Strength and Conditioning was my middle name. I loved plyometrics, circuit training and athletic training because it was fun, it helped me express my aggression and I broke a massive sweat. It was the only workout that I knew….but one day I decided to take a walk on the wild side and explore new territory. 
I remember seeing this yoga class full of people with their colorful mat lying down in silence. What were they doing? Sleeping in the gym… After they came out they looked so relaxed. One day I was really tired (at the time I was training for my first fitness competition) and I had heard about how yoga would help me with my flexibility so I thought I would give it a try. So, I did and I never stopped.
The interesting thing about yoga is that regardless of how you feel when you enter the room, once you leave you are calmer than when you arrived. On the yoga mat you release, you let go of something that was weighing you down before. 2 years later I am a full fledged yogini, certified instructor and I’ve got some beautiful arm balances. When I step on the mat I am still surprised at how stress mysteriously leaves my body and I leave the class refreshed and renewed.
Yoga is the ultimate power struggle between you and your body. Your muscles resist the yoga postures as you struggle to maintain a calm breath. As your heart opens in backbends your body and mind symbolically open to vulnerability as you embrace the challenging road ahead. As you prepare to invert in handstand or headstand your perspective changes and you stare fear in the face. You cool your body down in the corpse pose (Savasana) facing the hardest challenge of all, being alone with your thoughts, fears and anxieties. Your challenge is to …..Just Let Go.
