About six months ago, I went through some pretty big life changes… moved to a city I had never even visited before… started a new job… turned a new relationship into a long distance one. I should preface by saying that for the past few years, my yoga practice has been my sanity. No matter what I was feeling – happy, stressed, anxious – I could find what I was looking for on my mat – a few quiet moments to revel in something good, think through a problem, or completely forget about everything outside the studio.

Needless to say, I was somewhat thrown off when, with so many changes happening in my life, I seemed to steer clear of yoga. I couldn’t seem to get excited about finding a new studio. I had excuses for why I couldn’t even attend free classes around town. Sure, during this time, I rolled out my mat in my tiny apartment and flowed through a few suns, or I would take my mat down to the park to practice inversions, but I would find myself laying on my mat minutes later. Laying there, eyes soft, mind quiet, breathing steady.

About a month and a half ago, and with just slight hesitation (probably because I had not moved through a full 1.5 hour class in a while!), I began taking classes. Laying in savasana at the end of class, I realized something… something more than just how sore my body would probably be the next day. I realized that while I may have stepped away from the asana portion, I never abandoned my practice. It just didn’t look like what I thought it would look like. At a time when things seemed somewhat crazy in life, I needed quiet, I needed stillness. And now, feeling more secure in my space, I’m ready to amp it up on the mat. It’s just the way these things work – it’s an ebb and flow.

In reality, the thing that draws me to yoga is the idea of staying present, to thoughts, to the breath… and ultimately to life. And the beauty of the practice is that it always welcomes you back, no judgement.