Yoga Is Not What You Think It Is

When I opened The Mind-Body Connection, I didn’t know exactly what it would become.

But I did know one thing: I didn’t want it to be another business or studio that marketed yoga as fitness—or even as a “spiritual practice.” Because that’s not what yoga truly is.

Yoga is becoming more of what we authentically are.

That’s what this studio has been for me—a place to learn, to grow, and to resonate with who I really am.

And if I’m being completely honest (I probably shouldn’t admit this, but here it is): I don’t actually care about the yoga classes.

Yes, we offer them. People expect classes when they come to a yoga studio, so of course they’re part of the experience. But what I love isn’t the class itself.

What I love is the energy after class.

The laughter in the lobby. The deep breath someone takes when they finally let go. The way strangers become friends. The way community happens naturally when people show up real and open.

What I love is the growth I see in Healing Foundations—when members share honestly, learn from one another, and discover they already have what they’ve been searching for. And even more, what I learn from them.

What I love is watching students in Yoga Teacher Training overcome fears and doubts they thought would hold them back forever, and step into a confidence they didn’t know they had. Not to gain the identity of “yoga teacher,” but to let yoga flow through them.

THIS is yoga.

Traditionally, yoga wasn’t something you did on a rubber mat. It wasn’t about nailing the pose. It was about self-inquiry, self-discovery, and inner transformation.

And honestly, the last two years of owning this studio have been a struggle. Trying to grow a new business in a shaky economy. Spending too much time listening to people tell me how to “market yoga”—how to make it sound like fitness, or stress relief, or self-care. I thought I had to do it that way just to get people in the door.

But here’s what I’ve learned: none of that matters.

Because yoga is authenticity.

It’s the moments we stop resisting life and start living it—even when it’s uncomfortable. It’s the courage to be who we really are, not who we think we’re supposed to be.

That’s why I love teaching Healing Foundations. Because in that space, I get to see people become more authentically themselves—and I get to be more authentically me. And that, to me, is the heart of yoga.

Yoga is not about escaping life—it’s about stepping into it more fully. It’s about learning how to breathe when things feel heavy. How to sit with yourself when the world feels loud. How to find freedom even when the mind wants to hold on tight.

For me, yoga is not about perfecting postures—it’s about softening the posture of who we think we have to be. It’s the courage to live without the masks, without the scripts, without the constant proving.

And when I look around this studio, I see that happening.

I see people leaving class lighter than when they walked in. I see friendships forming in the lobby that never would have happened otherwise. I see the tears, the laughter, the breakthroughs. I see people choosing to be real—and in that realness, becoming powerful.

That’s why this place exists. Not to sell memberships. Not to convince anyone to “do yoga.” But to create a space where you remember yourself.

Because when you do, everything changes.

And that’s the journey I’m still on too. The studio isn’t just for our community—it’s my teacher as well. Every day I learn from you. Every day I am reminded that yoga is not a class we take, it’s a life we live. Together. It’s the unity we share.

So if you ever wonder what The Mind-Body Connection is really about, it’s this: authenticity, growth, and connection.

It’s about becoming more of who you already are.

That is yoga.