Today, I prepared for my yoga practice by reading from "Meditations for the Mat" by Rolf Gates and Katrina Kenison. I picked a sequence of poses from Yoga Journal, and sat down on my mat to read. One line really stood out to me, and gave my practice purpose:

"Let your practice be a refuge from the need to control."

Reading that, my heart felt lighter, and I was eager to begin. I eased through the sequence, conscious of my body and its movements. I focused on aligning my breath with the transitions, and in doing so, let the worries of the day fade away.

I can't control other people's thoughts or actions. Most days, I struggle to control my own. And I certainly can't control the Navy. (For those who don't know, I am married to a Submariner.) Even though all of that is obvious, I recognize that I have trouble truly accepting it.

Practicing yoga is one way to help myself let it go, and calm my mind from the worries over lack of control. I hope that in this year of yoga, I can learn to carry the calm I find while doing yoga into the rest of my life, and be a better person for it.

Namaste