El yoga

The first time I did a yoga class was at Everett Community College. I was attending classes there while still in high school (the Running Start Program). I needed Physical Education credits. I thought yoga would be easy. It was so boring and uninteresting to me. I really did not enjoy a single minute of it. Except for when our instructor would give us a snack at the end of class, that part I did like.

Fast-forward seven years or so, and now I find myself with an extremely active Home Practice which I absolutely love. On days I don't practice, my body feels let down. It helps reduce stress and anxiety. It keeps me from wanting to eat everything in sight, you know those days... I guess you could say it keeps me centered. Or is it "grounded"? I don't know.

Work is about to get busy for the summer season and I am hoping I'll be able to keep motivated enough to maintain this really healthy and fun practice. I even get Yoga Journal magazine in the mail and I savor every page. I wish I had started this sooner. I think it would have helped me a lot with all of my crazy emotions.

I even tried to build a small altar/shrine thing (See YJ's example here). But Coal at the candles I put out.

Oh, and since I've never been able to tell anyone else this bit of helpful information... The best yoga advice I have ever heard was from some lady on NPR telling her story. She said, "Do yoga within your own mat." Basically this: Don't worry about what anyone else is doing, just focus on your own practice. Other people's practice doesn't matter, only your own.