As a teacher and longtime yoga practitioner, I know that taking time off from yoga practice happens all the time. It happens for good reasons—like resting after an injury, devoting time to family and work, or exploring something else you were curious about. For whatever reason, you’ve been away from your practice, and now your mat is calling you back. Maybe you’re thinking “I loved the way I felt when I was doing yoga, I need to start again”. But that thought is quickly overshadowed by others: But I'm stiff, and I’m so busy. Maybe next week. Even when you make it to that first class or first home practice, it's quite possible to be discouraged by the results. The body can feel tight and unyielding. Balance may be elusive. The remedy, of course, is more yoga. That's easy to grasp intellectually, but life often gets in the way. Commit to one class each week or month, it doesn’t have to be the same one, you can mix and match. Your approach to getting back to your practice does not need to be rigidly linear. Just make sure you're not being overwhelmed by trying to focus on too much at once. just take it one breath, pose and class at a time.