Why Do I Love Yoga: Part I

Sometimes it's nice to take a minute and remind myself of all the many reasons why I love yoga. Because I'm hyper flexible, I often have to forgo extensive asana practice in favor of targeted strength training for my hips, shoulders, back, and core.

But yoga is my rock, the calm eye of the hurricane, the lighthouse pointing the way home when seas are rough and skies are menacing, the thing I return to after allowing myself to get scattered in the ego-driven winds circling us all at any given time. And here are some answers to the question, "Why do I love yoga?":

• Yoga creates space for me to just be me, however I am in that moment, with no judgment and no expectations
• Yoga allows me to breathe and do nothing more than that, without guilt or urgency to "do" something else
• Yoga is about nothing more than being present, asking the question, "What's happening, body o' mine?" and listening to what comes up with no desire to judge it.

These three reasons why I love yoga just begin to scratch the surface. You can read the second part of my answer in Part II, here. And really, I want to hear why YOU love yoga. Please feel free to share your comments here. And if you're curious, maybe you'd like to read more about why I teach yoga, too. That post elaborates on this fun list quite nicely.

Happy practicing, everyone!

Me practicing in my happy place: Italy.