The average American adult spends about a third of their waking hours sitting down. Yoga is an accessible exercise and an intentional practice that can go a long way in preserving our well-being when we are swept up in deadlines and meeting the daily demands of adult life. The benefits of physical activity, such as midday yoga, are plentiful. Here are four examples.

1. Counteract tech neck. The typical adult hunches over a desk or mobile device for over 6 hours a day, staring downward, straining their shoulders and neck. These repetitive postures can create tension and pain, leading to syndromes like tech neck.

2. Offer full-body stretches. Yoga incorporates full-body stretching and shifts mental attention to the body and breath. This switch interrupts the destructive sedentary patterns, loosening muscles and reducing stress on your neck and shoulders.

3. Improve back pain. Not only is yoga helpful for upper body pain, but it is also the first line of treatment for chronic low back pain. Basic stretches, like the cat-cow pose, ease pain and improve mobility.

4. Better manage stress. Yoga supports stress management, mental health, healthy eating, weight loss, and quality sleep. It is a gentle way to release mental and physical stress caused by sitting and responding to work requirements most of the day.

Start reaping the benefits of yoga by bridging your day with stillness and vigorous movement every Thursday at 12p EST with my Yin/Yang Yoga flow. This in-person class is excellent for beginners and anybody curious about yin yoga.

Check out my yoga class schedule and sign up today!

Toni Morrison on love

I love you like I love myself.

I don’t know about you, but loving relationships teach me so much about myself. Life is full of teachers, and I feel it’s worthwhile to stay open to lessons. Learning, unlearning, and relearning what love looks and feels like begins by looking at our relationship with ourselves.

Here are some things to think and write about as you explore these ideas:

• How was love initially illustrated to you?

• How do those illustrations show up in your current loving relationships?

• How can you better love yourself?