yacht would become such an important part of my life and work.
The journey beneath the journey
Finding Stillness Between the Waves is a memoir of sailing and yoga, but beneath those experiences lies another journey.
It is a story about courage, resilience, connection and change.
It is about the identities we hold, the dreams we follow and the moments when life asks us to let go of who we thought we were becoming.
It is about learning that home is not always a place on a map. Sometimes, it is the quiet sense of belonging we slowly discover within ourselves.
One of my beta readers described the memoir as:
“Extraordinary, enjoyable and thought-provoking — a book that will appeal to readers interested in travel, sailing, yoga and navigating life.”
Another told me that reading it felt as though she were there on the boat with us. Those words meant more than I can express. This story is deeply personal, and allowing others to read it has required a different kind of courage from anything I experienced at sea.
Finding Stillness Between the Waves is now available in Kindle and paperback through Amazon.
You can find more information about the book at: Yoga4Yachties.com
To everyone within the sailing community who has been part of our journey — who sailed with us, practised yoga with me, shared stories across an anchorage, attended a Yoga4Yachties class or encouraged me along the way — thank you.
Many of you are woven into this story in ways you may not even realise.
With love and gratitude,
Leanne H Hembrow
