DR. WALLACE: I'm wondering if I'm addicted to yoga! I got introduced to it about four months ago, and I liked it immediately. I really enjoy the combination of stretching, mild exercise, and the peace and tranquility that I enjoy.

I have found that over the last couple of months I've been increasingly interested in spending more and more time participating in yoga, both in person and via online classes and videos. I'm not doing it at the expense of other things, such as my studies or my chores. I'm a girl who's a sophomore in high school and I have a reasonable amount of free time since I don't participate in after school sports and I only date occasionally, as I'm not in a serious relationship right now.

My question to you is, could too much yoga be a bad thing for me at this point in my life? — A Huge Fan of Yoga, via email

A HUGE FAN OF YOGA: I don't think it's a problem, especially given your young age, as long as you listen to your body and don't overly tax it with too much tension that could lead to soreness or injuries.

A key would be to leave each yoga session, feeling pain-free and energized, rather than extremely exhausted. Typical yoga injuries can involve joint pain, sprains or even muscle tears for those who participate too intensely without proper body alignment.

Your letter didn't mention pain or any setbacks, so with that in mind, I feel you're fine as long as you don't push yourself too hard. If you do start to feel fatigue or soreness at any point, definitely back it off and provide more rest between sessions.

Many people all around the world enjoy yoga because of the blending of physical and mental health benefits, breathing techniques plus increased flexibility and overall physical strength. As long as you are obtaining these results and sleeping well, I don't see a problem. But definitely seek to find a few other activities you can sprinkle in to soak up some of your other free time as a variety of activities will provide you benefits as well, even if yoga remains your primary activity you participate in with your free time.

MOM'S MUSIC MAKES IT HARD FOR ME TO STUDY

DR. WALLACE: I'm being raised by a single mom and I'm one of two girls, as I have a younger sister who's in the sixth grade. I'm 16 and I've recently run into a bit of a problem because my mother has become a huge fan of opera music.

Apparently, another lady at her work turned her on to opera music and now my mom is listening to it at home almost every night. This has caused a problem for me with my studying. My mom has been telling me that the background sound of opera music is good and calming, and can greatly enhance studying, but I don't find that to be the case. The singers she listens to have beautiful voices, but they're very distracting when they hit all of the high notes with loud inflections they sometimes use.

How can I get my mom to understand that I find opera music distracting and not helpful to my studying at all? — Her Music Distracts Me, via email

HER MUSIC DISTRACTS ME: Your mother has a general point here, but I would definitely make a follow up recommendation. Opera music has been proven in various studies to be helpful as background music for those who are studying or working intently on various projects.

However, almost all of these studies indicate that purely instrumental opera music is by far the best to be used as background music for those concentrating on studies or other work-related endeavors. You correctly pointed out that the vocals are what you find the most distracting of all, so you should mention this to your mother.

Be willing to give purely instrumental opera music a try before you ask your mother to cease playing opera music entirely at home. Some opera music can stimulate brain regions that are responsible for attention and cognitive stimulation. It's worth a try to see if some instrumental pieces might work for you. If they don't, you will have at least offered your mother a very reasonable compromise before you request that she turns off all music for the particular time you need to study in the afternoons or evenings.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at rwallace@thegreatestgift.com. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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