The true meaning of yoga is union of body, mind and spirit. It did not start that way for me. Yoga started as an hour exercise session on my mat in college. However, I lacked focus and discipline for anything outside of my studies.

As I got bigger in my last pregnancy, my yoga-barre instructor started teaching a prenatal yoga class in a yoga studio. I fell in love with yoga. I drove to every prenatal class I could all around Maryland throughout my pregnancy. I loved how connected I felt to my baby and how quiet and peaceful I felt by the end of class.

When I was able to return to non prenatal classes I had a new appreciation. I wanted to learn. I was fortunate to have several instructors over the last few years who have inspired my practice. I began to notice better posture, huge for someone who spent her teenage years rounding her shoulders to try and shrink out of this world. My flexibility increased but more importantly I started to understand the mind body connection. For the first time I was trying inversions and confronting fears of the unknown. I was enjoying myself!

When I met Melisa Casses last year and discovered Ashtanga yoga, I was ready. The discipline, the quiet, the yoga philosophy, I crave it.