I'm proud that today, at 43 years old, I've come to value the aging process and focus on inner rather than outer beauty.

I am a daughter, a sister, a wife and a mother. I am a friend of women and I am their advocate.

But life inevitably throws us curve balls, unexpected circumstances that remind us to expect the unexpected. I've come to understand these curve balls are the beautiful unfolding of both karma and current.

While women across the globe have many differences - language, culture, environment - our similarities are undeniable, and the impact of abuse and oppression affects us all.

When I consider the deeper meaning of yoga, I realize it's about a lot more than simply performing a variety of postures on a mat.

I was essentially paid to perpetuate the myth that we are all, or should at least try to be, 17 and a size 2 forever.