As many of you already know, I have been a practicing yogi for several years but have given up going to my favorite Bikram studio recently due to overcrowding and a general feeling of unease when I walk in. I like a bit of personal space, and when this became an issue, I didn’t feel comfortable going any longer. I don’t like to feel trapped in a room with 70 other people, unable to breathe. There were several times when I would watch the sweat from my neighbor’s fingers drip slowly on my towel and I got a bit grossed out. Nothing personal, but if someone is going to sweat it out on my mat, it’s going to be me.

Months of stress and lack of exercise began to take their toll on my body, however; my muscles ached for a good stretching and I became unable to manage the everyday pressure of my 9-5. I was elated when I was contacted by My Yoga Online, an online yoga subscription service with hundreds of high-definition yoga, pilates, health, wellness, and meditation videos.

I have been using My Yoga Online for the past few weeks and am extremely happy with the videos I’ve found. It’s been wonderful to have this resource at my fingertips to practice yoga and meditate in my apartment whenever I like. This past weekend I greeted St. Patrick’s Day with a 27-minute Shanti Vinyasa Flow class taught by Shiva Rea. Her smooth voice gently guided me along and I melted into several poses I hadn’t practiced in months. Following this, I did a 13-minute Meditation and Mindful Living video. “When we live mindfully, we just live,” is a quote I have been repeating as a mantra to myself ever since. So simple and yet so poignant, isn’t it?

According to My Yoga Online, users are able to “…connect to our global community and experience yoga like never before. Our truly revolutionary concept helps us bring the physical, spiritual, and emotional benefits of our online classes to a global audience, improving quality of life for millions of people.” I especially enjoyed reading user reviews and saving select videos into a “favorites” folder to view later. It was interesting to see which yoga/meditation videos people gravitated towards, and to see the times of the day they preferred to try them.

Interested in trying a free two-week Premium unlimited membership to My Yoga Online? The first four people to express interest and comment here will receive a link to take advantage of this site. Additionally, My Yoga Online will award one lucky winner with a code for a one-year membership. Winner will be chosen at random; just leave your comment here.

I was compensated for this post and received a complimentary one-year Premium membership to My Yoga Online in exchange for this review. All opinions expressed herein are entirely my own. This post was sponsored by My Yoga Online.

single step

I arrived a half hour early, paid at the front desk, and snuck into the large yoga studio, air heavy with sweat, determination, frustration, and relief. I was nervous. This was my first bikram class in close to four months and I wasn’t entirely sure how I would handle it. I had given myself a pep talk at work and on my way up the steep stairs, convinced that if I didn’t get back on this horse now, I may come up with a laundry list of excuses for the rest of my life.

I’m tired. I’m not mentally prepared. What if my body can’t handle this any longer?

But those things weren’t really holding me back, I thought as I unfolded and stepped onto my mat. I had allowed my own fear to get in the way of my happiness and I was determined to see my way through it. I sat in anticipation and removed my tank top, revealing muscles that had stayed with me all these months later, and I remembered that yoga (and bikram in particular) is metaphoric for so many things in my life. It’s an intensely personal practice and one that reminds me of the fragility of life and the impermanence of it all. What I have lost in these past few months–including my papi, my dog, and sense of self–I have regained in the form of new opportunities, an appreciation for the term “bittersweet,” and an increased awareness of my place in this world.

Once the door shut, I focused on my breath and pushed my body in ways it hadn’t moved in quite sometime. I gave all I could, allowing the beads of sweat to gather in my browline. My muscles softened and stretched and I gave an inch more that I thought I could during standing tree pose.

Every now and then, my mind became distracted with thoughts about dinner, friends, Bryan, work, blogging, the meaning of life. But kindly this time, I escorted it back to the mat, to that place I had called home for so long. I was grateful and in the moment. I realized that months of mindful meditation practices had finally paid off.

I needed this. The pain, the sweat, the discomfort.

Because a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.