This fall, I've been lucky enough to take advantage of free yoga classes offered around Princeton. Starting each Sunday with sun salutations and the wave-like sounds of collective breathing is a wonderful way to wind down the weekends.  I only wish I had discovered these free classes earlier.  Even when I feel lazy all weekend, post-yoga Sundays always feel productive, grounding, and introspective.

At a recent class, the instructor talked about how our moods affect people in close proximity.  When someone enters a room feeling sad or angry, their negative energy can be disruptive and affects others.  Conversely, when someone is at peace, that stillness does not always pass on to others.  Why do we let restlessness have such an immediate effect on our moods and yet we discount peace?  Perhaps it's human nature to focus on conflict rather than passivity.  We always have a choice whether to focus inward or to reflect the feelings of others.  When we practice yoga, we learn to let thoughts happen without judging.  So perhaps we can also learn to reflect peoples' peace in any situation -- it's all a matter of how we choose to focus internally.