What Yoga Has Taught Me (On and Off the Mat)

This post is one of the most personal I’ve written in a while because it holds the truth of a season I never expected to walk through — the one where I stepped away from yoga. Not because I stopped believing in it, but because I couldn’t bear to face what I knew would rise to the surface if I really slowed down and breathed again. I was grieving, exhausted, angry that the practice I had loved and taught for so long didn’t feel accessible to me in that moment. But the thing about yoga — the beautiful, patient thing — is that it waits for you. When I finally came back, slowly and imperfectly, yoga met me exactly where I was. No expectations. No judgment. Just breath, and space, and the quiet invitation to begin again.

I still remember one of the first times I stepped onto my yoga mat after becoming a caregiver. I wasn’t thinking about poses or flexibility—I just needed space to breathe. That moment, more than any class or training, showed me the true gift of yoga.

But there was a time when I walked away from my practice. Not physically—but emotionally, spiritually. I felt like yoga had let me down. I didn’t want to face what I knew would rise to the surface if I really slowed down and breathed again. I was stuck in a loop of whoa is me, feeling lost and overwhelmed. So I stopped showing up. I abandoned the very thing that had once grounded me.

What brought me back wasn’t a breakthrough moment on the mat—but the quiet realization that every doctor and therapist we met was telling my husband to use yoga and mindfulness to support his healing. That was the moment it clicked for me again: I already knew what would help us both. I had just been too sad, too tired, too heartbroken to practice.

So I started slowly. One day, I just sat on my mat. That was it. The next time, I did a few stretches after a workout. Another day, I meditated for five minutes before bed. These small reintroductions reminded me that yoga doesn’t have to be all or nothing. Our practice will ebb and flow, just like life.

Yoga has been a lifeline in seasons of overwhelm, transition, and deep healing. It’s taught me more than how to move—it’s taught me how to live.

Here are some of the biggest lessons yoga has gifted me—both on and off the mat:

1. Breath Before Reaction As a mom and caregiver, I’m constantly navigating unpredictable moments. Yoga taught me to pause, breathe, and respond instead of react. That simple inhale-exhale cycle has changed the way I show up—not just for myself, but for my family.

2. Presence Is a Practice Some days, being present feels effortless. Other days, it feels impossible. But yoga reminds me that presence isn’t about perfection—it’s about returning, again and again, to this moment. Whether I’m holding Warrior II or reading bedtime stories, I’ve learned to meet each moment with grace.

3. Strength Isn’t Just Physical Before yoga, I thought strength meant powering through. Now, I know that true strength includes vulnerability, softness, and surrender. Yoga taught me that asking for help or taking rest is a powerful form of resilience.

4. You Don’t Need to Be Perfect to Show Up There’s no such thing as a perfect yoga practice—and there’s no such thing as a perfect parent or caregiver either. Yoga taught me that what matters is showing up, exactly as I am.

These lessons are why I believe so deeply in the power of yoga—not just as exercise, but as a path to mindful living. No matter what season you're in, the mat will always welcome you back.

If you’ve ever felt called to deepen your own practice or to share this path with others, now is the time. Our 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training is open for enrollment & my brand new Yoga Basics course is opening enrollment on July 1st—and I’d love to support you on your journey.

Thanks for showing up with me today.