One of my wonderful husband’s first gifts to me almost 10 years ago – while we were dating and I was struggling as a single parent – was to encourage me to re-enroll in yoga classes. Every Monday evening, Ken would watch Maria (who was then 4 yrs. old) and serve her dinner so I could take 90 minutes to nurture my body and soul. After Savasana (or corpse pose), the instructor Jane would say, “Now, bring your knees to your chest, roll to your right side and give yourself a gentle loving hug.” I would often tear up at this point as I was fragile from several years of being in what I called, “survival mode.” These weekly sessions of self nourishment coincided with many positive turning points in my life (well, really for all three of us) as we became a grateful and solid family unit. I like to think yoga contributed to that solid foundation.

So if you are feeling low today, I invite you to take several deep breaths, and give yourself a gentle, loving hug and know that you are loved, and as author Linda Pendleton often says, “You are never alone.”