the yoga

i think i have had a similar post to this but hey i am 46 going on 47 so i am bound to repeat myself.
so much has come to because of practicing yoga. here goes.

i started practicing this yoga right after my amazing husband and i got married in 1999. at the time, i was working for mass mutual as the business manager and was overcome by piercing back pain. i went to the doctor and was told i had herniated discs in lower spine l4, l5, s1.
i went down many roads to heal my spine. first stop was talking to a doctor who suggested surgery - 50 percent success rate,
physical therapy - told i was a slouch, pain management - needles of narcotics that made me high as a kite.
chiropractor - instant relief in the adjustments but not long term, frozen pees to numb the pain before sleeping. and then someone said go try this yoga...
bikram yoga...good for the spine. i checked it out. hated it. it worked. healing my spine is just the first thing that happened. here are some of the other things in no particular order.

my diet. this has been a big one. i drank soda regularly. i drank alcohol on a more frequent basis and of course that went hand in hand with smoking. i ate whenever i felt like it and had no thought about what it was that i consumed. i often ate out. that has all change. i eat a vegetarian diet. i plan my meals and most of them are eaten at home. i drink alcohol on occasion but rarely. i still like to have a drag of a cigarette when that happens but i never feel good after it. i rarely drink soda. i did add coffee to the mix. hey, we can't be perfect.

my fashion style. i think i had a habit of being influenced by my friends wardrobe. now i have a better sense of who i am, what i like and what works for me. all of the clothes i have fit me and reflect who i am.

my career choices. first thing...quit job, go to yoga school and became a teacher. then added my current business as a professional organizer. prior to becoming a yoga teacher, i think i followed the path of one job leading into the next. i am lucky to have the ability to pick up skills to do a variety of jobs but that didn't necessarily mean it was something i wanted to do. now i am clearer about what it is that that motivates me and what i am passionate about.

my relationship. i am so clear about who is important to me. first and foremost is my husband. we are each others family. and in my friendships, i used to have so many relationships that i worked to keep going, regardless of whether or not that person seemed invested into it. now i am connected to the people that matter to me and i matter to them. it is that second part of the statement that i used to not take notice of...that i am important to them. some may think it is harsh but if you i am the only participating in the relationship there is a point that it just doesn't work.

my free time. i think i had a habit of doing what everybody else wanted so i was never clear about what worked for me. i like to take walks, practice yoga, hang out with friends, go to the movies, take dance class, travel. i do all these things.

there are so many more things but i think is a pretty good summary.

when i look at this, i think there is a common thread in all of it...i have learned who i am, what i want and was important to me. and i do it.

thank you yoga.