Yoga Was Never Meant to Be a Workout: The Real Practice of Yoga Starts Long Before the Mat
For many people, yoga is first encountered as a physical practice. It appears as movement, stretching, strength, or a class on a schedule. While the physical aspect of yoga can be meaningful and beneficial, it represents only a small fraction of what yoga actually is.
From the Year of the Snake to the Year of the Horse: A Personal Reflection
As the Year of the Snake comes to a close, I find myself looking back not with nostalgia, but with reverence. This was not a year of visible milestones or tidy victories. It was a year of reckoning. Of survival. Of shedding layers that had grown too tight to breathe in.
This is My Busy: The Invisible Work of Regulating Yourself
“I’m busy” is often assumed to mean meetings, deadlines, obligations, productivity.
Sometimes it does.
But sometimes what I mean is that I’m busy managing what’s happening inside my body, and the way my mind responds.
You’re Not “Overreacting,” Medical Test Results Are Often Delivered Poorly
Last year, I had my first mammogram. It showed masses in each breast, which meant I had to come back for additional testing. I remember thinking, but it was my first time, you can’t get breast cancer your first time, as if there were some invisible grace period no one had told me didn’t exist.
Winter Workouts: Or How I Accidentally Burned Calories Just Existing
Shoveling Snow: Roughly 370–715 calories per hour depending on effort and body weight, with vigorous hand shoveling on the higher end.
Using a Snow Blower: Burns fewer calories — around 200 calories per hour while walking and pushing the machine.
Cold/Shivering: Cold exposure itself can increase energy expenditure through shivering and brown fat activation — estimates of 100–400 calories per hour are typical for shivering, although this varies widely with temperature and individual factors.
