​I’ve been practicing yoga since I was 18. I'm 51 now — so I’ve been at this most of my life. ​​ When I first encountered yoga, it wasn’t a fitness trend or a performance practice. It was taught as a path of awareness, presence, and spiritual development. My earliest teachers were mature practitioners — people in their 60s, 70s, even 80s — and their wisdom shaped my growth. ​​ At the same time, I’ve always been a bit of a body-geek. I've trained in anatomy, physiology, and understanding how the body actually works. I’ve worked deeply with injury recovery, chronic pain, and therapeutic movement, and I’ve watched yoga trends come and go. ​ Along the way, I’ve seen how easily yoga — whether approached for fitness or spirituality — can turn into another kind of striving or self-improvement project. When that happens, it can subtly lead to self-criticism and depletion rather than deep connection and a sense of wholeness.