A
year and a half ago, I was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism. I lost 25 pounds
in mostly muscle mass in a very short amount of time. While I enjoyed
the weight loss (I was planning my wedding then), I was physically weak.
I played in a volleyball league at the time, and it was frustrating to
not be able to overhand serve or hit the way I used to. My doctor
recommended
that I keep my stress levels down and stick to low impact exercise until
my symptoms were under control. I started taking an Iyengar class at the
University of Texas. It was very relaxing, but I missed the physical challenges
of more active sports. My teacher at UT recommended I take a beginning
Ashtanga class at Yoga Yoga after I finished grad school to continue my
practice.
I started my adventures in Ashtanga with Matt's Beginners Series at Westgate. I liked that the progress was slow, because I wanted to challenge my body without going too fast too soon. I was also taking medication to slow down my thyroid, so not only was I trying to build up strength again, I was also fighting another set of symptoms that had me feeling sluggish AND rapidly gaining weight.
Every time I went to class, though, I felt like I was making small steps toward health. Now that my thyroid levels are back to normal, I'm dealing with the stress of my new job. It requires long hours and frequent travel. In just the month of June, I saw 5 different airports! I really treasure the times I can go to class and forget about the outside world. It's 90 minutes when I don't have to worry about work, my next business trip or any of the chores waiting for me at home. I love sweating out my stress and any negative energy. I love that I know what I'm up against, and yet the challenge is different every time. I feel like I've really found something that has wonderful benefits for my entire being, and that I can practice for the rest of my life.
hmm... actually this is my story attached to the wrong person. :o) carolyn's is here: http://www.yogayoga.com/ashtanga/cwiley - Terri
Posted by: Terri | October 15, 2008 at 09:32 PM
oops, terri and carolyn... so sorry! we've got it all corrected now.
Posted by: Parmatma | October 21, 2008 at 05:36 PM