In my last update, I explored the simple, transformative power of cultivating a self-care practice, no matter how busy your schedule may be, or how challenging it may seem to prioritize your inner well-being. Incorporating a practice such as yoga into your weekly routine can be life-changing, even when you feel like you can’t make the time, and yes, even if you don’t have a flexible body!

A common misconception about yoga is that one needs to be flexible, spiritually-minded, fit, or even “trendy” to be a practitioner. Last Saturday, my partner and I were glued to our laptops while it was a beautiful day outside. We live by the beach, and I knew my day would be transformed if I jumped into the ocean. We only had 40 minutes available, but we got ourselves down to the sand and used half of that time to do a few poses before getting in the water.

Now, I’ve never loved swimming…I’m terrible at it! Even though ocean sports look really fun, I don’t surf or do laps, and as far as the ocean is concerned, I prefer floating over floundering. But I know that when I spend at least 10 minutes in the ocean, I almost always feel better. Yoga is not unlike being in the ocean – it takes time and effort to get there, the weather isn’t always great, and sometimes it’s a little uncomfortable. But symbolically speaking, almost everyone can dip their feet in the water and have a unique, energetically cleansing experience.

Just like the ocean, Yoga is there for every body, every fitness level, and every state of mind. 

It doesn’t discriminate or judge you; it’s just healing—pure and simple. And when you take the time to explore it, wonderful things happen.

After practicing and teaching for over 25 years, I have learned that while any yoga is better than no yoga, you will genuinely begin to notice the benefits if you commit to practicing 3 times a week. Keep in mind, you can take baby steps as you get used to building this into your schedule. You can mix and match yoga with your other favorite activities, and with yoga now readily accessible online (and free on YouTube), practicing doesn’t require expensive or long-duration classes.

Although yogis who practice regularly for a longer duration of time will discover improvement in strength, endurance, and flexibility more quickly, even committing to just 5 poses, 3 times a week can lead to profound changes in overall well-being. As you become more familiar with your new practice over time, you can keep challenging your edges by increasing first the frequency and then the duration of each session.