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SignatureMT | 99 Strengthening Mind & Body through YOGA Get F it Text by Michelle Chenoweth | Photography by Jim Wells T here is no good or bad when it comes to yoga, only a willingness to be honest, present, and accountable to you. Starting a practice can be very intimidating. Whether you attend group classes, play on the mat at home, or work one on one, the practice of yoga is a very personal journey. It is an opportunity to explore more than just the flexibility of your body, but how you respond to the ebb and flow of the world you exist in. The word yoga means to yoke or connect. Connect to your life, your emotions, your mind, body and spirit. We all want to feel connected to something, to feel that our lives are important. Yoga is more than a workout, it is your time to slow down, to breathe mindfully, and greet yourself wherever you are in that moment, to connect to the most authen- tic you. Yoga exercises functional range of motion in the joints and spine and focuses on mindful movement and positioning of the body to increase strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, agility, cardiovascular, pulmonary, and bone health. Through mindful movement of the body and breath, yoga is also very ef- fective at managing stress and anxiety. The benefits of yoga are truly endless. This short sequence allows you to start at whatever level of intensity you seek and feel your ability and practice prog- ress over time. As you come to the mat, explore your intention. Move as slowly or quickly through the poses, and repeat as many times as you desire. Breathe. Feel. Let go. COW/CAT: Begin the practice on all fours. Shoulders over wrists and hips over knees. Begin to breathe in through the nostrils into the belly, ribs and chest. As you inhale feel the pel- vis tip forward deepening the curve in the back and expand- ing the front body. As you exhale engage the abdominals and draw the belly up and in rounding the back body like a cat. Tuck the tailbone under and chin to chest. Repeat until you feel well acquainted with the body and rhythm of the breath. DOWNWARD FACING DOG: This inversion brings hips to the sky, creating a long neutral spine from sacrum to crown, and an energetic stretch into the belly of the hamstrings. Feel the space around the collarbones open up as you press your shoulder blades strongly onto the back ribs. Draw the chest toward the thighs, and the sits bones back and wide. Root down through the heels and lengthen the back of the neck, gazing toward the knees. Breathe. Hold and explore as long as you like or flow into the next posture. You can modify this pose by coming off the mat and bringing hands to the wall.