Growing up, I was steeped in the values of doing, achieving, and productivity. My parents, like so many others, instilled this focus on action: Do the thing. Get it done. Sound familiar to any of you?

While I have worked to soften the edges of this well-intentioned conditioning, I have moments where I appreciate it.

How to sustain a yogic mindset amidst the drama and challenges of life? Practice.

One of the more well-known sutras in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras describes the need to live your yoga with such commitment that it becomes completely established in you. Towards the end of our program we discussed at length the importance of maintaining our daily Sadhana – our practices. Our amazing teachers did not mince words – to teach yoga from a place of authenticity and skill, we need to live our Yoga. Learn to prioritize our inner world over the external world.

A tall order in this busy life.

At Yoga Garden we don't view instructors as replaceable cogs in a machine. We see them as individuals, each bringing their unique styles and perspectives to the practice of yoga. While I totally grasp the allure of predictability, a hallmark of many corporate chains peddling everything from burgers to clothing to homes, our approach celebrates the diversity and authenticity of our teachers and the many wonderful ways that Yoga can look and feel.

I want to encourage everyone, everywhere to meditate. It seems like such a big commitment AND it truly can change your life.