“Mom, I finally made it to a yoga class. This is what has been missing from my life and my workout regimen!” My son Ryan, a college student, called me after experiencing a few sessions of yoga at school. “It is much easier to do my other exercises and I am performing better,” he said. I’ve enjoyed yoga at home, since my kids were born, by using various DVDs to guide my practice and I always feel the benefits when I complete a session. My practice has been irregular and sporadic; now that my nest is empty I am hopeful I can establish a more consistent practice that includes attending classes at a yoga studio.

September is Yoga Month. To celebrate, we bring you wisdom from Rodney Yee, renowned yogi and international teacher, in Rodney Yee on Yoga as a Way of Life. Yee tells us to take a relaxed approach when scheduling yoga into a busy life. “To say, ‘I have to do yoga,’ just puts another thing on our to-do list. Sometimes discipline is needed, but another part of discipline is not about force,” says Yee. To help you enjoy the many benefits of yoga and introduce yoga into your life, refer to our yoga section and find highlighted local instructors, studios and our new Yoga Community Guide that will be included each month.

Our feature article this month shares how adults can find fulfillment, creativity and meaning in life as they age. Find out how excess fluoride in our pet’s food and water can impact their health. Our Conscious Eating column offers recipes to help you plan healthy tailgating food this football season [page 36]. Discover why now is a good time to buy a solar system and get off the grid. And be sure to check out our strategies for natural weight loss to learn how local practitioners can help you shed those stubborn pounds. This month, I hope you find inspiration in these pages to add something to your life that will make everything flow easier.

Namaste,

Kris Urquhart, Publisher