Why I Do Yoga: For Strength, Sanity, and Everything In Between

Life on a farm isn’t for the faint of heart. From feeding animals, hauling buckets, mucking stalls, or climbing into the saddle to ride a horse. It’s a life I love, but it’s also a life that demands a lot from my body and even more from my mind.

And then, beyond the boots and barn chores, I step into another kind of hard work: being a homeschooling mama, a wife, and running our home.

In the middle of all of this, yoga has become something I never knew I needed.

Yoga Makes Me Strong

Farm life is physical. Every day feels like a full-body workout. But yoga gives me a different kind of strength—one that supports all that daily movement. When I’m lifting feed bags or hopping on my daughter's tall horse, I’m thankful for the core strength, balance, and flexibility that yoga gives me.

It’s not about doing handstands or twisting myself into a pretzel. It’s about keeping my body moving well and feeling strong, so I can keep doing the things I love without pain or injury.

It Grounds Me Mentally

Homeschooling isn’t just about curriculum—it's about patience, presence, and being emotionally available for my kids. On the hard days (and there are hard days), yoga helps me reset.

That quiet space on my mat gives me a chance to breathe, regroup, and remind myself why I do what I do. It's where I let go of the overwhelm and reconnect with what matters most. Whether it's five deep breaths in the middle of a chaotic day or a full 30-minute practice before the house wakes up, it centers me.

It’s Something That’s Mine

As a wife and mama, it’s easy to give everything to everyone else and forget about yourself in the process. Yoga is one of the few things I do just for me. And somehow, that little bit of time I carve out for myself makes me better for everyone else.

Some days my yoga practice is calm and quiet. Other days it's gritty and challenging. But every time I roll out my mat, I come back to myself. In a life that moves fast and asks a lot of me, that’s a gift I don’t take for granted.

So that’s why I do yoga.

Not to be “perfect” at it.

Not to check a box.

But because it holds me together—body, mind, and spirit—so I can keep showing up for the beautiful, messy, busy life I’ve been blessed with.