Tender Mercies

The stereotypical yoga image is a tall, slender woman, wearing revealing clothing while balancing in some outrageously impossible pose, or some old guru sitting in a cross-legged position in deep meditation. Luckily this isn't the case, for I will be the first to admit that I have practiced yoga in my pajamas and I'm still working on those ridiculously hard poses. Yoga is something that came into my life right when I needed it the most. It was at a time when I had overused my body in excessive exercise, a time when "the blues" were heading towards deep depression. Yoga was a gift from God that helped me dig deep to find my inner beauty. Yoga was a gift that led me to a place where I could connect with a Greater strength than my own. Yoga was a gift that gave me the opportunity to keep moving and strengthening my body when I had to stop all other forms of exercise. Yoga was a gift that has truly altered and shaped my life for the better.  Two years ago I ...

Oh fall. A season where we are reminded of the reality of change in our lives. Change is hard. But it is also beautiful, just as this oak tree in my front yard.  A couple of years ago I was given a dress from a friend.  Back then it slid right off of me, but I put it in my closet to wear in a future time when I was "pregnant and bigger." As a military wife, I have opportunities to dress up for various balls, so it's always nice to have something in the closet. Last semester I was told that there would be an ROTC ball this fall, so when I tried on the said dress in May, it fit perfectly. I was so happy that I had something already to wear for next week's ball. Last night I tried on the dress, one week before the event. It was a good 2 inches too small! I couldn't believe it. I finally thought my weight had stabilized, but I continue to increase, especially over this past month. I don't know why.  I suppose that 8 years of restricting calories a...