Ouch! Those chaturanga push ups are killers! Downward dog? Chair? Yes, I have been doing yoga mixed with Pilates for a while now. I had been doing it on a daily basis until my mom became ill, but now am back to doing it every day. I love it! I had been looking for an exercise to fit me for such a long time. Walking? That is just boring for me. Running? Not this girl. Now a spin class? That would be awesome! But, in the country it is hard to find classes like that.
When you have Fibromyalgia any exercise seems to hurt about ten times worse than normal. But, I have realized when I do exercise, and push myself I feel so much better. I feel healthy. I feel strong and I have more energy at the end of the day. It's not to say I do not have to take pain medication. Because I do. And often. I pray I get to that point where I never have to take a pain pill again. Those days I feel good are becoming more and more. I might have to slow down a bit. I try my best not to let stress overtake me.
I am eating right. No white stuff at all! Especially no sugar, soda, or hydrogenated oils and high fructose syrup. I haven't become a vegetarian, but I am watching what I eat. Not to lose weight, but to stay healthy. I have those occasional snacks, but I watch what is in them. Water is becoming a friend to me. When I wake up in pain, I can think back on what I had to eat the day before and figure out what is causing some of my pain. I can tell you I have lost five pounds just in the last week by starting up exercising again.
This is the only body I am ever going to have. I want to take care of it. I don't want to turn 60 years old and wonder what happened to me. I don't want to have regrets as to wishing I would have done more to stay in shape and care about myself. The only excuse that holds me back is me and my laziness. I am learning to push through the pain. I am learning to stretch out that stress.
There are Christians who have a problem with yoga. I am not one of them. I am not doing yoga to pray to some god that is not there. I am not doing Pilates to get in touch with my inner self. I am simply using a technique that works for me and has worked for many people for years. For me, this has become the perfect exercise. I can take this time, sweat and all and reach into my soul and push myself like never before. I like a challenge and this certainly is. I can finish exercising and look in the mirror and feel proud that I did something today to help me grow and strengthen the body the Lord gave me.
We need to love ourselves enough to take care of our bodies. We take care of our minds by staying in God's word, by seeking Him daily, why are we not taking care of our very bodies He designed for us? Our mind is not going to stay fit very long if our body is not moving into shape too.
Having an illness stinks! Feeling bad stinks! I have to watch my back. It can go out just by bending over. My bones ache. My muscles hurt. I have muscle spasms at night and boy, do they hurt. But this girl refuses to give one more day over to pain alone. I want to enjoy life. I want to do everything I can to make my life healthier and more beautiful.
The funny thing is I have yet to purchase a mat! I think one is needed. lol I have calluses on my knees and elbows. But, you know, I look at them with a smile. They didn't get there from me falling. They got there from hard work and determination.
1 Corinthians 6:19 "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's."
