People often ask me what I do to relax.

"It's hard to say," I tell them, hoping to buy a few seconds to come up with hobbies or something. I drive to baseball practice--does that count as a hobby?  I relax when the kids get out of the car. 

One morning, while visiting my home away from home, the awesome Peet's in Talega, I spied, on the community bulletin board, a flyer that said "Bodymovin' Mommy and Me Yoga Classes." Fun and affordable. After speaking with the owner and checking it out - very Zen in there - I decided to sign us up. 

Our first class was a mini-disaster. I haven't touched my toes in about six years.  Chloe tried to put her big toe in my ear during Savasana. Even so, Tess, our amazing Yoga instructor was patient and really understanding. Tess is from Australia and has a perfect yoga "voice," so when our eyes were closed it felt like we were doing yoga with Olivia Newton-John.

The hardest part for me was the "clearing my mind" part. It took five classes to finally get it to rest for a few minutes. Chloe never really got into Savasana (my favorite part), but she finally left my ear alone.

I don't know if many yoga establishments do partner yoga. But, I highly recommend it. At the end of our 10 class course, we were doing amazing flying poses and having a blast.  

Now, I can say with confidence that I have a hobby--yoga. I used to tell my husband, when things got tense around the kids, to channel his inner "Phil" (named after Phil Jackson, the earlier years). Now, that's my goal. 

We're lucky. San Clemente is a hub for great yoga establishments. So, if you haven't tried yoga, give it a shot. It's fun, affordable, and well worth the hour you put into it. It's a great break for kids too.