I BEGAN STUDYING AND PRACTICING YOGA ABOUT 25 YEARS AGO.  I ALWAYS FIND IT FASCINATING TO HEAR PEOPLE'S VARIETY OF STORIES ABOUT WHAT PROMPTED THEM TO START YOGA.  FOR ME,  (OR SO I THOUGHT) I WAS ON THE HUNT FOR A STRONG, WISE TEACHER/MENTOR.  I DID NOT KNOW HOW THIS WAS GOING TO COME INTO MY LIFE, BUT I KNEW I NEEDED SOMEONE TO HELP ME NAVIGATE AND  STAY IN MY  CENTER AS MY LIFE WAS CHANGING. I WAS  PUTTING MYSELF OUT IN WORLD AND EXPANDING.  MY SELF-DOUBT WOULD  COME ON IN WAVES, AS WOULD THE KNOWING THAT I WAS MOVING IN EXACTLY THE RIGHT DIRECTION.  I WAS IN GRADUATE SCHOOL STUDYING CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY, WORKING IN A DEMANDING INTERNSHIP AS A THERAPIST IN TRAINING AND ALSO LEADING WOMENS SPIRITUAL SOUL EMPOWERMENT CIRCLES.  THERE WERE MOMENTS WHEN I FELT OVER MY HEAD.  AROUND THIS TIME A WOMAN CAME TO MY GROUP AND SAID SHE WAS STUDYING WITH AN AMAZING TEACHER, GURU SINGH, WHO TAUGHT KUNDALINI YOGA. AT THAT TIME I WAS PASSIONATELY INVOLVED IN ECSTATIC DANCE.  IT WOULD TAKE ME INTO A DEEP, CREATIVE, BLISSFUL INNER SPACE THAT I TREASURED.  I HAD NEVER THOUGHT YOGA WAS MY THING.  TOO CHILL, TOO DIRECTIVE ETC. BUT SOMETHING WAS TELLING ME TO CHECK OUT THIS CLASS AND TEACHER.  IT WAS ELECTRIFYING.  HIS WISDOM, HIS POWER, THE PHYSICAL PRACTICE THE GONG MEDITATION , HIS PURE, HIGH VIBRATION.  THIS WAS THE REAL DEAL AND I WAS HOOKED. TWO  YEARS LATER I GOT MY FIRST CERTIFICATION IN TEACHING.  I TOLD MYSELF IT WAS SIMPLY TO DEEPEN MY PRACTICE AND NEVER REALLY ENVISIONED I HAD WHAT IT TOOK TO BECOME A TEACHER.  BUT AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, I WAS OFFERED MY FIRST CLASS AND BEGAN TEACHING AT SANTA MONICA YOGA WHERE I WOULD CONTINUE TO TEACH FOR THE NEXT   ALMOST TWENTY YEARS.  I SOON REALIZED THAT I WANTED MORE TRAINING AND BEGAN STUDYING AND PRACTICING AT YOGAWORKS WHERE I BUILT A DEEPENING UNDERSTANDING OF THE MECHANICS, SEQUENCING, ELEMENTS OF ASHTANGA AND IYENGAR AND GOT TO LEARN FROM SO MANY GREAT, INSPIRING TEACHERS. THEIR GRACE AND GENEROUS SPIRITS HAD ME IN AWE AND I CONTINUED TO HONE MY OWN TRADEMAKE TYPE OF CLASS.  IT BECAME A GENTLE FLOW HATHA-BASED, MEDITATIVE AND MINDFUL, OFTEN THEME-BASED, POETRY AND MUSIC MIX INSPIRED CLASS.  THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT BEING AN OPEN HEART AND CREATING A SAFE AND SUPPORTIVE SPACE WHERE PEOPLE FELT A LOT OF PERMISSION TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES IN A RESPECTFUL WAY. NOW TWENTY PLUS YEARS LATER, I AM STILL IN LOVE WITH YOGA AND HOW IT MAKES ME FEEL. TO CARVE OUT A TIME JUST FOR ME TO TUNE INTO MYSELF, TO BREATHE A LITTLE MORE CONSCIOUSLY, TO RESET MY PERSPECTIVE AND TO CHECK IN WITH THE "SACRED TEMPLE" OF MY BODY.   I AM ABLE TO BEGIN ANEW OVER AND OVER AND SET AN INTENTION FOR MY DAY AND HOPEFULLY BRING A LITTLE MORE KINDNESS AND PEACE OUT INTO THE WORLD. I LOVE TAPPING INTO THE ANCIENT NATURE OF YOGA AND THE OPEN-ENDED OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN NOT ONLY THE POSES BUT A STRUCTURE AND SUPPORT FOR STAYING BALANCED,  ENHANCED,AND UNIFIED ON ALL LEVELS. .I THINK IT BRINGS OUT THE BEST IN ME AND MAKES ME HAPPY. TEACHING HAS GIVEN ME SO MANY PRECIOUS MOMENTS OF GUIDING OTHERS TO HONOR THE LIGHT AND WISDOM WITHIN AND WITNESSING THIS TIME AND TIME AGAIN IS TOUCHING AND  HELPS ME TO REMEMBER, TOO. MY YOGA PRACTICE IS A GENTLE ONE THESE DAYS.  IT COULD BE TEN MINUTES OF SIMPLE STRETCHES AND A FEW SUN SALUTES,  OR A FEW LONG RESTORATIVE POSES ; IT'S ALWAYS CHANGING. HOWEVER IT UNFOLDS, WHAT FEELS MOST IMPORTANT IS TAKING TIME FOR MYSELF TO RELAX, CHECK IN ,  PRACTICE BEING PRESENT AND OPEN TO  WHATEVER IS THERE. I LOVE TO BREATHE AND THE UJJAYI BREATH (THE VICTORY BREATH) IS A TOOL I USE ON AND OFF THE MAT.  I AM REMINDED MORE THESE DAYS OF HOW IMPORTANT FLEXIBILITY IS IN ALL STAGES OF LIFE, BUT SEEMS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT THESE DAYS AS I  GET OLDER.  ONE OF MY TEACHERS SAYS, "AFTER ALL IS SAID AND DONE, MASTERING THE POSES AND LEARNING TO TOUCH YOUR TOES VERY LITTLE HAPPENS, UNLESS SOMEWHERE ALONG  THE WAY, YOU HAVE LEARNED TO OPEN YOUR HEART".   THAT IS WHY I LOVE YOGA.