This Yoga Life

Interview by Paige Greenfield

Who: Andrea Riggs, 36
Where: New York City

What got her hooked
I had just done an incredibly difficult pose called Wheel. I remember lying there and feeling like my heart was going to beat out of my chest and trying to catch my breath. I wanted to have a frustrated or negative thought, but the only thought that came was: "I am alive! My heart is beating, and I am strong, and I just did that pose."

A turning point in her life
For several years I was in a relationship that was unhealthy for both of us. I stayed in it to keep up appearances. Finally a friend told me to stop blaming everyone and everything else for why I wasn't happy. I took some very difficult steps to get the unhealthy things out of my life. That experience made me realize that being a true friend or a good boss or a good partner means helping someone achieve their best, even if it makes them uncomfortable or angry.

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