Today I started a two-week yoga challenge that realistically will take three weeks because #life. In the first video, Fiji talks about how this time of year there are not a lot of leaves on the trees because the leaves know they have to let go of the past. It was while we were standing in tree pose, and I struggled (and tried to smile through it!) to stay away from swaying too much.

My lack of yoga last year was because of my half marathon training, and also because of my wrist injury in soccer. But in 2016, I want to focus on yoga again because I miss the strength of my body, I miss the peace it brings, and I miss the calm. Although I’m glad I ran a half marathon, I want to balance my cardio with strength training, and I can think of no better way to do that than yoga.

Hopefully this challenge will remind me of the reasons I love yoga – today’s class already calmed me after a day of cooking and a weekend of standing which left my hips tight. It was the perfect Sunday-evening destress heading into another week.

I want to be like the leaves. I want to let it go. I want to move forward and recognize the past and leave it under me, moving forward to the light of spring. Let’s hope this yoga challenge can help me in 2016 center myself and stay true and light in the busiest of times (as 2016 is already shaping up to be!)

Namaste, everyone.