Yoga. The zen. The movement. The relaxation. Something I’ve loved for years, something I always say I should do more of, something that makes everything feel just a little bit lighter.
Tonight’s class? Chair yoga. Yep, the kind designed for older adults or anyone who needs a little extra support. And listen—I used to think it wouldn’t be real yoga if I wasn’t flowing through poses on a mat, but turns out, that was just my ego talking. Chair yoga is still yoga. Still breathing, still stretching, still forcing me to slow down, which—let’s be honest—is the hardest part.
I walked into class thinking, Okay, this will be nice and easy—just some light stretching, a little deep breathing, maybe a moment of zen. What I didn’t expect was the sheer number of cracks my body would make in the first five minutes. It was like my joints were staging a full-on protest against weeks of neglect. But honestly? It felt good—the kind of good that makes you wonder why you don’t do this more often.
Meanwhile, outside, a snowstorm is creeping in. Not a full-blown blizzard, but enough to trigger a little panic in my Texas-raised soul. The roads, the ice, the general chaos that comes with winter weather—it all lingered in the back of my mind. But despite that, despite the worry, despite the mild stress of it all, I still left feeling better. My body felt looser, my mind a little lighter.
And yet, every time life gets stressful, yoga is never the first thing I think of.
It’s funny how easy it is to forget these little things that help us relax. Out of sight, sometimes out of mind. Even though I know yoga helps me, I still let life get in the way. I get caught up in the chaos, pushing forward without stopping to check in with myself. And then, when I finally step into a class, when I finally take that first deep breath, I remember—oh yeah, this helps. This makes everything feel just a little less heavy.
I don’t always carry tension, but when I do, yoga helps me let it go. It’s the thing that pulls me back when my mind wants to go elsewhere. It teaches me to be still when I want to run, to breathe when I want to overthink, to trust that I don’t have to be in control of everything. And beyond the mental benefits? It’s just good for you. Stress relief, lower cortisol, better flexibility, stronger muscles—it’s like a full-body reset.
So tonight, I’ll sit. I’ll stretch. I’ll breathe. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll actually start making this a habit instead of just something I tell myself I should do.
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