As part of yoga philosophy, there are moral teachings called yamas and niyamas. The Yamas are things one should restrain from doing, and the niyamas are things that one is encouraged to do. The first yama is called ahimsa, which means non-harming. The second is satya, which is truthfulness. As you probably can already recognize, these are both of great importance to everyone but have a strong meaning for those of us who are transgendered. We stop harming ourselves when we accept the truth of our transgendered nature. A niyama that I find of particular importance to me as a transgendered person is svadhyaya which is self-study. We have to take a deep look inside to find this inner truth. I meditate upon these particular three constantly. As a focus while doing yoga, it brings about a sense of peace and joy.

Jenette, Glad to see I'm not the only yogini here! Sun Salutations are such a great series - I always do two or three as a warm up. I also like to do a Moon Salutation as well. For great deals on yoga gear, try www.yogalifestyle.com. The shipping is pretty reasonable and they've got some awesome pants from a company called Shining Shakti.

As a yoga instructor, I'm naturally going to recommend taking a yoga class. It's fantastic exercise and has also been a real help to me personally in helping me become much more accepting about myself and crossdressing. I've personally been practicing yoga for almost ten years now and I've never been more flexible or healthy as I am right now - physically, mentally and emotionally. Yoga doesn't build up your muscles but will make them leaner and stronger from regular practice. Plus yoga clothes are great! Good luck! Jamie