Remembering Why I Started…. Joy’s Journey with Bikram Yoga and Beyond!

I don’t know about you but I must thrive on goals. I don’t know if that is normal but most of my life it seems like I am setting goals- planning the execution (usually creatively) and then hopefully remembering to celebrate when I actually attain them.

Sometimes in the past I have built up to attainment and then when I reach it there is a let down….or I forgot to actually ‘champion myself in attaining whatever goal I set out to attain’.

Has that ever happened to you? Always striving to arrive and not really enjoying the process ?

In mid-August I decided to slow down and enjoy each and every day in a new and different way. Since yesterday is the past and tomorrow is the future, enjoy TODAY for it really is the “PRESENT”….and today is all we have.

Recently I began Bikram Yoga. When I joined it was with an intro of 30 days for $30….. meaning you can take a class each and every day for 30 days. BAM! I don’t know when I created the goal to do Bikram 30 days in a row, but it has become my goal.

Funny thing is a month ago I never would have expected to do yoga EVER….and now here I am. What happened?

Our bodies create opportunities to have things show up if only we listen. My right elbow was my guide here as it became painful to play tennis and lift weights so I went ‘inward’ and asked my body & soul what it needed and I heard LOUD AND CLEAR, Bikram Yoga. ???? Really???? (By the way, without a sore elbow I can almost guarantee I never would have choose yoga.)

I could have fought it, however at age 60 I am old and wise enough to act when I hear that ‘special whisper’. I admit that sometimes in my life I have ignored that inner voice….and it took a lot longer to get where I wanted to go with the detour. Not good or bad, just a longer journey.

Several people who know me well have asked what changed where now I not only wear yoga clothes as I always have, but actually I am now DOING Yoga? Why did I begin and why am I driven?

Each and every day I wake up and remind myself why I started. Like most 12-Step programs…. one day at a time.

So 20 days ago I look at myself in the mirror. I didn’t cry but I also wasn’t totally excited with the woman looking back at me in the mirror.

I have always been healthy, strong and lean but the lady in the mirror looking back at me looked different. Confidence was missing in her eyes! So I talked to her and heard some reasons why I ought to consider the shift and why Bikram Yoga would be good for ‘her’, aka ME. Although I have gracefully embraced my age, I have not embraced my body since menopause.

The most driving reason I am doing Bikram Yoga is I want to be healthy/flexible and have a healthy longevity. I have a family I love, that include grandchildren and I want to be vibrant and healthy so I can see them grow up and can be a part of their world- and their children’s world. I’m in a loving marriage and want to be healthy together til our last breath.

Yes, perhaps across the board I am healthier than most women my age, but it still doesn’t mean anything unless you are happy with how you LOOK and FEEL!

I see my parents and in-laws age and although they are vibrant in their own way in their mid to late 80s…. I personally want to be able to travel and explore and have the strength and health to do so well into my 90’s, if I choose.

Much of my life I have concentrated on my physical body and my physical health- perhaps spurred on by body building at age 30. (Once again, another goal…can I do it and win after giving birth to 2 children 4 and 5 years prior? I needed to prove to myself that I could! Much like with 30-Days of Bikram Yoga)

Ahhh, the ultimate shape and size….body fat, etc. OK, so I proved that I could reach a lean (unhealthy I may add) 8.5% body fat and win my category in a Body Building competition but that didn’t make me any happier. In fact there was such a let down after that experience that I still can’t shake to this day.

Fast forward 30 years and the health I am seeking today is more well-rounded. Not just the physical beauty aspect of what one sees in the mirror, but the soul-spirit connection. Although some people think going to a zen yoga class that is gentle with spiritual music may feed my soul better, right now the challenge (mentally and physically) of Bikram Yoga is where I am at and fuels the challenge!)

Ultimately I want to love, appreciate and enjoy who I am in the world. Don’t we all? Since making ‘MY SELF CARE’ a priority it has shifted into other areas of my life. Hallelujah!

Yes, without question part of the transformation is still the PHYSICAL BODY and one ‘must do’ is melting my men-o-pot (belly fat) so that I am a healthier and lean post menopausal woman. Belly fat is toxic, unattractive and honestly, very difficult to have when trying to do yoga poses. (no kidding!!!) Not to mention, clothes just don’t fit the same when your belly is large.

CAREER & LIFE

Working with TAVALA is very gratifying on many levels. I enjoy mentoring other people who want to improve their lives either with their health (which includes WEIGHT LOSS with Tavala TRIM, or being PAIN-FREE and have vibrant energy with the Tavala Quantum Relief Strips!) Learn more here: www.DaveandJoy.com

TAVALA for Wealth Building and Fueling Dreams!

I know that having additional income in all households offers additional options, no matter the current level of wealth. It’s about a shift in consciousness with abundant thinking….not just MONEY! When we have abundant thoughts we think beyond ourselves…which led Dave and I to discover an amazing organization that is doing great things throughout the world, for women. (And when women are empowered, face it, families and communities are empowered!)

We recently partnered with an organization called WEA, Women’s Earth Alliance http://womensearthalliance.org/ and are donating 5% of our customer sales to their organization each month. This includes any of the products off our website, www.DaveandJoy.com or even through our sampling site, www.TryOurSamples.com. It may not sound like a lot of money, but in time, we hope it will add up to being able to make a difference in the lives of many.

