Back in 2009, a few months after my
youngest son was born, I headed to the doctor for a physical. I was
tired, I couldn't sleep at night, I was sleepy all day long, I was
cranky and irritable, and I was constantly in pain. I either had a
headache, or a backache, or some other mysterious body ache.
I was terrified that the doctor was
going to give me Bad News. My grandfather has rheumatoid arthritis,
and I had vision problems occasionally that the ophthalmologist said
are common in people with autoimmune disorders. I broke down in the
doctor's office, sobbing that I was just “so tired, so very, very
tired” and I felt like I was falling apart.
The doctor's prescription after looking
at my lab results was 1) get a regular night's sleep every night, 2)
lose a few pounds, and 3) find a way to de-stress, and keep with it.
She told me, in no uncertain terms, that I was damaging my body with
high stress levels, and I would literally stress my immune system
into attacking my own body if I didn't reverse course soon.
What a wake-up call.
I had gotten an email flyer from a yoga
teacher who holds classes at one of those indoor jumping places for
kids (you know, the ones with the inflatable slides and things)The
best part? The kids play in one room with supervision while the
adults do yoga in another room. An hour of babysitting for the kids?
It was a no-brainer!I've continued to attend classes with Cheri Moran since then.
Did yoga cure all my ills? No, of
course not. Magic cure-alls and miracle pills are the purview of
charlatans and internet scammers. I still struggle with my weight,
and my back is always going to flare up occasionally. That's what old
injuries do. Yoga has, however, given my body strength, flexibility,
and better mechanics. More importantly, it's given me the tools to
deal with stress, and aches, and all of those daily annoyances that
can add up to a sleepless night. When I ruptured a cervical disc in
2010, careful, regular yoga practice kept me away from the surgeon.
There are many types of yoga practice,
ranging from the purely physical to the purely spiritual, with
infinite variations in between. There are many articles about the
history of yoga and it's teachers, so I won't delve into that here. A
good selection of articles can be found here. I came to yoga for its physical benefits, and for the chance to
unwind and let go of stress. Through my practice, I've found a better
understanding of myself, an acceptance and forgiveness of my own
shortcomings, and the courage to change the things around me that
don't foster peace in my life. I've also found friends who understand
how damaging negative thoughts (our own and the thoughts of others)
can be; friends who give me more support than I imagine they realize;
friends that travel the journey toward acceptance with me.
No, yoga isn't a one-size-fits-all cure
for everyone. But, practiced with an open mind, an open heart, and
respect for your body's strengths and limitations, it can bring
change to your life that seems miraculous. It did for me.
