A Thank-You to My Yoga Teacher

Dear Anaya,

I came to your Tuesday evening class at the community center last January, mostly because my doctor told me to "find something calming." I was stiff and skeptical and could not touch my toes. I still can't touch my toes, for the record.

But you made the class feel like the warmest room in the city. You learned everyone's names in the first week. You laughed when you lost your balance and told us that falling is part of the practice. You played soft music and dimmed the lights and always ended with "Thank you for showing up for yourselves."

I didn't know I needed to hear that every week. I've come almost every Tuesday for a year now. I sleep better. I'm calmer with my kids. I've made three friends in the back row.

Thank you for showing up for us.