monthly yin yoga class to start July 18

Starting in July, a monthly Yin Yoga class will be added to the Five Forks schedule. The first class is from 6:30-7:30 p.m., July 18, in the mind/body studio.

The class will be a mostly seated yin flow, with slow movements, deep stretches, long holds and guided breathwork. If you're used to flow yoga, this will be a new experience.

Yin works to stretch the connective tissue and awaken the energy flow that runs through it, while strengthening (and re-lubricating) our joints. Yin also calms the mind and takes you deep inside yourself.

For more information, see the "anyone (y)in-terested" blog in the June archives section.

[any questions about Yin? wonder if it's right for you? e-mail me]

class stays; "hot" yoga change at five forks

The HVAC system still isn't working at Five Forks, so the "hot" of Hot Yoga has been removed from the schedule until further notice.

I will continue teaching an all-levels yoga class during that time slot (8:15 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays) at Five Forks. There will be no charge for the class (even though the asterisk is still on the schedule denoting a fee. . .that is a mistake).

[guest blog] craig: on a meditation retreat and personal practice

[note from kelly: this is a long post, but craig wrote from the heart, and I think it's worth reading in its entirety.]

"Reflections On A Meditation Retreat in New York"
--by Craig Metcalf

I recently traveled to Kadampa Meditation Center in Glen Spey, New York for a five-day meditation retreat. It was my first time to attend the annual National Kadampa Buddhist Festival. I must say, the retreat had a profound impact on me and opened me up to so many new ideas and possibilities.

Prior to attending the retreat, I'd been practicing meditation on a mostly solitary basis. I would attend courses and workshops offered through the Ganden Center in Columbia but, for the most part, I was practicing alone. Even so, I found great solace in my meditation practice and slowly began to see its benefits in every area of my life. I became less angry; less worried about and preoccupied with the past and future; less critical of my self and others; and less likely to blame others for my problems. With daily practice, my mind became more and more settled and my ability to cherish others increased. My wish to help others and give to others grew exponentially. My heart began to open in such a way that I could see clearly, in very subtle and inexpressible ways, how we are all so intricately connected.

Meditation has the power to heal us in these (and many other) ways. It helps us transform our mind so that we can become of true and lasting benefit to all other living beings. We benefit others with our meditation practice because, as our mind becomes more and more peaceful, we begin to eliminate our mental delusions such as anger, jealousy and greed. Over time, as these negative states of mind begin to decrease, we naturally begin to act in more virtuous ways. So, I was already reaping some of the many benefits of meditation practice prior to the retreat. However, the retreat opened up so many new and wonderful doors.

Upon checking into our rooms, a group of us took a shuttle bus from the hotel to the temple. As we entered the grounds and made our way up the long drive, I saw the temple for the first time. I'd never seen anything like it. While it is a new and modern building, its architectural design is reminiscent of the ancient Buddhist temples of Tibet. From simply looking at the temple, I could tell right away that I was in a very special place. It may sound rather kooky, but I could actually feel the peaceful energy emanating from the entire site.

It stands to reason, though, that one can literally feel the positive vibrations since it is a place where people are constantly engaging in meditation. Every day, people go to this temple for the express purpose of eliminating negative states of mind and increasing the positive. There is no anger, greed, jealousy or hatred generated within the temple. In our society, it is indeed rare to encounter such a pure environment.

teachings from the retreat
The Festival included several Kadampa Buddhist lineage teachings from some of the most well-respected Buddhist monks and nuns of that tradition. These were most helpful and provided powerful insight into the nature of the mind and the profundity of our precious human life. We learned about the importance of utilizing our lives for the betterment of all living beings. This includes the practice of giving generously to our fellow human beings. We can give our time, our kind words, our positive thoughts and our material goods; such as money, food and clothing to those in need of these things.

According to the Buddha's teachings, the main purpose of our human life is to achieve, through practices such as meditation, total enlightenment so that we can, in turn, help lead others out of samara. Practices such as giving material goods; helping the sick and dying; and donating our time to a worthy cause make our present life meaningful and create the cause for us to receive help from others if we fall on difficult times in the future. More importantly, they create the cause for us to take human rebirth in our future lives so we can continue on the path to enlightenment.

