Like everyone else, I have issues. Physical, mental, emotional, The Works. And just like everyone else, they started at an early age. I know they’re all connected. When I’m going through something in my life whether it’s mental or emotional, it shows up in my body whether it’s good OR bad. When I’m more balanced in my life, I’m more balanced in my body, and vice versa. When I feel better about myself, when I’m mentally stimulated and happy, I take better care of myself. If I’m stressed out, I don’t sleep well, my diet goes to crap and I lose my motivation to work out. The longer an issue persists, the more it shows up physically. I’ve heard numerous experts say that our external environment is a reflection of our internal environment, whether it’s the state of your house or the state of your body, it all shows up.
One of my favorite quotes is on my sister’s Facebook page: “A thing need not be just because it has been”. If I don’t like the way something is or seems, I want to know why and want to figure out what needs to be done to change it. I have indeed experienced a fair amount of consternation in my days for being stubborn and/or “uppity,” having to be right when maybe it really didn’t matter, (especially with men in positions of authority (what is up with that?!)). But truth be known, I like to ask questions. I want to know the details. I want to know the source. I don’t take things at face value, and I can’t help but to question authority. I realize part of that is a control issue, but when 67% of the population is obese, when a huge percentage of all visits to doctors are stress-related, why aren’t more people “stubborn” and asking questions?!?!
Both sides of my family are structurally large people, and, in a world made for Twiggys, it’s never been easy. I am a big girl, plain and simple. However genetically related my size is, I had some “issues” over the years. I used to suffer from low back pain because I was fat AND frail, which was simultaneously caused and perpetuated by some mental and emotional issues I had starting as a child. Athletics was not on my radar, and, unfortunately, I was not the most active child. Luckily, I “fell into” massage therapy and working out. Now, I treat my “issues” AND my congenital predisposition to being heavy in part by working out. I’m still a big girl, but I’m stronger and healthier than I’ve ever been. I changed some habits, and now I have no more back pain, and I feel great!
Another adage I often think about is Einstein’s Definition of Insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. I’ve learned to apply this to the body (mine and clients’). You body is supposed to move a certain way. When it doesn’t, and you experience pain as a result over and over, again, what do you need to do to stop the pain? Get your body in alignment, change your bad habits! I especially love it when a friend, family member, client, or work out partner has what I call an “Aha!“ moment: when their body gets better aligned and some movement that used to be hard or painful is suddenly easy. THAT’S HOW IT’S SUPPOSED TO BE! When it comes to my health and my quality of life now and as I age, if something hurts, if there is AN ALTERNATIVE that works that is natural, uninvasive or nonaddicting, it would be crazy not to check it out, right?! I’m here to share with as many people as I can, especially my loved ones, what I have learned by being “uppity” or “stubborn”, or as I prefer to call it “inquisitive” and “questioning” and by TRYING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
It’s part of the human experience to attempt to come to terms with what helps or hinders our self-actualization; to deal with our issues, good and bad. I believe my issues are part of what makes me good at what I do. My inherent urge to be in people’s faces is what originally and continues to motivate me to learn about my body and to help other people learn about theirs. I couldn’t be more grateful, because working on myself and working with thousands of people over the years, combined with being (a little) stubborn and (insatiably) curious, has become my passion, my obsession, my career, and my life.