One thing I've struggled with over the past couple of years since I opened The Yoga Room is walking my talk, practicing what I preach. We yoga teachers talk about the importance and benefits of a regular yoga practice, but between running the studio and raising my family, it's often hard to find time for myself. Don't get me wrong - it's not that I haven't wanted to practice regularly. For years it's been my ongoing intention to find some time on my mat every single day.

Some days I've found the time and some days my yoga practice has consisted simply of taking a couple of deep inhales and long exhales during a particularly stressful situation and observing ahimsa, being loving and kind with myself, and not judging myself for not finding time for a "real" practice.

Until recently.

Over the past few months I have somehow gotten much better at scheduling time on my mat. Most weekdays after I drop my kids off at school, I'm at the studio for my personal practice. Depending on how our family's morning routine goes, I get to spend somewhere between 30 minutes and an hour on my mat. Regardless of how much time is available, I always reserve the last 15 minutes for meditation. And the effects have been phenomenal.

Physically, the asana practice helps me work the aches and pains out of my body. My 2-1/2 year old still asks to be carried sometimes and that is be a big burden on my body. My low back, upper back, shoulders, and neck are almost always achy. Moving my body through a customized practice targets all my sore spots and can bring a lot of relief in a short period of time.

Mentally and emotionally, the meditation practice has been really transformational. I could go on an on about the changes I've experienced, but I'll try to keep it short and say that when I manage to string together several days of consistent asana and meditation practice, each day I feel more mentally clear, more focused, and I am more productive. Stress seems to not affect me. I am more content and more optimistic. I feel like the universe is my friend and there's plenty of time to do everything that needs doing each day. I seriously feel like I have superpowers.

This experience is what inspired the theme of our upcoming retreat: Finding Your Superpowers. I'm really excited about the retreat and the amazing effects it will have on the lives of those who are able to attend.

Angela, Jenifer, and Kalena, will join me for four days at Canyon of the Eagles in Burnet, Texas, to lead daily yoga and meditation practices and teach workshops on Yamas & Niyamas, Chakras, Kundalini, and developing a personal yoga practice. In my mind these topics are the most important components of what we learned in yoga teacher training. They provide a deep understanding of the philosophy of yoga and set the foundation for a solid yoga practice.

Our goal is that by the end of the retreat, you'll have established a routine for daily practice, begun to discover your own superpowers, and gained the tools you need to continue deepening your practice so that you can live your life to its fullest, most radiant potential.

You can find all the details about the retreat at our Finding Your Superpowers page. Please don't hesitate to call (944-0426) or email me if you have any questions or concerns.

Now I'd love to hear from you! In the Comments below, please tell me what superpowers (or other benefits) you've gained from regular yoga and/or meditation practice. Every once in a while someone tells me about how their yoga practice has helped them reduce their blood pressure medicine or helped their chronic back pain. I'd love to hear your success story! Lots of love, Zelinda