Today I practiced a beautiful yoga flow in the park with my sister. We rolled out our mats in the shade and sat in meditation for a few minutes, centering our concentration on the breath.

I set my intention for the practice: I will be present; I will give freely of this yoga. I will open my heart and practice letting go.

We warmed up with a few rounds of cat/cow and then launched into sun salutations. I loved the chance to teach in such a comfortable and intimate setting: just me and my twin.

She's done yoga before and practiced martial arts for years (she has her 2nd degree black belt-- way impressive!), so she has a deep understanding of integrating the body's movements with the breath.

Today's yoga in the park was a great refresher for both of us: for my sister to dive back into vinyasa, and for me to again experience the joy of teaching, of slowly breaking down each pose. It is very eye-opening to talk a yoga newbie through each posture, explaining how the breath connects everything, and showing them little tips and tricks on alignment.

I always find it a joy to make hands-on adjustments, too, and today was no exception. I helped push my sister's hips up and back in downward facing dog, and helped her stretch a little further in child's pose, which she said felt amazing.

My favorite moments from today:

Witnessing strength and perseverance. There were a few times when my sister looked over at me like I was crazy when I asked her to move into a posture, or to hold for a few more seconds. We were doing reps of downdog extensions into plank with the knee at the elbow (like in Sadie Nardini's supersets), and I glanced over to see just how focused and determined she was, arms shaking, powering through the struggle. So inspiring to see her keep going even when the yoga proved challenging.

Laughing about yoga farts. It's the best when you can just be honest and down-to-earth in yoga. Yes, it is a serious practice, but it can also lead to extremely hilarious, heartfelt and just generally human experiences. (Cough cough *wind removing pose* cough cough!)

Feeling energized after practicing together. "I feel kind of woozy," my sister said as we were walking out of the park. "Like something crazy just happened." I laughed and explained to her how yoga can clear stagnant energy in the body, and that she was likely experiencing the result of opening her spine. I was also totally stoked to hear that she felt immediate relief from chronic back pain and can't wait to practice again soon. Success!