We listened to teachings on the fleeting nature of all phenomena. We are not guaranteed any certain amount of time in life and death may come at any time. Keeping this in mind, we should strive to make our life truly meaningful by helping others and eliminating our negative states of mind. We learned about the nature and function of 'karma' and how all our negative states of mind lead to actions (or karma) that cause us to take lower rebirth. It is said that it's easier to attain full enlightenment and become a Buddha than it is to attain human life after taking a lower rebirth, due to negative actions.

purifying the mind
Keeping this in mind, it becomes clear that we should strive to abandon our negative actions now, while we have this rare opportunity, and begin to cultivate virtuous actions that will cause us to take fortunate human rebirths in the future. If we continue to take human rebirth and are able to continue cultivating our positive minds through meditation and engaging in virtuous actions, we will eventually attain full enlightenment and achieve Buddhahood. We will have purified our mind completely and there will be absolutely no trace of any negativity in our mind. We will be free from all suffering and will be able to relieve the suffering of all living beings through the power of our immense compassion and wisdom.

We can and do experience temporary states of pure inner peace through such practices as meditation but these are short lived. This is because we still have seeds of delusions deep within our mind. During meditation, these seeds are not watered. They lie dormant within our mind and so they do not sprout, giving rise to feelings such as anger. But when we are not engaged in the concentration of meditation these seeds are easily watered and give rise to such delusions.

For instance, we can achieve a very peaceful state of mind during meditation and then, shortly thereafter, encounter someone who criticizes us. That person's comments instantly give rise to feelings of anger and irritation. So, at present, our inner peace and happiness is only temporary. Our minds are in constant flux, going from one extreme to the other and anywhere in between. This illustrates clearly that our minds are not yet pure.

A Buddha, on the other hand, has mastered his or her mind in such a way that the seeds, themselves, have been eradicated from the mind. There is no basis for any type of delusional state of mind to arise. His or her mind is completely purified and, therefore, a Buddha's mind of inner peace and happiness is constant and never-ending. A strong meditation practice will, over time, begin to transform our mind so that we gravitate more and more towards the mind of a Buddha.

what if everyone wished to take away others' suffering?
The actual meditation practice during the retreat was absolutely incredible. As mentioned before, the temple, itself, is an emanation of peace. While engaged in meditation with the other hundreds of people there I was overcome with a deep and profound feeling of lightness; 'lightness' is the only way I can describe it and the word really doesn't do justice to the actual feeling that came over me. All those people gathered in one place, holding their collective mind purely and single-pointedly on one object of meditation, such as bodhicitta (the mind that seeks to liberate all living beings from suffering), was a powerful experience to say the least. The human mind is a very powerful force. I could feel the collective state of mind we were all generating through our meditation practice and the positive energy flowed freely through the entire temple.

This led to thoughts of "What if?” What if everyone on the planet simultaneously took ten minutes each day to meditate on peace? What kind of collective effect would that have on the planet and all the living beings in this world? If several hundred people gathered together can generate the amount of positive energy I felt, what could several million or even billions do?

Prior to the retreat, I had an inkling of the benefits of practicing meditation with others but, having attended the New York Festival, I understand much more clearly how practicing with a sangha (a community of practitioners) benefits one's own practice and the practice of all those in the sangha. I remember thinking at one point, "Every single person in this temple is meditating on my behalf, in an effort to help reduce my suffering. And I, my self, am meditating on behalf of everyone in this temple, in an effort to reduce their suffering.”

Many of us had ever met each other before (in this life) and didn’t know the first thing about one another on a superficial level. Yet we were all there; people gathered from all over the U.S. recognizing one another as fellow human beings and valuing each other as we would a rare and precious jewel. We were also recognizing that we all have within us the power to bestow upon one another the gift of lasting inner peace; we all have within us the Buddha nature and we can and should encourage one another to develop that pure mind.

Since the retreat, my meditation practice has grown in so many ways. My concentration (the ability to hold the object of meditation single-pointedly for longer periods of time) has increased. My delusions have decreased. My relationships with friends and family have improved. My willingness and ability to let go of things and situations that hold no real meaning or benefit has increased. My desire to help others has increased. And it all just keeps getting better as times passes.

you don't have to be a buddhist to meditate
As a Buddhist, I cannot say that the Buddhist path is the only way or that it is right for everyone. Choosing a tradition to follow is a highly personal affair. I can, however, say that meditation can be of immense benefit to every single human being on this planet. One need not be Buddhist to develop a meditation practice. There are other traditions, including Christianity, that encourage meditation.

