I booked my class a week in advance, so I had time to prepare — mentally, physically, and emotionally. I devised all sorts of ways to “get ready” for the class, thinking it might be the perfect

incentive I needed to detox my diet, get rid of some residual winter bloat, and warm

up my vampire-white skin with a spray tan. But, as the class got closer,

none of that remained important to me. I realized I no longer cared about primping for a 60-minute yoga class the way I might have primped before a promising first date. This was not about impressing my classmates; it was about feeling comfortable in my own skin. If I had to go through a week’s worth of preparation in order to feel secure with myself, what did that say about me?