Why You Can Do Yoga

Yoga really is for everyone

If you are new to yoga, afraid of not being able to "fit in" with the yoga culture, or even someone with a regular yoga practice, we can all use a few gentle reminders:

So you cannot touch your toes? You can still do yoga. Just bend your knees until you can reach your toes.

Do not take yourself too seriously. If you fall out of a pose or lift your right leg instead of your left, smile, and try again.

Listen to your body. Tune-in. You do not always have to do another chaturanga (half push-up) or go for urdvha dhanurasana (wheel, a back-bend). Child's pose is an amazing pose with amazing benefits, and sometimes just what the doctor ordered.

You are not expected to quiet all of the chatter in your mind before you come to the mat. You can work to get there, but do not beat yourself up if it does not happen. It is a journey.

That girl or guy who is uber-flexible in the front row? Pretty cool, right? You are no less cool for taking the modification that best suits your body's needs and capacity in that moment. Listening to and honoring your body is one of the gifts of yoga that you can carry with you off the mat.

Not everyone who does yoga is vegetarian, vegan, and/ or gluten-free, but I think practicing yoga can help you become more in touch with your body's needs and cravings.

Move. Breathe. Notice. Let go. Grow.

And have fun. Really, it's just yoga.