My yoga guides had always told me not to push or force anything, but I always tuned their words out. Even worse, I had been tuning myself out. Deep down I knew the pain I was experiencing wasn't a good thing, but I was letting what I thought to be right override what I felt to be true.

The anatomy of yoga teaches us that a lot of our emotions are held in our hips, and perhaps this is the reason why I'm walking quickly, to make sure that nothing will settle, or open up, or release, for too long. I suppose that several years of living in New York, coupled with my inherited biological traits, have programmed me to believe that I must always look like I'm going somewhere, and in a hurry, even when I'm not.

Yoga just might be our GPS for the soul. Yoga, the science of physical, mental and spiritual self-transformation is an ancient discipline that seeks union between the individual consciousness and the universal consciousness.

Many people refer to a single point of awakening at which recovery and transformation begin. It may be a near-death experience, a rite of passage, or even a poignant word from a friend that makes us pause and re-evaluate.

As I rested, I thought about what Andrew had said -- how we must take the time to practice self-care -- and how I must allow the effort of being a stubborn, self-sufficient yogi to dissolve into openness and surrender. This work -- on the mat, resting, in a roomful of people -- can ignite profound change.

For many people, yoga is about stretching and strengthening the body, exploring challenging postures, or managing the stress of daily life. Or it may be "just" about the great sense of well-being one feels after a yoga practice.

Yoga emphasizes the concept of "intention," or mindfulness. We all too often forget to be purposeful in our everyday actions and conversations. By utilizing the language of yoga, we create a mind-body connection.