As many of my stories begin, my curiosity with yoga began in the Chester County Library when I was a wee wisp of a thing. Back then I would wander through the shelves picking out random books to see what might interest me, including a small yellow book with illustrations of poses. I only remember the Plow pose, but I’m sure I studied all of them. Then I moved on to Black Cats and Other Superstitions and didn’t think about yoga again until after the summer of 2008.

What happened then, you might ask? Well, I’d had two children, been diagnosed with anxiety, and carried an extra thirty pounds. My trainer at the time suggested yoga for flexibility. By that time I’d seen Carrie and the girls giggling through yoga on Sex in the City and shortly thereafter the ridiculous yoga instructor of Couples Retreat. My first yoga classes were in a martial arts studio next to the gym I attended, and I learned a valuable lesson about yoga: be careful with where you start your practice.

Despite the pervasive scent of rubber from the martial arts studio floor, I enjoyed yoga. I decided to try out Be Yoga when it first opened on the square. I strayed over to Gold’s Gym while I had a membership there—they had a class that was yoga, Pilates, and Tai chi—but I missed yoga, especially hot yoga, and back to Be Yoga I went. So here’s why the world’s most inflexible woman (some would say that’s both literal and figurative) loves yoga:

7. It’s not competitive. This is an odd one coming from someone who’s often thrived on competition, but maybe I’m getting wiser as I get older. More so than any other physical activity, yoga is about stretching yourself. You might look to an instructor from guidance, but the constant admonition is to “stay on your own mat.”

6. It’s body AND mind. Staying on your own mat is something we should all do both literally and figuratively. As an English major, I can really appreciate when life and and body merge into metaphor as often happens in yoga.

5. Yoga teaches you to breathe. No, really. I had no idea how often I was holding my breath. Also, instructors will tell you that as long as you keep breathing evenly, you can maintain control of your body. It’s the ultimate mind over matter, and I’ve used even breathing to keep running, to calm myself while in traffic, and to survive taking children with me to the grocery store.

4. You build muscle. Now that I’ve been back in yoga, I can feel my arms and legs strengthening as I learn to do the poses with more accuracy. As I write this my gluteus maximus has that ache of well abused muscles.

3. Focus. Forcing myself to go to a room for at least an hour and not think of anything else has had the unexpected result of helping my creativity and general state of mind. Moving the body keeps the mind busy.

2. Healing and Injury Prevention. One of the greatest unexpected benefits of yoga has been the healing. When I went to podiatrist number two for my plantar fasciitis, I asked him about yoga. As it turns out, his wife is a yoga instructor, and he was quite enthusiastic about my idea of returning to the practice. I don’t think I would’ve survived marathon training without yoga. Running causes all of your muscles to tighten while yoga stretches and loosens. My feet still aren’t healed, but I firmly believe that yoga is what kept me from injuring myself to the point that I had to quit training. It also keeps my hamstrings from getting too tight and has eased the ache I had in my psoas.

1. Catharsis. Hot yoga isn’t for everyone, but there really is something to be said for sweating out all of your aggressions. At the Be Yoga studio, I particularly appreciate the cold lavender towels that come after an hour and some of power yoga. I suppose it’s out with the bad, in with the good, and learn to appreciate the “little things”.

Hopefully, you’ve found something to like here, something you may want to try. If you don’t want to try a studio, you can always search for a DVD or a You Tube video. For my money, though, I would recommend a professional studio. I think I really lucked into finding Be Yoga in Marietta, and I wish you luck in finding a good place to practice as well. Oh, but remember that I am not a professional, so do your own research and, as always, consult with a physician before you try anything new.

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You can always send me suggestions on Twitter, Facebook or through my website at SallyKilpatrick.com. Until we meet again, do at least one thing healthy—you deserve it!

– Sally Kilpatrick