Let’s just get this out of the way: yoga can get pretty woo-woo.
And I say that as someone who teaches it.
Crystals. Moon cycles. Energetic alignment. I’ve seen it all. And while some of it makes me raise a skeptical eyebrow, I’ve also spent years in the fitness world reading the research. And here’s what I’ve learned:
Some of that woo? It’s backed by science. Which is why I’ve landed in this space where science and soul meet, and I’m pretty happy here.
Here’s something that might make you pause (or yell):
Stress doesn’t exist in the present.
Yup. I know. Take a breath. Throw a pillow. Yell into it if you need to. And then let me explain.
Stress lives in the future… and in the past.
When we’re stressed about the future, we’re thinking about things like:
- That looming deadline
- The never-ending to-do list
- The email you’ve been avoiding like it’s radioactive
When we’re stuck in stress from the past, we’re replaying:
- That one thing you said that you really wish you hadn’t
- A tough conversation with a friend
- The ripple effects of actions you can’t undo
Stress is time-traveling. It pulls us out of the now.
So what’s the fix?
Present moment awareness.
(And no, that doesn’t mean sitting cross-legged on a mountaintop in total silence.)
I won’t pretend that meditation is some magical fix-all. But it is a way to hit pause. Even just for a few minutes. To stop bouncing between past and future and check in with what’s actually happening right now.
When we practice present moment awareness—even in tiny doses—we start to shift how we respond to stress. We stop spinning. We breathe more deeply. We feel a little more grounded.
And the best part?
You don’t need anything fancy to get started.
There are great tools out there like Insight Timer for guided meditations, but I’ve also recorded a super simple one that you can try right now. You might only need to hear it once to be able to do it on your own.
Listen to this Free Audio Meditation
Let it be easy.
Let it be enough.
And if you try it, I’d love to hear how it went. Even if it was awkward or uncomfortable or made you fall asleep halfway through—your experience matters. And if you need something a little different, I’ll help you find it.
We don’t need to escape our stress completely.
But we can change our relationship to it.
With warmth and gratitude,
