Yoga, Yoga, Yoga

I first discovered moksha yoga and the sequence of flows while on a long summer vacation back in 2009. After going to 10+ classes, I was hooked. I had trouble with the heat the first time around and I blogged back then that I almost fainted in class. Luckily, I didn't. I simply was unaware of how much more hydrated I had to be before, during and after the class.

I'm now on the third year of daily yoga practice and I have never felt stronger. I feel like I get a better workout than even doing my other favorite activities: running and windsurfing.

Yoga is a commitment, however. If your schedule says you're going to a 9p class even though you've had a very busy day and you don't feel like it, you need to simply go. Discipline is an indispensable component of daily life and the more I live, the truer this notion becomes. In a matter of minutes I feel as good as I could possibly feel and I'm always amazed at how quickly yoga boosts the mood.

I also believe in tracking my yoga practice as well much like I track my running (favorite app for that is MapMyRun). For instance, when my yoga studio does challenges, I make sure to end up at the top of the leaderboard. Right, because yoga is meant to appeal to your competitive instincts. Well, I didn't say I was aiming for perfection. For now, I'll settle for more flexibility and stronger muscles.

The average number of yoga classes I go to per year is 230 and I can unequivocally say I'm a much stronger thinker, worker, and all around individual thanks to the time I spent on the mat.

So, this Fall season as we're embarking on another cold winter season, try to balance it all out with some yoga. This is just a quick ode to the sequence of moksha which I can now clearly attest is, by far, the most effective workout I've done as an adult. Namaste!