​I practice yoga almost every day. Every day if I'm being disciplined but I do skip a day here and there sometimes too. Because as we all know, life seems to get in the way sometimes. But I do practice and have been practicing yoga for more than 20 years, mostly in my own home.

There are hundreds of studies available now showing the many benefits of yoga and how yoga can help in so many diagnoses as well. There are too many benefits to even list here but a few of them are: Improved athletic performance, weight reduction, maintaining balance metabolism, increased muscle strength and tone, increased flexibility and it even prevents cartilage and joint breakdown.

People ask me how do I get started? Well, obviously a beginners class would be great and I'm sure there are plenty of places in your area that have yoga classes available. I personally started in my own living room with a video that a friend had given me. Now there are hundreds, if not thousands, of videos readily available at your fingertips on youtube and you can access them from your smart phone or computer. Start slow. Yoga is not a competition. The more relaxed you are the better your practice will become. Just go to youtube and put Gentle Beginners Yoga and you will have many options. You can use a towel or blanket on your floor if you don't have a mat. Go slow and be kind to yourself. 

Mary Crawford, HealthCare Employment Network