When we first begin to meditate, our minds are, of course, undisciplined. We find that we can’t concentrate for very long and our mind wanders from here to there and back again. This is completely normal because we usually live life in a very 'un-present' manner. Our thoughts are often stuck in the past or in the future. Without even noticing our state of mind, we worry about what happened yesterday or last week or what's going to happen tomorrow or next week. So, when we make an attempt to bring our self into the present moment, our mind tends to rebel and quickly goes back to its ‘normal’ un-present state. This 'monkey-mind', as it's sometimes called, will decrease with time.

The more we meditate, the more our mind will become settled and focused on the present moment. (Incidentally, yoga asana practice is an excellent way to calm the 'monkey mind' and prepare the body for meditation. Try meditating directly after an asana practice. Asana calms the central nervous system, reduces the body's tendency to fidget during meditation and focuses the mind by bringing it into the present moment.)

how to start a meditation practice
If you decide to take up a meditation practice, my suggestion is to begin slowly. Try meditating for 3 minutes and slowly increase to 5, then 10, and 15, and so on. Moving slowly in this manner will teach you that you can, indeed, meditate and you'll notice that even a 3 minute meditation session can have a positive influence on your entire day. Eventually, you will be able to sit for an hour without loosing concentration on the object of your meditation. (The object of your meditation session can be any object which, when focused on single-pointedly, gives rise to a peaceful state of mind. This could be love, peace, happiness for all living beings, the downfalls of negative actions, or even one’s own breath.)

If you'd like a more detailed explanation of meditation practice, including what it is, how to do it, the meditation posture, etc., you can visit the following webpage: http://www.aboutmeditation.org/ This is a Buddhist site. But even if you're not Buddhist, it will give you many helpful tips on developing a strong meditation practice.

May Everyone Be Happy--Craig
[have questions for craig? post a comment here]

not just a nuisance, noise can kill

Ever wondered why life is just so darn loud? Why refrigerators have to hum, why car alarms last for hours, or why people walk into a yoga studio talking on their phone?

An article in today's Salon.com caught my eye: it says that noise, white or otherwise, is polluting our world and slowly stealing our lives away from us. Not just distracting us--slowly killing us.

It's worth a read. My favorite part: "Not only can too much loud noise damage your hearing, or disrupt your sleep, it can literally suck the life out of you thanks to the human body's fight-or-flight response. "The human auditory system is designed to serve as a means of warning against dangers in the environment," explains Louis Hagler, a retired internal medicine specialist in Oakland, Calif. "Noise above a certain level is perceived by the nervous system as a threat."

The body responds to that threat with an outpouring of epinephrine and cortisol, the so-called stress hormones. "Your blood pressure goes up, your pulse rate goes up, there is a sudden outpouring of sugar into the bloodstream so the body is prepared to meet whatever threat there is in the environment."

All the more reason to make the yoga studio a sanctuary. When you consider the fact that your practice starts as you enter the room, turning off your cell phone and iPod outside the room and talking quietly (if at all) will become acts of compassion and peace toward your fellow classmates and teacher.

enjoy: http://www.salon.com/news/feature/2008/06/25/noise_pollution/index.html

finding good in the seemingly unyogi

I was sent a link to City Voter, which ranks the best diners, salons, pet shops, etc. in town. Apparently, it wants to know which is the best yoga studio in Greenville. Exactly.

And while that could be seen as totally unyogi, there may be another side to the discussion: the online vote also allows adding other studios and teachers and writing feedback, which is always helpful. This could be a way to inform people about the growing yoga community in town.

So check it out, vote if you like, and add others too. No pressure, no boasting. Nothing that violates the spirit of "namaste"--bowing to others and honoring the universal connection we have with all living beings.

here is the link: http://cityvoter.com/competitions/1143/best-yoga-studio-in-greenville

hunger hurts, you can help this weekend

The more you dig into your yoga practice, the more inclusive it will become. Which is why I couldn't pass over this food drive announcement.

Liquid Highway (here's to independent businesses!) will be hosting the staff of Metamorphosis Church on their E. North St. rooftop this weekend, as they fast in honor of a food drive for local pantries and shelters.

Meanwhile, the rest of us will bring canned food donations to the coffee shop that will be delivered to the Triune Mercy Center, Samaritan House, Gateway House and Loaves&Fishes. This will help local food pantries during what are typically the driest months of the year.

