As someone who avoids crowded gyms and treks on the treadmill, I prefer to stretch my muscles and clear my mind in a peaceful and private environment. What better outlet than a yoga studio? A candlelit yoga session at Allen Yoga Center left my mind and body refreshed, relaxed, and ready for more.

Yoga is renowned for its amazing strength-conditioning, focusing heavily on stretching through various asanas, or physical poses, and the development of balance and flexibility. Supplemented with attentive awareness to breathing, yoga presents an opportunity for self-reflection, shedding light on any internal negativity and providing the means to expel such flawed thinking through its meditative properties.

I love that yoga has no competitive edge. Its use and practice is solely for the practitioner’s benefit. After my session, I felt less stressed, more flexible, and renewed physically, mentally, and spiritually. I know what I’ll be doing on Wednesday nights this fall! I would encourage everyone to try yoga at least once. Find a yoga center near you or stream a video online. To all the newbies, I have a feeling you’ll be hooked.

For our readers in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, the DFW Free Day of Yoga will be on September 5th, with yoga centers all over the Metroplex participating: http://www.dfwfreedayofyoga.com/.  There are classes for beginners and advanced students alike.  Hope to see you there!

Check out Free Yoga Days in other cities here!

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