Yoga-versary

On June 23, 2004, I was on a trip in Washington DC with my family.  I was horrifically out of shape, overweight and unable to walk for long distances without pain.  That night I decided to turn my health around.  I went to a local bookstore and purchase a book called Yoga for Wimps.  That night I read the book and followed along for a ten-minute yoga practice.  I did the same thing the next night, and the following night.  I have practiced yoga every single night since.

Tonight, I will do yoga under the stars, in a campground, on a bicycle touring trip.  I am about 100 pounds lighter than I was six years ago.  I will ride nearly 500 miles on my bicycle in hill southern Indiana this week.  Today marks six years of daily yoga.  That is 2,192 days of practice without interruption.  I have a tattoo of the sacred "Om" on my right shoulder that reminds me, every day, that yoga is now part of who I am.  Yoga let me to meditation, which led me to my newly-found Zen practice.  I am grateful for teachers and practitioners who have carried the yogic traditions through the generations so that we may learn and benefit from the wisdom contained therein.

Namaste.