I used to be really into yoga when I was in college. There was a studio within walking distance from my university, and I got into the habit where I was going at least four times per week.

The studio itself was perfect. It was small and on the second floor of a building, so it felt like you were going somewhere away from the rest of the world. It had a little skylight, so if you were doing yoga when it rained, you could hear the little raindrops on that skylight. The instructor, Suzie, lit candles on the wooden floor and played music from India that was so well-paired with the flow of our vinyasa or the relaxation of our shavasana.

I think it’s no surprise that the time when I was doing yoga was the time when my life felt more balanced than it ever had or has since I’ve quit. I completed a bunch of projects in school that were more extensive and better received than anything else. My friends felt like I had enough time for them. I felt more connected to my community, the spirit of the university, the natural world around me. My body felt good, and I had tons of energy.

But it all ended.

I will never deny the bodily or spiritual benefits of yoga. I understand that it really makes one’s life better.

I haven’t seriously been able to get into a solid yoga routine since I left university about a year-and-a-half ago. It seems like every television show or movie in which someone needs to lose weight or become healthier just has to overcome that first hurdle of motivation or ambition. They need to see the weight coming off or the stamina coming on. I have learned this is a myth.

There are three reasons that I think it’s been so difficult for me to continue practicing yoga. The first is that yoga is expensive. The studio that I went to in Wisconsin was cheap and offered a student price. Now, yoga classes cost about $15 bucks a pop, unless you buy a membership. I don’t want to buy a membership because I’m not committed. Second, I can’t walk to a studio anymore. Driving to a place rather than walking is a huge hurdle. Third, none of the yoga studios I’ve found combine music, a shorter time period and difficulty the way my original studio did.

A little nostalgia? Sure, but I also think I lucked out on finding a great studio the first time around.

Have any of you had trouble sticking to an exercise routine, even though it worked for you?