In our daily lives, anxiety, stress and questioning our overall self-worth are things that often limit our ability to focus on the present and embrace our past. There are many thoughts that constantly wear us down, keep us up at night, and even inhibit us from feeling like our true selves.

Recently, I have embraced the challenge of taking a small chunk of time out of my day to recharge mindfully through practicing yoga and meditation. Even if it is only 15 minutes, that time that you take out of your day to focus on the NOW is a great step towards finding your best self. Not only does meditation and yoga have benefits for calming the mind, but they also help with relieving the tension that has built up in our bodies throughout the day.

As someone who has anxiety and is always worried about the future, meditation and yoga force me to focus on what I am doing in the moment, and to not get so caught up in the details and expectations that all of us carry. I ask myself to focus on what I can see, hear, smell, taste, and feel in the moment, rather than worry about my plans after graduation, or run through all the possible scenarios in my head as I worry about the next day. And I ask myself to press pause and to try to reconnect with the person who I want to be and the person who has come so far already.

Yoga has taught me to be gentle with my body, and to embrace what I'm feeling on any given day. Not to mention, it also makes me feel so much better afterwards when I've invested that time and energy into the body I am thankful to have.

I strongly believe that yoga and meditation can be for everyone, regardless of age, ability, or experience. There are so many wonderful benefits to both. There are many great apps and videos online that can help you begin your yoga and meditation routine from the comfort of your own living room. Living more mindfully can take many forms, but a great place to start is by taking a small part of your day to just focus with no distractions, no anxiety and no stress.

In the world that we live in, we should all make it a priority to take care of ourselves. Sometimes, all we have to do is to start with a simple routine and live fully in the moment.