A couple of weeks ago I took one of my friends to yoga class with me (it was her first time). The first thing she said as soon as we approached the park was, "Holy crap, there are so many people here!" Undeniably, at least a hundred people all clad in brightly colored shirts and strappy sports bras were moving in unison. I flashed back to the very first time I went this past April and immediately understood how she felt.

I had never done an ounce of yoga in my life, needless to say I was nervous but willing to give it a shot. This free yoga class is located near the Belt Line and organized by King of Pops, a Popsicle company that I am sure you're familiar with, especially if you're an Atlanta native. Clutching the turquoise yoga mat I had literally just purchased the same day, I found an empty spot on the grass, unaware of what I was about to experience. Fifteen minutes later, I was convinced that I had stumbled upon a hidden treasure.

One of the things I remember the most vividly was our instructor, Charlie Baxter Graham, saying, "Even if you can't do it, just keep breathing." Yes, a class of a hundred strangers was led by one person (don't worry, she's got a megaphone). I am actually being 100 percent serious, but she didn't use it in an annoying I'm-your-coach-and-you-better-listen-to-me way. In fact, her words of wisdom in between poses were actually kind of soothing. Some of the poses were challenging, but you did the best that you could, and believe me, no one was there to judge you. Can't hold your pose? It's totally fine, lay on your mat for the next thirty seconds. Seriously, no one will care. This wasn't some kind of competition on who could do the best yoga, the only person you were really competing with was yourself.

I don't know about you, but I am all for that. Yoga is about finding inner peace and getting in touch with your body. There was one part of the class where we laid on our bellies, heads resting softly to the side, listening to our breaths. This was the biggest stress-reliever for me; sometimes we just need to lay down and breathe. We need a moment to release all of the negative energy that's been weighing us down. We need a minute to think nothing but lovely thoughts, or maybe think of nothing at all.

It's pretty amazing when you think about it; all of these souls coming together for one evening each week. People from all walks of life show up for one thing, and that one thing is yoga. If you want to join our KOP Yoga family, come see us next Tuesday at 6:30 P.M. in Old Fourth Ward Park, Greenspace C. Namaste.