Strike a pose at Yogapalooza

Roll out your mats, and get ready for Yogapalooza, a fundraiser for a wonderful nonprofit in our cancer community called Yoga Bear that provides free yoga classes to cancer patients and survivors. Yogapalooza takes place on June 27 and is a day of fun and fitness in yoga studios across the country to raise awareness of the benefits of yoga and to help Yoga Bear continue to offer free classes for patients and survivors. So far, six cities are hosting events: Atlanta, Austin, Cleveland, New York City, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. Schedules and programs vary in each city, so if you want to join, go to Yogapalooza. The event is also sponsored by Gaiam, a health and wellness company that has donated products to raffle. For those of you who haven't heard of Yoga Bear, it's a national nonprofit formed in 2006 by a volunteer-based group of yoga practitioners. They provide free yoga classes through their "Share a Mat" campaign, which encourages studios to donate memberships that Yoga Bear distributes to patients and survivors. I started practicing yoga many years ago when I was going through a tough time in my life. Physically, yoga strengthened my core, helping to alleviate back pain that I suffered from an injury. Mentally, yoga helped me calm my mind and focus on something other than my pain. It transformed my life, and I am so grateful for the practice. So, if you can't attend Yogapalooza, still check out Yoga Bear, and you may discover something that transforms your life. Namaste!