So there you go… today is Day 19 doing Bikram. I am actually looking forward to my ‘practice today’. Will it be perfect? YES and NO. Yes for ME, as I’ll do my best, and that is all they ask at Bikram. If you can do it – DO IT, and if not, at least do what you can… but do it ‘the right way’.

I doubt the majority of my poses today will actually look like those in a Bikram book- but this is OK. Today is another day, another opportunity for self-care and self-love. By filling MY CUP daily I am in a great position to help others in my life and beyond.

So what is YOUR goal? Your STORY? Mine is ever-changing and I like the changes. It’s all about today and eventually tomorrow, but I leave my story from yesterday at the door. Life Coaching taught me that!

If you are inspired to share your journey or how you may be able to relate, let me know. I’d love to hear. If you have ever set a goal similar that seemed insurmountable like 30-Days of Bikram Yoga is for me, please share.

If you are looking for a way to become the better version of you in the HERE & NOW, perhaps I can offer guidance. I am a Transformational Life Coach although I don’t ‘practice’ that, rather I incorporate it in my life and in my Tavala business.

Joy Edgerton/ Transformational Life Coach/Busines Coach

802-846-7530

joyedgerton@gmail.com

www.DaveandJoy.com

 

 

Joy’s Journey, day 9 Bikram and other ‘Insights’ for the Day!

Today I enjoyed a little more time than usual before getting out of bed. My body needed the additional rest and we had decided to do our Bikram Yoga class at noon, rather than 9 am. Luckily I looked at my cell phone around 8 am and saw a message from the owner of the yoga studio. “There are only noon classes on MWF.”

“Oh, Okay”. We quickly adjusted our mindset and our plans and decided to go to the 9 am class. Isn’t it nice to be flexible in your thinking and in your schedule?

Isn’t it terrific to be your own boss and have flex time to go and workout and do things when you want without asking for time off? or living someone else’s schedule?

I can’t even imagine having a boss other than myself. Time flexibility is important in my life and has been for decades.

So, one of the ways we enjoy our early morning time is by visualizing, meditating, journal writing and setting the stage for a powerful day. When we take the time to do those things it ALWAYS helps bring out the best that any day can offer. We always begin our days with Gratitude as well. Gratitude IS the best Attitude!

One thing we watched this morning before Bikram was Oprah Winfrey’s inspiring words. It is worth watching, I guarantee!

 

Day 9 for me (Day 2 for Dave)- doing Bikram yoga… so proud I haven’t missed a day since joining. I’m proud of myself because it takes time and lots of energy to do a 90-min. yoga workout in 105 degree heat…. and have the energy and stamina to go on and also have an impactful day helping others on our team.

Each day, like anything else, seems to get a little easier. Still hard, because doing it the RIGHT WAY is the challenge. No short cuts with Bikram and doing it correctly yields the best therapeutic benefits.

Body image….hmmmm, I have to work on this one. When I had a tight, lean body with 12-17% body fat I was proud to show my mid-section but since menopause I have been embarrassed as I literally grew a ‘men-o-pot’. I know I need to get over it and will. I have promised myself…. especially after today, as the cotton tank top that I was wearing was drenched to the core and just weighed me down.

I read in the Bikram book to stay off the scale and I think it is a good idea. But, you think I listened? I rarely weigh myself but thought with all the sweating I’d certainly drop at least a pound or two a day. Not necessarily! Day 2 I was down 2 lbs. and then today up 3. So no scale for me. I did however try on my one and only pair of jeans that I call my “tester jeans” and noticed that not only can I zip them up, they are ‘wearable’. Good sign.

My reasons to begin BIKRAM YOGA: #1 reason is Therapeutic exercise for flexibility and longevity in life. (avoid injuries and stiffness as I age)

My #2 reason is to get in ‘shape’…. both mentally and physically. Yes, this means improved focus and drive in life but I really would like to get back to my pre-menopausal size.

Yes, dropping 15 lbs. and leaning out around the belly is HIGH on my list, I won’t lie! Weight lifting, walking and tennis were not working and I have been nursing a tennis elbow, so I am hoping that Bikram will help heal that injury and prevent others.

Once again, armed with the right tools for getting the best results. Electrolytes in my cold water to sip on throughout the session, a full Quantum Relief Strip below the belly button. Those QRS are amazing as they truly do help bring energy to the places needed most in the body. Don’t know where “those places are”- no worries, the body is intelligent and will attract energy to the parts of the body needed most. Similar to Reiki energy.

 

 

 

Are you practicing Bikram or are you involved in a form of exercised that is feeding your body and your soul? If so, I’d love to hear about it. When we take care of our physical body we also fill up our ’emotional and spiritual’ body which I call the ultimate Self-Care!!!!

Sweat is FAT CRYING. I feel like I am cleaning out the old and breathing in the new. Thank God I listened to my body 10 days ago when I heard the ‘whisper’ to do Bikram Yoga.

Interested in learning about the TAVALA TRIM or Quantum Relief Strips? Go to www.TryOurSamples.com

 

Joy Edgerton

802-846-7530

joyedgerton@gmail.com

www.DaveandJoy.com