In my early thirties I had a pretty regular Ashtanga practice.  About a year and a half into my practice I began to experience numbness in my hands, feet and arms immediately following class so I reluctantly gave it up.  About five years later I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Early into my diagnosis I decided to take a positive and proactive approach to slowing the progression of the disease.  Virtually every book and article I read recommended yoga so I decided to give it another try. I was nervous about causing a relapse so I chose Hatha Level 1 with Jeanne at RB Yoga.  About halfway through my first class I started to cry - not because I was feeling sad or sorry for myself, but because I realized how much I missed yoga and how happy I was to be practicing again. In addition, here was a beautiful studio with an obviously compassionate and highly skilled teacher about two minutes from my house!That was nine months ago, and now I take 4-5 classes a week at all different levels. My intention for yoga is very different now than when I was first practicing.  Before MS, yoga was all about getting the best workout I could and so I pushed myself into poses I probably wasn't ready for.When I wasn't able to master a pose I often felt frustrated with myself.When sitting on curled toes, I used to fidget and count the seconds until it was over.  These days on curled toes I catch myself with a smile on my face because I'm so happy to feel my feet.  And tree pose? Forget it! Every time I do it my heart overflows with gratitude for balance, even though my tree can be pretty wobbly at times.  Because I have no way of knowing the course my MS will take, I view every class and every pose as a gift. I am grateful that MS led me to my practice at RB Yoga, where every teacher is talented and knowledgeable, and in any given class you can see long time practitioners who inspire with their grace and strength, as well as people brand new to yoga. Everybody is welcome.