The time to relax...

I think that says it all. Feel free to print this picture and put it some place where you'll see it often (maybe the back of your eyelids?). 

10 Reasons I Practice Yoga

It's okay to bend your knees!

I've only been practicing yoga sporadically for a few years, but I can already say with confidence that it has changed my life. Does that sound dramatic? Good! I hope the following reasons inspire you try yoga. Soon.

1. I feel relaxed and energized after a practice. It's an awesome way to cope with stress or work through a bad mood.

2. Yoga makes me more aware and appreciative of my body. Even though I have a ways to go toward my health goals, yoga keeps me from thinking negatively about my body, and instead helps me focus on its many incredible functions.

3. Though it doesn't have to be a spiritual practice, yoga has deepened my relationship with God and my understanding of the divine.

4. Yoga has improved my physical and emotional balance. Learning to calm my mind has done wonders for my emotional well-being. (Studies show that yoga can help treat depression).

5. You can practice yoga at home for free, with very little equipment. It's the perfect way to ease in or out of a day, or to get a mid-day boost. (I love the free 20-minute audio classes from yogadownloads.com). Finally a type of exercise that doesn't have to be followed up by a shower :)

6. I am proof that you don't have to be flexible to practice yoga. In fact, inflexibility is a wonderful reason to start practicing. Yoga has undoubtedly increased my flexibility. Some of the best yoga advice I've ever gotten is that it's okay to bend your knees! Yoga philosophy encourages accepting what you are capable of today.

7. Working for a chiropractor who was also a yoga instructor taught me how effective yoga can be in preventing injury. Yoga was an integral part of treatment for many patients suffering from back pain. It addresses nearly every part of the body, toning and strengthening.

8. It's embracing of all skill levels. It's okay to be a beginner. Everyone was a beginner at one time.

9. Yoga helps me discover the power of my breath. It's truly transformative. Slowing your breathing slows your thoughts. Pausing to focus on my breath returns me to a place of peace when I'm feeling frantic or stressed.

10. It allows me to tap into my creative side with greater ease. I recently met someone who wrote a thesis about the connection between yoga and creativity. (Check out her website for some inspiration).

If you're still not convinced...well, at least I tried.

"I cannot live without books" -Thomas Jefferson

Did you ever have a read-athon in elementary school? I have few school memories fonder than those of read-athons. Bringing your pillow and favorite treats, burrowing into a corner of the classroom with a captivating book--a whole day devoted to reading (interrupted only by recess). Bliss. Lamentably, the concept of a whole day to read is hardly comprehensible in the adult world.

Reading is one of those activities that can be easily bullied to the bottom of our priority list. As crucial as the health of the intellect is, the demands of the body generally win out. The number of books I read is far fewer than in my pre-mama days, but I still find great solace and respite in the pages of an engaging novel and in scripture. Reading makes me feel like myself, and such activities are usually a wise way to spend your scant free time. 

Try allotting some time this week for reading, whether it be the newspaper, a novel or short story, the Bible, or a magazine. Stick a collection of poetry in your bathroom. If you've never been to your local library, venture out. Explore audio books--they're great for long drives or doing the dishes. Read with your kids. Consider starting a book club. If you have trouble deciding what to read, Good Reads is an extensive website that recommends books by genre, or according to what you've liked in the past.

I don't profess to be an expert on all things literary, but I love when someone asks me to recommend a good book. I have to restrain from throwing my entire bookshelf at them. So if you'd like to risk being pummeled with airborne hardcovers, you can check out my list of book recommendations.

What are your favorite books to escape into?