I have been anxiously waiting all day to sit down and write this post. So many of you have shared with me lately  how much your yoga practice is impacting your life in a positive way. And for every one of you that has shared those feelings, an equal number have told me how interested you are in trying yoga.

I’m telling you…DO IT NOW. Stop waiting. Let go of the fear that you won’t know what you’re doing or that you won’t understand what the teacher is saying or that you will be judged. I will say this for the rest of my life but you must remember that EVERYONE had a first time. Our life is full of firsts. We would never grow and change if we didn’t embrace firsts.

I’ve had a lot of new and different yoga experiences in the past month. I took a class that was a totally new style for me while I was in Florida, I did an amazing workshop with Briohny and Dice and in the past week I have taken classes from five different teachers. This is all a departure for me as I am usually fiercely loyal to the same teachers and same classes every week. It’s not because I don’t want to expand and grow, it’s just that I have limited time to get my yoga in and need to get the fix I need.

Tonight I took a yoga class from Katie Levans, also known as the blogger behind the on-hold Sweet Tater Blog. Katie started teaching at our studio after she completed teacher training last spring and she totally gets it. The class I took from her tonight was beautifully sequenced and perfectly presented and left me with tears streaming down my face at the end of savasana as she read from The Firestarter Sessions.

I  came home and committed myself to reading this book by one of my favorite motivational figures, Danielle Laporte. I have played this video of hers in class on several occasions and it gave me chills to listen to it again tonight because it’s SO TRUE.

“A beginner’s mind is an open mind.” 

“Don’t let perfection become procrastination. Do it now.” 

“Do what you say you’re going to do.” 

“Respect your fear.” 

I feel like this month has been full of signs pointing to yoga, yoga, yoga. From the serious…yoga helping with eating disorders and breast cancer…to the funny.

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We have ALL felt like the tin man in yoga, right?

I want everyone to love yoga. I want everyone to benefit from yoga. After bringing my mom a mat and buying her blocks last time I visited, I finally convinced her to join a beginners series at a local studio. I am so happy to report that she is a month in and loving it. She called me right after class yesterday and told me all about how their focus for the practice was backbends. My mom struggles with back pain (which is half the reason why I wanted her to start yoga) and was nervous the backbends would further bother her back. She was so surprised to find that they helped her to feel better and I loved hearing her tell me all about it.

So, stop avoiding. Try it. Be open minded and know that the first class will be hard and maybe a little weird, you may not love the first studio you try, you’ll have to experience different styles and teachers to figure out what feels right for you. It took me years but it was so worth it.

And whatever you do, you don’t need these. Nike just launched the “Studio Wrap” and let me state loudly…you do not need special footwear for yoga. Check out this post on my favorite yoga accessories and then get yourself to class!

GO DO IT NOW!