Knitting was touted as the next yoga, and then crochet, but yoga really is a multi-faceted dimension all its own. Yoga has filled my life for many years... at my best, I get a half-hour of postures and contemplation in daily and an hour and a half class or two in a week, and at my worst, this reduces down to three 20-30- minute sessions a week, but over the years, yoga has been a constant.
I don't need to go on and on about the health benefits; there has been a lot of positive press and recent scientific inquiry into the virtues of yoga in the past few years. Yoga reshapes your body, restores flexibility, tones, strengthens, and lengthens your muscles, strengthens your spine, improves circulation, raises energy level, diminishes the effects of stress, increases balance, coordination, focus and discipline and clears your mind and calms your soul. All good ideas for a busy life.
That is partly why I was so excited to learn that DH's DD (the only one out of our combined five that did NOT grow up with us), had decided to open a yoga studio. Although it took over a year, and the birth of granddaughter Mia, Amy's studio in Sugarland, Texas opened at the end of the spring, and she is thriving. Amy's best tip for me was to turn the heat up in the morning from our propane fireplace and do my yoga right in front, so that the warmth would loosen up my muscles.
This is the right time of the year to consider giving yoga a try, and getting lessons as a gift for a friend or family member. I have benefitted enormously from my teachers: Josef, Laurel, Sun, and Marshall. Om Shanti Shanti.
