YOGAGODDESS

Mariel Hemingway is the ultimate Yogagoddess. She represents yoga well as providing an example of finding health and balance. As much as I love beautiful yoga asana, incorporating it into your every moment of every day of your life is what it is about. The calmness you find in breathing into your body can be a metaphor for the meditation of life.

For me, the moving my practice off the mat has meant using the skill of breath and mindfulness into gardening, dancing, cooking, and biking.

My mind was very jittery yesterday for example. I had an early morning at home practice and then a busy day. When it was all over, I couldn't wait to jump on my bike and start riding out into the country roads and absorb the beauty around me. There are new flowers out, birds and bugs, and the gentle breeze was like pranayama moving through everything, uniting all into one.

Mariel starts her day with meditation. Five or ten minutes can really take you into the present. Sitting and stillness are the hardest yoga practices, but taking it one breath and moment at a time and then moving into some asana can help you make your practice go on and on all day long, no matter what you are doing.