Every once in a while, life hands us a conversation that lingers long after it’s over—one that makes us stop, reflect, and see the world through a different lens.

Not just in food, but in how we live, how we move, how we speak to ourselves, and how we see the world around us. Sweetness is a balm. It restores us, softens us, and reminds us of the beauty that’s always present.

Some days, it’ll feel magical. Other days, it might feel hard, or even frustrating. But each time you show up, you’re creating a space to connect. To listen. To remember who you are beneath the noise.

Have you ever noticed how life has a rhythm all its own? Just when we feel like we’ve settled into a groove, something shifts.

When we take time to slow down—whether it’s once a week or once a day—we allow the wisdom of the body to surface. We get quiet enough to hear what’s underneath the noise. We learn to trust the pauses.

Ayurveda looks at each person as a whole being — mind, body, and spirit — and sees health as a balance of these parts, in harmony with nature.

Yoga actually has a lot to say about creativity. In the Yoga Sutras, Patanjali teaches that our true self—Ātman—is already whole, already full of light and creative energy.

Here’s the truth: when we’re triggered—especially by conflict—our nervous system goes into fight-or-flight mode. The logical part of the brain shuts down, and our primal brain takes over. That’s why we say things we don’t mean. That’s why we can’t think clearly. That’s why everything feels like a threat.

Yoga helps us become aware of these natural rhythms—not just in our bodies, but in our lives. Through mindful movement and breath, we start to recognize that expansion and contraction are both necessary.

The world doesn’t need more perfection. It doesn’t need more judgment. It needs more love.

I think many of us fall into this pattern of imitation because we’re afraid. We’re afraid we don’t measure up. We believe the lie that someone else’s version of success is the only version.

Somehow, over the years, yoga has developed a reputation for being... exclusive. You know what I mean—images of perfectly toned bodies in sleek leggings, practicing on a pristine mountaintop or in a candlelit studio with the ideal ambiance.

How Yin and Restorative Look Similar—But Feel Very Different

If you walked by a Yin class and a Restorative class, you might think they’re the same. They’re both slow. Both happen mostly on the floor. Both involve long holds.

But they serve very different purposes.

But this is the thing: our dogs are our spiritual companions. They teach us to love unconditionally. They model presence in ways we humans struggle to embody. And they show up—even if their version of “asana” is just taking a nap next to the mat.

If I had a dollar for every time someone looked me dead in the eye and said, “I can’t do yoga because I can’t touch my toes,” I’d be floating around the globe teaching yoga from a private jet—or at the very least, sipping something sparkly from a hammock in Bali.

Let’s just say it: yoga has a bit of a PR problem.

Somewhere along the way, especially in Western culture, yoga got packaged as a trendy workout—a way to get long, lean muscles, tone your abs, and maybe show off a headstand on Instagram. And hey, there’s nothing wrong with building strength or feeling good in your body (those are beautiful things!). But that’s just a tiny piece of what yoga really is.

Yoga isn’t a fitness routine—it never was.

One of the most common things you’ll hear in a yoga class is that twisting poses “detox the liver and organs.” I’ve heard it. I’ve probably even said it years ago. And let’s be honest—it sounds amazing. Who wouldn’t want to squeeze out all the toxins and walk away from practice like a brand-new person?

One of the most profound ways yoga supports mental health is through nervous system regulation. This might sound scientific, but it’s actually quite intuitive.

Your nervous system has two main settings: sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest). In our fast-paced world, many of us get stuck in the sympathetic mode, constantly alert, on edge, and exhausted.

Yoga gently invites us into the parasympathetic mode, where healing happens.