It's called the "Hunger Hurts Greenville: a 48-hour Fast and Food Can Drive." June 26-28, starts and ends at 8 p.m. those days. For more information or the schedule of events, visit http://hungerhurtsgreenville.com/Main.html.

max's sept. workshops limited to 30 a piece

For those of you considering attending my teacher Max Strom's workshops in Greenville this Sept. 5-7, be advised: each workshop is limited to 30 students, due to the limited space at the studio.

So, register soon and pay the discounted fee early ($50/workshop). Choose from the class descriptions below.

Friday, 6-8pm - Vinyasa, Grace & the Music Within: Known for the moving music he plays in his classes, Max offers this flow class sequenced to a particular body of music aimed at evoking grace and beauty within. "Today, music has often been made a pastime, a means of forgetting God instead of realizing God. It is the use one makes of things which constitutes their fault or their virtue." -Hazrat Inayat Khan (all level class)

Saturday, 10:45-12:45 - Flowers Grow through Concrete: The most powerful asanas are balance postures, because by law of "focus or fall", they demand more dynamic concentration and bring us into the present moment. This workshop will begin with a talk about internal and external balance; how we can use our mind to best balance in asanas and more importantly in our lives. After warming up, we will explore simple standing postures and arrive at handstand.

This class is ideal for those learning to kick up, or those who wish to balance without a wall. The postures are used as tools for internal balance as opposed to achieving something. (intermediate class)

Saturday, 3-5pm - How Well Do You Sleep? (the Power of the Breath): This workshop deals with the modern plagues of sleeplessness and anxiety. Since every adjustment to the body affects the mind, opening the joints, spine and chest area, and igniting our breath also has a profound emotional effect. This workshop is known to create a profound sense of serenity and gives you knowledge to take home with you to help you sleep and live more at ease. (all level class)

Sunday, 10:45-12:45 - Spiraling Inward Toward Heaven: In this class we explore strengthening and healing the body, primarily with postures that internally rotate the hips. This is especially healing for the lower back and neck. Spiraling energy inward promotes self-inquiry and true core strength. (all level class)

To register, e-mail nmyoga@bellsouth.net or call 241.0870.

Max will return to Greenville Jan. 25-Feb. 3 for a teacher training and more workshops. For more on Max, see the link under "people and places."

if you've never tried a kirtan, Saturday's your day [or aug. 30]

This Saturday, North Main Yoga will host the group, Anjali, for a kirtan to celebrate the summer solstice. My students may recognize Anjali music in class (the 'passing through' song, for one) from the CD Yoga hOMe, from Kristin Luna Ray, one of the group members.

For those of you who've never been to a kirtan before, let me demystify it: you don't have to dance. you will get swept away in the music. you don't have to know the songs by heart (that's what the songbook is for). you will want to go back.

Some people say singing and chanting in a kirtan is an emotional release, letting the vibrations and sounds of the chants flush and restore the body and mind. Come and try for yourself.

This Saturday, June 21. 8 p.m. $10.
http://www.northmainyoga.com/specialevents.html

"heart of yoga" group full

The book group is full. I had to cut it off at 15 due to the size of my living room and my desire to keep it casual. I'll be sending an e-mail with directions soon.

Please check the blog for reading questions and to post feedback/questions as you read. If there is interest, I plan to hold another book group after we finish this one in August.

[any suggestions for future book topics? would you prefer a focus on the physical, mental or emotional aspects of yoga?]

anyone (y)in-terested?

I completed a Yin Yoga training at the Asheville Yoga Center at the end of May, and I've been wondering since whether any of my Sports Club students would be interested in it. . .

In a very short description, Yin Yoga is the counter to the more physical (yang), flowing practice we do so often. It aims to quiet the body and mind and go deeper inside. You could think of it as meditative, not that that's a departure from the flow class.

The main difference is the internal work. Yin poses work to stretch the connective tissue more than the muscles stretched in active poses. In yin poses, you hold a stretch passively, near your edge, without moving, for a long time (about 3 minutes or more).

My teacher, Shala Worsley, said that flexibility is 40% muscle and 46% connective tissue. Stretching the connective tissue (which wraps all of the body's muscle and organs) increases the energy flow, releases toxins that get caught in the shortened, tight (think shrink wrapped) tissue and rejuvenates the joints and spine.

