Yoga is one of those activities that seems so intriguing, but many think they are not good enough to try it.

When most people think of yoga, they think of these crazy postures and balances that seem unrealistic for the general population. What people do not realize about the people in those crazy postures, though, is that they did not start in that place.

Yoga is all about practice and it is a personal experience for everyone. When you take yoga, it is not called a “class”, but instead a “practice.” It goes along with the thought that yoga is something you practice daily or weekly, and you become stronger in every posture as you practice longer.

Yoga instructors are not perfect either. Every yoga instructor has their strengths in postures, but also postures that they are still developing. Yoga instructors do not only teach, but they also practice yoga on their own and continue to grow in their own personal practices.

Throughout high school, I ran cross country. One of the aspects that I loved about cross country was that in each race, I was running against myself. I was trying to beat my own personal record and that was all that mattered. I think that’s why I love yoga.

When I’m in a yoga practice, I am just working on becoming better in my practice and I am not worried about what the people next to me can do or my instructor.

Yoga has taught me to focus on myself and my strengths and not compare myself to others. My time at the mat gives me time to step away from the craziness of my day and leave it all behind for the next hour. I learned that it is OK and actually important to take time for myself and to take care of my mental well-being.

One of my favorite things that a yoga instructor told me once was that no matter what happened on the mat that practice and how well I held different postures and balances, I had already achieved so much by taking the time to come to the mat. The biggest challenge can be just forcing yourself to go to your yoga practice, but knowing that you need that time for yourself is such a great feat.

As my yoga instructor at home tells my class at the end of every practice, “Remember that you are loved and that you are love.”