I was taking a Power Yoga class when 9/11 happened. It was called the Warrior Workout and was part of my plan to become a more fearless being. There is a lot I like about yoga. It allows for strengthening both your body and mind, while at the same time encouraging a sense of peace and acceptance.  In the style of yoga I was practicing at the time, one “position” is to lie on the floor and laugh from deep in your belly.  We did this in class the week after 9/11 and as I looked up at the ceiling and tried to center my breath, I tried to laugh, but the sound of all the laughter around me sounded like crying, so I cried instead.

I noticed that when I am practicing yoga, I am kinder to my body, to myself. I found that I am more forgiving of the parts that are not as strong because I feel other parts compensating. On my yoga mat, what I normally think of as my body's flaws transform into assets. For example, the thickness of my hips and legs sustains me as I sit with my legs crossed. What I earlier considered unwanted fat becomes support, and it even looks different, more powerful somehow. I wish...

 

 Salahub 2003