Stress is a five letter word that most of us have in our daily lives. Stress effects so many aspects of our life from our social well being, our physical health and emotional state. Stress can also be good. Did you know that? Stress can help you accomplish things through out the day. It is what kicks your butt into gear when otherwise you might not have desire to get things done. So when I talk about stress, don’t think that it is all bad but also know that the stress I am referring to is the stress that overcomes your life. The stress that piles up and doesn’t seem to have an end, this is the stress I am talking about. While I don’t have any miraculous answers, I just want to tell you a little story about a stressful time in my life.

I was working part time, two kids and a house. I have a wonderful husband who was also working full time and going to school full time. We have bills that just wouldn’t let up and stress that kept piling on. During this time I was also diagnosed with cancer and started treatments that made me awful sick to say the least. I felt inadequate in almost every aspect of my life and could see no way out. It was during this period of my life that I found yoga and meditation. I can’t say that it cured my cancer or paid my bills. But what it did do for me was make it easier for me to handle the stressed that I faced day in and day out. Starting out with yoga and meditation, I felt a little silly. I didn’t know what I was doing and I felt like everyone was watching my inadequacies. It felt like another stress. But as I continued my yoga practice, I began to feel my stresses melting away (only temporary of course) and I was able to find a peace that had been lacking in my life.