Sometimes we go through our yoga poses — asana — without mindfulness. We’re thinking about our to-do list we need to tackle after our practice. Or we skipped our practice all together because we simply “don’t have time.”

Yoga, Living WellCara McDonaldDecember 16, 201412mindfuldays, mindfulness, yoga, challenge

Facing my yoga fear with Patrick Beach

I faced my biggest yoga fear that's been mocking me since August thanks to three great dudes (including yogi celeb Patrick Beach). Here's how that went down ...

YogaCara McDonaldDecember 7, 2014handstand, inversion, fear, workshop

Yogi's first shoot and car emotions

Remember when I shared those UNflattering yoga selfies? I wanted to share the worst of me before sharing these. See the photos from my shoot with Emmalee Schaumburg, and read about the overwhelming moment I had in the car yesterday because of them.

YogaCara McDonaldNovember 25, 2014yoga, photos, blog

This is what my yoga body looks like

There are so many beautiful photos of bodies on the Internet. And there's nothing wrong with that. But as someone who's spent wayyyy too much time in the past comparing myself to photos of seemingly perfect, toned bodies, I know how important it is to understand that those bodies are people, just like you and me. So this is me. In unflattering and flattering angles. No make up, no Photoshop, no shame.

Body Image, YogaCara McDonaldNovember 22, 2014popular, body image, photos

Why your hips are keeping you sad (and what to do about it)

Learn about the emotions and trauma we store in our hips, why we store them there and how to release them.

Energy + Healing, YogaCara McDonaldNovember 13, 2014yoga, hips, popular, hip-openers, yoga benefits, poses, sacral chakra

Making yoga what YOU need (Guest post by Sarah Goodman)

Sarah Goodman, owner of POSE Yoga Studio, explores her thoughts on the personal practice of yoga.

YogaCara McDonaldNovember 5, 2014guest post, yoga, off the mat

Corpse pose and our dance with death

Since it's Halloween, I thought it would be appropriate to talk about our friend corpse pose (AKA dead man's pose or final savasana). You probably know that corpse pose is done at the end of your yoga practice. It helps your body rest and absorb the good work you've done. But did you know, as the name implies, it's also about death?

YogaCara McDonaldOctober 31, 2014corpse pose, yoga benefits, asana, yoga, Halloween, Holiday

New to yoga? Start here.

Look, I'm not a queen yogi and I won't tell you exactly how to begin your yoga journey; just like I won't tell you how to fall in love or raise your kids. But here's some practical advice based on my yoga experience that I hope will help you get started in yoga land.

YogaCara McDonaldOctober 26, 2014Yoga 101, yoga

Read this before your first yoga class

The No. 1 question I get in my inbox is, "I want to try yoga, but I'm not sure where to start. Any advice?"

I started to tackle this question and quickly realized this requires more than one post. This one will focus solely on the yoga class — from choosing the class to knowing where to sit.

YogaCara McDonaldOctober 21, 2014yoga, Yoga 101, yoga class, tips

Why yoga makes you hot

I know what you're thinking ...

Yogis are hot. And today's your lucky day, because I'm going to tell you why.

YogaCara McDonaldOctober 14, 2014yoga, yoga benefits, list

That time I wept in yoga class

This is the story about the yoga pose that changed my practice and made me cry uncontrollably in the middle of class.

Energy + Healing, YogaCara McDonaldOctober 4, 2014off the mat, #yoga, #camelpose, my story, heart chakra

Kansas City Yoga Festival 2014 featuring MC Yogi

It wasn't Wanderlust but it was in my backyard and much more affordable. And totally worth it. Here's a quick overview of what we did and what I learned.