There are many things that bring me joy in this world – making other people happy, spending time with my husband, reading, creating, going to church, hanging out with friends, writing. And in the past several months, yoga has become a major player in the list of things that make me happy.

For years I beat myself up mentally and physically to be thin and beautiful and perfect. I’d obsessively workout – running seven miles a day. Working out before school, at school, after school, before bed. And I was the queen of counting calories. I had limited calorie consumption down to a science and an art. After years of living this way, letting it go and trying to find my own way – finding a workout routine that is kind to my body and makes me feel good is an amazing thing!

When I do yoga – I do it because it makes me feel strong and stretches me out. It alleviates tension and pain. When I do yoga – I do it because I want to, not because I feel like I have to in order to burn enough calories today. When I do yoga – the only person I’m in competition with is myself. Each day stretching a little further, holding that pose a little longer, getting a little stronger.

Yoga has helped reconnect me to my body. It’s helped me to further appreciate my body. (Especially on days when I’m frustrated that my body won’t do what it’s supposed to do.) To see the improvements day by day – to be amazed by what my body can actually do. Not because you’re in competition with someone else or because you’re comparing yourself to someone else. But because you see yourself getting better everyday… with measurable improvements. It’s not about seeing a certain number on the scale or being “the best” at it. Yoga is about finding your inner calm, your inner strength, your inner peace and applying it into these movements. And in order to hold these poses well – you have to focus. Even if it’s just 10 minutes – for those 10 minutes you’re not thinking about anything else because you’re focused on the pose and your breath. If you’re in crow pose you can’t think about your grocery list – because you’re too busy concentrating on keeping your balance….

That’s what yoga seems to do for me – it brings me balance. During my yoga routines and out of them. I’m reminded to focus on the tasks at hand, to breath through the hard moments, and to find the balance in the everyday.