My Journey into Yoga

Honestly, it started with vanity. I overheard a woman with gorgeously ripped arms swear by her new yoga routine and the minute I got home I googled yoga studios in my neighborhood. The ironic part is, five years into an almost daily practice and although I'm probably the strongest I've ever been, I still have twig arms. Le sigh. During and after college I was a fitness class junkie, going through kickboxing, spin, and barre phases like it was going out of style, but with each I plateaued. My body stopped changing and I got bored. I didn't feel challenged or excited, and then came yoga. I was hooked after my first class and have been incredibly lucky to live near two amazing studios in the time I've been practicing. The second, West Loop's Bare Feet Power Yoga, has become a second home especially over the past year. Not only has it been the place that my physical practice has grown, it's become my community of friends, confidants, and mentors.

My favorite part of yoga is that I can't ever imagine getting bored of this practice, from an asana or physical perspective, because there is always something new to learn, conquer, and master. And even the new poses or transitions that I finally accomplish are fleeting as they come and go depending on my body each day. The biggest challenge I face going forward is my practice off the mat. My short term goals (outside of finally doing a freaking handstand) include incorporating meditation into my weekly routine and remembering my yoga breathing techniques in every day life.  So, now that I've shared these with the world I will have to provide updates of course on how I'm faring and plan to share deeper tidbits of my journey into yoga with you all in the future!