When I used to hear people talk about going to yoga, often times I would think of incredibly lean women who can bend their bodies in ways that they should NOT be bending while taking meaningless loud breaths that unite them with their “zen.” I was a sports and workout kind of gal, I truly thought yoga would be too slow paced for me. But I was quickly proven wrong. From the moment I left my first class, yoga changed my life.

Working out and staying fit has always been a passion of mine. I would spend countless hours at the gym each week in order to achieve a sort of confidence that I was putting forth an effort to take care of my body. If I did not go to the gym each day, my entire week would be thrown off. Working out became an obligation instead of something I enjoyed and this soon became an unhealthy obsession that I could not shake. But one night, my mom suggested I go with her to a yoga class. She had been going for a month or two in the winter and wanted to start attending classes again. She explained that the benefits were endless and that my mind could use the relaxation. Reluctantly, I went. As the class first started, I felt really silly doing all the loud breathing exercises and unusual poses in a room full of women that I barely knew. But as the class went on, my “zen” set in and I began to feel a sort of relaxation that I had never felt before. After class was over, my mom just looked at me with soft eyes and said, “So what do you think?” and all I could do was smile at her with gratitude.

Not only does yoga increase your balance and strength, but it also allows you to become one with your body. Don’t be fooled by the pressure social media puts on you to conquer poses that look nearly impossible to achieve. Just a little PSA: most of those women or even men only do it for pictures sake people! You don’t have to find yourself sitting down with your feet above your head to be considered a yogi. Yogis come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, and abilities. As human beings, we tend to spend our days beating ourselves up for the littlest things instead of recognizing and celebrating the small victories we achieve each day. Yoga provides a sort of confidence in yourself to accept your body for what it can do and to let go of the thoughts that no longer serve you. If you feel like you can’t even bend to touch your toes one day during your practice, it’s most definitely okay. If you feel like the world is crumbling around you, pause and take a few breaths of meditation to slow your mind and thank yourself for taking those few minutes to do so. I promise it makes a difference. It is all about what fits YOUR practice and how YOU wish to practice yoga.

So do the yoga. Love the yoga. And live the yoga. May the light in me always honor the light in you. Namaste.