Most of the woman struggle each day with judgements about their physical selves. Some don't like to see themselves in the mirror , others rely on the mirror to find their happiness through satisfaction.

After all, it's not easy to unite an "image-conscious" world with a yogic point of view that believes that the body is a simple vessel to navigate on a spiritual path.

But yoga practice creates an opportunity for us to re-create our relationship with our body. While we may have come to the mat looking for a "yoga butt " when we get there, we're usually so focused on directing breath or feeling the alignment in our hips that we forget about our appearance. Yoga makes us focus on how we feel rather then how we look : By enabling us to go inward it encourages us to let go of our desires for our body and criticisms of it, and rather to enjoy its movements. Over time, this experiential relationship with our body may enable us to filter out social pressures and unrealistic expectations, and to accept ourselves as we are. "Yoga isn't a miracle. But it does allow us to recognize the miracle we inhabit", to move from a world that focuses on physical beauty and perfect bodies into one that teaches us to honor the energy our body offers.

Namaste, Catherine