Because it’s fun and healthy! Many people come to yoga primarily for physical and mental benefits. While yoga asanas are healing and effective for body and mind, yoga is so much more. Yoga is a lifestyle and a commitment. It is an opportunity to fulfill a promise to ourselves, which builds confidence, faith, and responsibility. Yoga is an invitation to live deeply and to experience every moment meaningfully.

Yoga asks us to take responsibility for our goal setting. For example, if your goal is to gain mastery in asana, or become a teacher you might choose to practice 6 days a week. If you are serious about changing injurious body patterns or lifestyle habits, you will see best results if you practice several times per week. If you would like to be spontaneous and prefer not to have definitive goals, practice at your leisure.

Yoga isn’t just a workout, it’s ‘a practice‘. Yoga asanas, or postures, tone and heal the outer as well as the inner body. The asanas bring balance to the endocrine system, which balances our moods, muscles, and metabolism. Each of the asanas targets specific muscular, organ and glandular systems. Pranayama (breath work) and meditation help balance both the right and left hemispheres of the brain; clearing the clutter and releasing cerebrospinal fluid. Yoga is preventative. May you never know what you are preventing by practicing.

Wear non-binding clothing that does not inhibit your range of motion. With so many stretchy, high-performance fabrics available, the choices are endless. Cotton, bamboo and wool breathe the best. If you sweat a lot, you might opt for something with wicking properties. Wearing layers ensures that you will be able to adjust your temperature as needed.