“Not only are bloggers suckers for the remarkable, so are the people who read blogs.” - Seth Godin

Become More Graceful, Calm, and Relaxed – with Yoga:

Years ago, I became friends with Donna, an instructor of Vinyasa yoga at a yoga studio near where I lived in Maryland at the time. Soon after we became acquainted, I asked her what originally prompted her interest in yoga. She explained that she had always led an active lifestyle and was fairly athletic and flexible growing up—the polar opposite of me!

One day, she tried out a yoga class at a spa that she frequented with her husband for rest and relaxation. Having taken ballet as a young woman and delighting in its graceful movements, she was quickly impressed by yoga’s “lines, beauty, and grace.” We belonged to the same church and even before I got to know her, I always noticed Donna’s graceful and calm demeanor. 

The backward bend shown below is a pose that helps you become more graceful

Shortly after, Donna began taking yoga classes and became hooked. She reveled in the increased strength (the concept of lifting her own weight in certain yoga poses intrigued her) and refreshed mind and spirit that yoga practice gave her. After taking more classes she enrolled in teacher training. Since then, she has been teaching weekly classes and offering private instruction to enthusiastic students, part-time.

Donna’s principal vocation is as a professional writer—she had a long-time stint as a recognized Washington Post columnist, she wrote and published a poignant memoir about growing up with three brothers, and continues to write thought-provoking pieces for leading newspapers. I don’t doubt that yoga has been her secret sauce for staying stay calm when facing the pressures of meeting writing deadlines.

Yes, based on Donna’s and others’ experiences, a consistent practice of gentle yoga and other forms of yoga that coordinate your breath with fluid movement can make you more graceful, calm and relaxed. So why not start a yoga practice today?

The full locust pose shown below requires you to lift a lot of your body weight