My first attempt at yoga left me feeling that I was wasting my time. There was nothing that I didn't already know. I was a certified fitness instructor then, and staying physically fit had always been important. Keyword physically. What I found most irritating about my yoga class was the Final Relaxation. It seemed like such a waste of time. Even though at that time I couldn't sleep on my bed, sit on my couch, or get through a day at work because my back would spasm.  I was a stressed-out single mom who owned a busy restaurant - there weren't enough hours in my day.  I was looking forward to having back surgery. I knew that would fix me - not yoga. Yet there I was, lying on my back, on the floor, twiddling my thumbs.

Eight weeks later something changed.  Final relaxation, like an enzyme,  triggered that change. I let go of the thoughts and stories that captured my mind and relaxed into the rhythm of my breath. I felt like I was floating - there was no pain. My mind and body needed to learn to relax and let go. We must be able to come into a relaxed state for our bodies to heal. I was healing. Finale relaxation is the most important part of our yoga class.