I'm clumsy ... really clumsy. When I was a little girl, I used to fall down all the time. Not because I was running or playing outside. (Perish the thought. All I did was sit inside and read.) No, I fell when I was standing still. Almost every night during dinner, I'd just fall off my chair for no reason.

I probably have some weird equilibrium disease. Someday I'm sure it'll get worse and I'll be sent to see Dr. House. He'll give me a couple extra diseases, then my liver will fail, then he'll finally figure out what's really wrong.

Until then, I'm trying to staying upright and avoid foreign objects. Oddly, yoga helps me quite a bit: Something about it helps adjust my balance and spacial concept. (When I was younger, my mom put me in ballet classes, hoping they'd have the same benefit. They did.)

Problem is, I can't afford yoga class. After three months, its balancing effect seems to be wearing off. So are the more documented benefits of yoga, like reduced back pain and lower stress. Now my wrist hurts, my back is killing me, and I'm weighed down by anxiety.

Yoga is $12 a session, and that really adds up. But so does back pain. I'm starting to see that some things -- like those protecting my health -- may be worth breaking the budget.