Greetings Friends:
Since I’m new to the forum I thought I would introduce myself. Though I grew up as an intense athlete (focusing mostly on much more aggressive physical and team sports and weightlifting), as I entered the throes of my career I found my exercise routine slipping as well as my eating habits. Before I knew it, I was repulsively overweight and in poor mental and spiritual health.
I embarked on a journey to restore and repair the physical body and lost 60 pounds doing predominantly endurance sports like biking, running, and swimming. While this was fulfilling and was a definite step in the right direction, I noticed that my training seemed at times to be taxing on my body. I feared I wasn’t giving my body the repair it needed, and much worse, I wasn’t properly addressing my spiritual and mental self as much as I could. A good friend of mine dragged me to a yoga studio somewhat against my will, and the experience I had has completely altered my physical, mental, and spiritual self. I’ve seen enhanced performance athletically, but I’ve also found a deep sense of peace and stress management that I couldn’t find elsewhere.
It’s been a few years now and I’m as dedicated as ever to my practice of yoga. Consider me an unlikely member of your community as I am still a large frame with an abrasive inner self. I’m finding yoga to be the perfect counterbalance to this, and I appreciate the embrace I’ve received from those at my studio and from the community in general. I’ve been a “lurker” on this forum but thought I would find some additional strength through becoming an active participant.
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