So, I'm wondering if anyone is interested in adding it to the schedule. I'm thinking once a month to start. Any suggestions?

book group feedback

For those signed up for the "Heart of Yoga" book group (or those reading on your own at home), I will be posting some questions to think about as you read in the next week.

In the meantime, if you have trouble with ideas in the book, need explanation as you go along, or just have comments that can't quite wait. . . .please post a comment here.

I'd like to make the process, not just the discussion, interactive.

debunking the "yogis are pretzels" myth

"The yoga postures and breath are tools to rebuild and transform ourselves. The goal is not to tie ourselves in knots--we're already tied in knots. The aim is to untie the knots in our hearts. The aim is to unite with the ultimate, loving and peaceful power of the universe."
--max strom

Sometimes, when I ask strangers if they've tried yoga, they give me a squidgy look and say, "I'm not a pretzel."

Whether it's because high profile yoga marketing (yoga journal, anyone?) typically puts athletic, contorted models on the cover, or because someone sitting in meditation doesn't sell ad campaigns, some non-yogis step into their first class with an overwhelming sense of smallness and/or anxiety.

They are the brave ones. The rest are kept outside the door by their misconceptions of a yoga class.

If they do try yoga and keep coming back with this misconception, it morphs into something potentially damaging. This thought process pushes some students to think the more "advanced" their practice becomes, the more complex their poses "should" be. And so, you will see a group of power yogis who can't breathe in triangle attempting a 1/2 moon balance, possibly reaching back for their ankle to bind. . .

It reminds me of another "max-ism:" He once said, "It's not the pose you can do that matters, it's who you are when you get there."

He is teaching two commonly missed ideas. One, that the journey is more important than the destination (if you are concerned with being perfect in a pose, you are probably missing the mental connection to it, and therefore any possible transformation). And two, that the internal is more important than the external.

Chances are, if we are berating ourselves for wobbling in warrior 3, we are not doing yoga. Chances are, if we are praising ourselves for our new found strength in chatarunga, we are not doing yoga.

If we are seeking only to fold and twist and (remove our lower ribs to fit into a Colonial corset) and pull ourselves into an "advanced" pose, then we are only entangling ourselves further into our spider web-like ego.

Being mindful--without pride or judgment, in any pose, on and off the mat--is yoga. And that is, as Max says, what unties the knots in our hearts.

[what do you think? how has your perception changed? what helped that happen?]

yogafest: free sampler in asheville [june 21-22]

It's that time again. Twice a year the Asheville Yoga Center opens its studio for the weekend free of charge. This is a great time to try various yoga styles you've been curious about, or just escape to the mountains for a class and lunch (I highly recommend Salsa!).

The schedule is below. No registration necessary. Also, look for the North Main Yoga studio to follow suit in August, I believe. (more details to follow. . .)

Asheville Yoga Center (http://www.youryoga.com/)
Saturday, June 21
8:45-9:25. Flow Yoga 2--Stephanie
9:30-10:10. Flow Yoga 1&2--Candra
10:15-10:55. Flow Yoga 1&2--Melanie
11:00-11:40. Anusara Inspired Yoga--Joe
11:45-12:25. Flow Yoga 1--Libby
12:30-1:10. Back Care Yoga--Steph
1:15-1:55. Gentle Yoga--Melanie
2:00- 2:40. Yin Flow Yoga--Julia
2:45- 3:25. Beginner Yoga--Mado

Sunday, June 22
9:30-10:10. HOT Kundalini Yoga--Sierra
10:15-10:55. HOT Flow Yoga 1&2--Spencer
11:10-11:50. Flow Yoga 1&2--Allison
11:55-12:35. Prenatal--Jane Anne
12:40-1:20. Yin Yoga 1--Libby
1:25-2:05. Gentle Yoga--Chenin

[HOT yoga is 80-90 degrees - bring a towel.]

meditation course: June 28

Attention those of you interested in deepening your understanding of how the mind works:

Michelle, from the Ganden Center in Columbia, will be offering a day course, called "Life is But a Dream," on the concept and practice of emptiness on June 28 at the UU Church in Greenville.

The course information is as follows:

Session One: 10-12:30 p.m.
All our problems come because we do not understand how things exist. We perceive ourselves, our environment and all other phenomena to be inherent, solid, existing from its own side having no relationship to our mind. Due to this mistaken perception we then develop the delusions of anger and attachment and act in harmful ways. In this session we will identify our mind of ignorance and develop an understanding of how it is the main cause of all the suffering and problems we experience in our daily life.

