Approximately eleven years ago my body seemed to seize up. I was still mobile but one day just doing the simplest of tasks was painful. Every muscle hurt, and I hadn’t been to the gym. It was a little scary. After just a little thought I remembered that my doctor from years back predicted that I would one day be arthritic and that it would hit me suddenly. Based on this I started consuming over the counter extra strength arthritis medication. Still the pain came through. This went on for months…. no, make that a couple of years. I was going through a very stressful time, which I will say was the culprit for this condition. I was actually in denial that I had arthritis. I kept it to myself. Fibromyalgia was becoming a hot topic about this time. It took me awhile to conclude that this was indeed my condition. Once again, I kept my self-diagnosis to myself. I’m a firm believer that thinking and talking about something makes it so. I did my best to visualize perfect health.
Eventually visualization needs a rootedness in reality…. such as healthy habits. During this time I started dabbling in yoga, only dabbling, mind you. I took a once a week class. A little down the road I met my future husband. We began hiking. In addition to hiking I began yoga in earnest. One day I woke up and realized the pain was no more. I knew it was a combination of things. I can’t say enough for falling in love. That can be a temporary cure for almost anything I believe. There was being out in nature and the exercise and fresh air that went with it. And, then there was the yoga. I was losing weight and had totally forgotten about the fibromyalgia.
Then, I slipped. It was a gradual thing as slipping usually is. The daily yoga and hiking routine began to fall by the wayside. The periods between doing both would grow longer. The being in love part was still there, but life takes over. One day I felt the pain again. And, weight during this time had come back on. I was where I started, only older. Now, I’m on the yoga course again. Hiking is more sporadic. On days I don’t hike I use an elliptical machine. I’m happy to say the fibro has once again packed its bags.
I’m thankful for falling in love, staying in love, hiking out in fresh air, and yoga.
J. Schlenker 