start from the beginning

i was thrilled to come across this news segment about full-figured women doing yoga, (1) because it highlights a yoga studio in harlem(!!!) and (2) because it gets the word out that yoga is for everyone and that you don't have to be rail thin or a human gumby to recieve the benefits of yoga.  yoga is not some mystical idea, it's real and it's about getting into your own body. 

awareness is the first step.  as one of my teachers, alison west, says, "you must start from where you are."  it sounds so simple, yet some many people (myself included) get caught up in what they think the ideal posture or meditation practice should be.  instead start by acknowledging how you're feeling (happy, grumpy, etc.), if you have any cranky body parts and go from there. 

the yoga lesson:  yoga is a universal practice for the individual - as in everyone can do it, but it is unique to each person, so you get to decide what it is for you.