Preparing for my author event at Bikram Yoga Riverdale this Saturday, I'm reflecting on how yoga helps my writing.
Yoga is a moving meditation. It allows me to focus on breathing and poses for 90 minutes during which I become calm. When my mind wanders, I practice “breathing” and “smiling,” two valuable habits.

Yoga helps rest and restore my analytical mind.
I've practiced yoga since my teens. It restores my body from the risks of sedentary desk work: sitting, hunching, staring at a computer screen, and using a mouse. The poses strengthen and relax me and when I feel strong and healthy, my creative ideas flow better. Creative ideas that I may have been working on “in background” arrive as new possibilities to my conscious mind. I often come home from yoga class with solutions to creative challenges.
One of my favorite teaches, Ambiya Binta, says that eventually everyone who practices yoga will experience crying on the mat. The combination of mindfulness and relaxation allows a space and time for my feelings to arise and be attended to. Being open to my feelings makes me a more compassionate writer.
If you'd like to try a Bikram Yoga class, mention “Author Event” and get the discount rate of $15. See the Bikram Yoga website for locations and schedules. Namaste.