Anna Maria
From Brussels, Belgium
I’ve been training my whole life...
...gymnastics, swimming, running, karate, you name it.
And while I loved it, there was always one thing: I ended up exhausted. No matter how fit I was, my body always felt drained afterward.
Yoga changed that.
It wasn’t instant, but over time, yoga showed me that movement could give energy, not just take it away.
I first tried yoga in 2016, attended a couple of retreats in 2018, but it wasn’t until Covid hit, with all its stillness and restrictions, that I truly committed. That’s when yoga shifted from something I did to something I needed.
Ashtanga became my anchor.
It’s like a meditation in motion - steady breath, focused mind and the same sequence day after day. It’s not always perfect (my mind still wanders) but there’s something deeply grounding in the repetition. It builds strength, calms my mind and keeps me steady.
At my age (and yes, I feel it sometimes), balance can be tricky, like climbing onto trains, gardening, reaching high shelves. But Ashtanga helps. It strengthens my body and sharpens my balance, so everyday things don’t become harder than they need to be.
I practice now with the future in mind. I’ve seen people my age walking slowly, relying on canes or walkers and I don’t want that. Yoga feels like insurance for my future. It’s my way of staying strong, agile, and independent for as long as possible. Sure, I can still climb ladders (though I prefer someone nearby just in case), but more than that, I trust my body more deeply than I ever have.
That’s why I keep practicing. Every time I step on the mat, I’m not just moving for today, I’m investing in the years ahead.
And honestly? I only wish I’d started 30 years ago...
Photo by Scott Johnson
Shared with People of Yoga
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