My motivation to practice yoga sprouted after religion, therapy, and medication failed to release me from what I believed for a long time to be a chronic depression that I carried. After I began a semi-regular yoga practice, I started to unfold my mental habits, which allowed me to see that I was capable of tweaking them into clarity. The physical and spiritual side effects became an added bonus, filling in the gaps that didn’t make sense to me for so long. I know that what works for me isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to a serious mental illness, but in my experience, I’ve accepted that this is the healthiest habit I can cultivate and maintain, as it’s the most effective tool I’ve utilized to manage the ebbs and flows of my unbalanced mind.