Session Two: 1:30-4 p.m.
In this session we will develop an understanding of how things exist by understanding Buddha's teachings on emptiness. Only by seeing things as they really are can we become free from the inner source of unhappiness.

You do not need any previous experience of Buddhism or meditation to attend this course. Confirm your attendance online at: http://www.meditateinsouthcarolina.org/

One session only: $20, both sessions: $35. (The course fee includes a vegetarian lunch.) Class will be held at the Greenville Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, 1135 State Park Road; Greenville, S.C. 29609.

[From my experience with Michelle at the NMY-sponsored meditation talks, she is non-dogmatic and insightful. You will leave with a new awareness of how our minds behave and control what we perceive as automatic reactions. Her talks are useful whether you follow Buddhist teachings or not. Proceeds will fund the center's prison outreach ministry.]

--Thanks to Craig Metcalf for this alert.

hello, blog!

Welcome to my new blog. It's a community blog, because I feel strongly about creating a discussion between students and teachers that takes yoga off the sticky mat and into everyday life.

Feel free to use this site to comment, journal, provide insights after class or submit questions for me to answer about certain poses or things I say in class.

Also, please submit ideas of things you would find useful for me to include on this blog. Happy reading.

how yoga found me

Max once asked us in a teacher training to remember our first yoga class.

It happened one Saturday morning in the spring of 2005. I can't remember the exact date. At the time it was not important. I was living in Joliet, Illinois, and my mom was visiting me for a bit. So, I convinced her to come with me to a class I had been eyeing for a while--as moral support.

I had been yoga-curious for months before that. After class, I felt as if that had been what I was searching for without realizing it. Some of you may know what I'm talking about.

Jamie, the woman teaching the class, was the neighbor of my (then) sister-in-law. She taught in her cocoon-like basement, dimly lit with candles. It would become my safe haven. I had moved to Illinois a week after getting married, nine weeks after graduating from college. I didn't know anyone besides my (then) husband's family and the teenagers I managed at a Barnes&Noble about an hour's drive from my house. I felt uprooted and ungrounded.

Jamie led us through a standard yoga sequence, with long holds and lots of vinyasas. My first chatarunga left me lying on the floor in disbelief. In savasana (something I was wary of due to my Baptist upbringing), she covered us in blankets and read a short meditation to us.

I was hooked. I kept coming back, gradually increasing my holds in Warrior 2 from a short 10 seconds to longer and my vinyasa count from 1 proud, sloppy chatarunga to 10 and higher. Unbeknown to me, I was laying the foundation for a practice that would keep me safe and (somewhat) sane through my coming divorce.

The real change was not physical, even thought that's what drew me to the practice to begin with. It was happening deep inside me, undoing a foundation of cynicism and layers of (invisible) armor meant to keep others out. Slowly, I began to realize it was only keeping me in.

In broad strokes, I would move that winter from Jamie's basement (thank you wherever you are!) to the mind/body studio at the Lifetime Fitness gym nearby. Traveling across the flat stretch of gray sky and earth, squished close together, only made walking into the earthy studio that much more welcoming. I had several wonderful teachers there (sorry I don't remember your names), in particular an ashtanga teacher who did funny nose breathing things and a vinyasa flow teacher that made me remember how the world looked upside down.

Nothing could follow me into that room. At a time when I felt emotionally homeless, that yoga studio and the one I would find in Greenville became my home. But I had not learned how to conquer my troubles off the mat yet.

After much thought (and an intervention attempt from my extended family--thanks for the thought), I would move with my dog out of the house I felt trapped in for months, into the guest bedroom of my friend and co-worker Megan, and eventually to a dingy little apartment back "home" in Greenville.

I felt lost and free altogether. It was a time of uncertainty and possibility.

My yoga journey has been one of rebirth, mostly due to the circumstances in which it found me. Which is why, when I found Max, I realized why yoga felt right for me. By diving beneath the surface--that constant changing storyline of our lives--we can find the truth.

So when you step onto your mat next--whether you're a beginner, and you're still getting used to going barefoot for the first time since grade school, or you're "advanced," and you've already played out the day's class in your head--stop for a moment. Open your mind to the possibility of learning something new. Quiet the mind and listen. Simply let go.

No matter what brought you to yoga in the beginning; remember, it's the journey that counts.

[how did you find yoga? do you remember your first class? what kept you coming back?]