In order to achieve the ‘self’ we desire, we have to push ourselves to do the things that we do not want to do. This could be your daily yoga practice, studying, cooking or even putting in the work to maintain relationships. The importance of yoga is most immediately seen when we have a routine. This helps create stability and consistency, which in turn produces quicker results. The more yoga we practice, the lower our cortisol and stress stuck within the body. The greatest benefit of yoga for me has been the stress that leaves the body. Sometimes it can take ten sessions before I truly feel unwound, and this is because a lack of daily practice. Going to a class a couple of times a week is good for your health, but it won’t change you. Only through a daily practice can you truly form the mind-body-spirit connection that is the core goal of yoga. So even if its for ten minutes, try to do some type of stretching. If you sit all day long, focus on your psoas muscles (runs from the lower back through the pelvis and inner thigh areas). If you don’t do the work to maintain these muscles now, it will be that much harder in the future. It also increases the chances of injury or spinal issues. Yoga is the key to maintaining a healthy spine, so don’t forget your cobra pose! Any time you stretch forward. it is a good idea to stretch backwards as well. We do not want to over strengthen one segment of the body and have an imbalance. The focus of your yoga is to build your core strength, everything else will fall in line as you do so.