It’s one of my main objectives in life to show people that you can be a yogi without being a perfect, happy, healthy, angelic being. I might look like a yoga student. I can touch my feet to the back of my head. I have all the great clothes. I know the Eight Limbs. I can talk to you about philosophy and history for hours. But, like everyone else, I have some major issues. Here are a few things about me that aren’t exactly in keeping with the whole “yoga persona” our media has created.

1. I wear make up to yoga class. Not a lot, mind you. It’s important to look natural. But you better believe if I have big zit I’m going to cover that sucker up! I also wear mascara because it makes me feel pretty. You never know who you might meet at a yoga studio.

2. I yell when I’m mad—a lot! I might be seeking inner-calm, but I haven’t exactly found it yet. And sometimes that results in outer, um, projection. I know all the rules of alignment, but sometimes I’m still a bitch. (But, at least I know it.)

3. I eat junk food every time I go to a long yoga training—a conference, an immersion, a teacher training. Pizza, cupcakes, candy bars, potato chips … there’s just something about being surrounded by healthy, svelte, yoga people who only eat fresh, organic produce (or at least that’s what they want you to think) that makes me want to be rebelliouis. I walk, even run, to the closest convenience store at the first break, and then I look both ways to make sure nobody else from my class watches as I buy and/or eat something bad. (Then, for some reason, I usually tweet about it. I guess I’m not shy on the Internet, only in person.)

4. When I was teaching yoga regularly, there were a few student I just didn’t like. I tried to like them. I was nice to them. But they got on my nerves. Now, I always wonder if I’m that student that gets under my teachers’ skin.

5. I say I’m a vegetarian because I don’t want to explain to people that fish is the only meat I eat. I would probably be vegan, except for the fact that I kind of like fish and I LOVE cheese. (I seriously consider cheese one of my favorite things on this earth!) Oh, and sometimes I order the Broccoli Cheese soup even though I know it’s made with chicken stock, because, well, you know how I feel about cheese.