Last year, I began practicing yoga after reading of its benefits for runners. I showed up at 6:30am to a Hatha yoga class at the gym. I was so scared! And I had a plan. I was wearing my running clothes, shoes and had my iPod. While walking to the gym, I kept telling myself: stay close to the door for a fast exit in case you don’t like it and you are ready to hit the treadmill. You are petite, fast and quiet…no one will notice. Well, the story has a happy ending. I fell in love with it. I left the class calmed and invigorated at the same time. Hatha yoga is very active. My body was sore for the next couple of days in places that I didn’t even know I had!
Yoga has definitely improved my running, but it has also influenced my work and life. Yoga opens my heart. It is where I am present, balanced and myself. I practice yoga twice a week (still 6:30am), but I am no longer scared or ready to hit the treadmill. I look forward to the class because I learn something new every time. I am planning to enroll in a teacher training program next year. Yoga has given me perspective. I try to apply it to my everyday. Accepting who I am gives me the opportunity to accept others and to welcome positive, happy, creative and beautiful thoughts to my daily life.
Photo: My favorite place! Sunset at Crash Boat Beach, Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
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