Never in my life have I been able to touch my toes. This news may be shocking to some of you. The fact that a perfectly healthy 19-year-old is unable to do the simple task of touching her toes—a task her perpetually injured dad can perform—is quite frankly deplorable. Nevertheless, it has been my reality since childhood.

This summer, when I visited my doctor for an annual checkup, she told me that it is paramount for me to be able to perform this task and insisted that I take up yoga. Thus, over the summer, my yoga practice became sporadic rather than non-existent. And honestly, my flexibility got better. However, after arriving at Washington University for my freshman year, finding personal time and personal space to practice became nearly impossible.

One of my numerous New Year’s resolutions was to practice yoga three times a week, and like most New Year’s resolutions, I haven’t really been following up on it. In order to remedy my lack of commitment, for the past five days, I have dedicated 40 minutes every day to doing yoga.

From the beginning, it was difficult. I had to meticulously plan around classes, extracurricular activities and my roommate’s schedule. I simply found an instructor on YouTube and followed along. Each day I put on my Align Pant Lululemon leggings (not sponsored, but also these are great leggings) and began my yoga journey.

Let me just say that it is incredibly difficult to immerse yourself in your practice in a tiny, relatively messy dorm room. Nevertheless, I persisted. At first, it was difficult, and I couldn’t get most of the poses down. The stretches, while necessary, were painful, and at points, even downward dog (a resting pose) felt like a bit of a hassle.

There were some poses I looked forward too, however. Cat and Dog position quickly grew to be one of my favorites, and I noticed it helping significantly with the back pain that comes from lugging heavy textbooks and a computer around campus.

As the week progressed, I begin to notice slight changes in my body. Nothing major, but my legs didn’t feel as tight, my hands were slowly inching closer and closer to my toes—although they have yet to reach them—and, with greater awareness of my posture, I have made an active effort to stand up straighter.

On my last day of this challenge, I decided that instead of following along to a YouTube instructor, I would create my own flow utilizing all of my favorite positions. Cat and Dog, Warrior and Child Pose, Cobra and Shavasana all found their way into my practice. Although I may not continue my 40 minutes a day routine, there is now a part of me that loves the feeling of a good yoga stretch—mostly because it has become far less painful. And perhaps, with just a bit more yoga here and there, I might one day finally be able to touch my toes.