The practice of yoga and Pilates is not available to only those fortunate enough to have an early start or to those born with special talents. But you must be devoted and patient like the Lotus. The lotus flower begins it’s growth in muddy water water. Despite the darkness and impurities that surround it, the flower grows and rises to the surface blossoming very pure, beautiful blooms. It’s a reminder that we are not our surroundings. We are not our situations, We are not our problems. It is often hard to detach from all these things around us: people, thoughts, situations, etc. But within us all there is a higher self that is unwavering. Hopefully the challenges of the practice and life bring us closer to that self, to experience everything as it is, not how we want it to be. You are already whole and perfect.