When we put gratitude first, what happens is we kind of shift the chemistry of the mind. We move from being acidic or egotistic to alkaline or divine.

That's what I've found through yoga: yoga helps us to sort of rewire the mind so that we can literally become more mindful of the conversation we're having on the back end, what we're telling ourselves.

Yoga is really the practice of seeing what's most important. Focusing on that first. Then it helps everything else sort of fall into alignment.

When we're being grateful it means that we're acknowledging that life is a gift, that life is a blessing, that this body is only here for a short period of time and it really shifts the whole internal landscape of the mind and it puts things into perspective and it allows us to get our bearings. To get a firm footing in what's real, and then go from there.

My path, my life, my career has really been a journey from moving from, in a sense, darkness to light. From pain to joy through the experience of yoga and meditation. It's an ongoing adventure that's unfolding every day.

I don't really begrudge anyone who uses substances, I just feel that yoga is a more sustainable way to find peace because it's from the inside out.

When I found yoga, I realized that I can direct my own mind through my yoga practice and meditation. I can actually create my own mood. That was a huge awakening for me.