Why Movement Is My Lifeline (and Has Been for Over 35 Years)
I’ve just returned from a few weeks in the UK visiting family. The days were warm, the evenings beautifully long, and life had that unhurried, summer-holiday feeling.
But even with the change of pace — the catch-ups, the indulgences, the slower mornings — one thing stayed constant. My yoga and movement practice.
I’ve always loved movement. Long walks, hiking a good hill, step classes — they all have their place in keeping me strong and healthy. But yoga is different.
It’s not just exercise. It’s movement with the breath — a meditation in motion.
That’s the magic. The breath anchors you. It slows the chatter in your mind, it allows you to move with control instead of force, and it brings you fully into the present. No other form of movement has given me that same blend of physical strength, flexibility, and mental clarity.
After 35 years of practice, I know it’s this combination that’s kept me thriving through different decades, different countries, and different seasons of life.
And it’s not just my experience — the science backs it up.
After the age of 30, we can lose 3–8% of our muscle mass per decade, and that rate increases after 60. Strength-based movements in yoga help slow this loss.
Balance begins to decline in midlife, increasing the risk of falls later in life. Yoga’s combination of stability work, joint mobility, and core strength helps protect against that.
Studies show that slow, controlled breathing (like in yoga) activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowering stress hormones and improving mental clarity.
As we age, our bodies naturally change — joints stiffen, posture shifts, and everyday movements can feel harder. But here’s the truth: you can slow, and even reverse, so much of that decline through consistent, intentional movement.
Yoga has given me strength without strain, length in my body without force, and a calm mind even in the busiest seasons of life. Whether I’m in my sunny studio at home or rolling my mat out in a guest room in the UK, it’s my anchor. It’s what keeps my body capable and my mind steady.
It’s not about being the bendiest person in the room — it’s about moving so you can keep doing the things you love for decades to come.
If you haven’t moved your body today, start small. Take five minutes now. Lengthen out the body, breathe deeply, roll your shoulders, move your spine. Your future self will thank you.