Yogi for life and you can be too!

 Aerobics, step, circuit training, kick boxing, boot camp, speed walking, racquet ball, spinning, jogging, running, and completing a half-marathon. Yes, I've done them all! I was the quintessential gym rat, and if I didn't get my six days a week in, I would beat myself up. All in an attempt to ward off  the extra pounds that want to creep on year after year ( I hope my 35 year-old friends believe me when I say it only gets harder). I've never had a weight problem and I never want to have one. My last attempt at really getting in shape was training for a marathon about six years ago. The good news was that I finished the race in decent time, but the bad news was that throughout my training I had every bad body side affect a runner could experience! That was it for me...and then along came yoga!

With some coaxing from a fellow mom at my son's school, I decided to give this non-impact exercise a try. Coming from ancient India, "yoga" means union of the mind, body and and spirit. Yoga is about living a healthy and lively lifestyle and bringing a balanced approach to everyday life. The postures of yoga are only one part of yoga practice. I've now been practicing yoga for almost 5 years and I can honestly say it has changed my life. My body is stronger, leaner and healthier. My mind is more patient, forgiving and less judgemental. My spirit knows the greatest love comes from loving yourself first.  As I approach my quarter century mark, I know that yoga will help to get me there more gracefully and lovingly. There is a 68 year-old woman in my class who practices on a daily basis and whose body could compete with any 30 year-old. Now, that won't be me, but I still hope to be practicing at 68 and beyond. I'll include a lot more on yoga in this blog, but for now, on this first day of 2010, I wish for everyone the joy, hope and peace in your life that yoga can bring. Try a class this year, you might be amazed.  The photos below made me wistful for yoga. My practice slowed over the Christmas break ,but my goal is to practice on a more regular basis in 2010. As my beautiful instuctor, Suze Curtis says, "All you need to do is come in and put down your mat." I agree.

So peaceful...

Not as hard as it looks!

She's 50!

Christy Turlington for Gap Red

She's not 50, but I love this photo.

She's 83!