There Must Be a Better Way

OK, so how does one get to the "better?" It starts with acknowledging the current approach is not working. For me, that became very evident right before the holidays at the end of 2008. Even though I work as a rehab Pilates instructor, I realized my own body, mind and spirit were not integrated. How can I teach others to do what I have been unable to do so far? It is said that you teach best what you most need to learn and I had been exploiting that premise and thought that as long as I was helping others, everything else would fall into place. However, by neglecting my "self" I was not practicing the skills I told my students were essential to live a balanced life. I became so consumed with wanting to work that I skipped meals, did not partake in cardio exercise, slept little and stressed over everything. All I wanted was to be the perfect teacher and to do my best with my business. A health scare was just the wake-up I needed to reinvest in my overall health and wellbeing. Luckily everything turned out OK, but the prospect of mortality coupled with helpful feedback from friends and family inspired me to change. I began with small steps: breakfast every day, a short hike or jog every other day. I have always been thin but was horrified to realize how weak I was in terms of cardio fitness. Over the course of one month, I saw amazing results. I had more energy, was less pale, felt stronger overall and found it much easier to think clearly. I began to crave my daily cardio fix and fell in love with hiking.

Hiking is a way for me to unwind and focus at the same time. My favorite spot is Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles and there is this one particular rock I seek out each time I crest the top of the trail. This has become my rock. It is a place to think and dream and a place to just listen. The past few weeks have been nothing short of a roller-coaster and so I found myself alone with my rock frequently. Looking down on the city below helped me to get myself out of the way of my current circumstances and to be open to any opportunity presenting itself. The idea that keeps coming back into my mind is to write and to encourage others to write as well. Maybe through collaborating we can all share an epiphany of a greater consciousness and peace.