Arthur Boorman's incredible DDP YOGA transformation…

 I was ready to start a new blog.  I fiddled with names and titles for months (and now I "own" several) but I just could not FEEL what I needed to feel in order to move forward.  Then, this afternoon I was watching (for maybe the 50th time) the wonderful transformation of Arthur Boorman and one of the texts said OWN YOUR LIFE.  That was it!  That was the inspiration for the name of my new blog. 

I discovered DDPY (Diamond Dallas Page Yoga) about FOUR months ago (came back to edit this - I originally had TWO months ago!).  I started with three days a week, but was not consistent.  I had some issues that I needed to resolve with my knee replacement knee.  After a trip to the doctor I found out that the pain I am having is because of nerve damage.  I can deal with that - I just wanted to make sure that I was not hurting myself further by doing the exercises.  I thought that would be enough to move forward, just saying THIS IS IT - NO MORE EXCUSES.  However, that wasn't it and there were many more excuses.  

To shore myself up I even had a private session with a certified DDPY instructor, Jason DeSimone - a fantastic and patient guy.  But, he had to leave for a job in Florida for 5-6 weeks and I guess I used that as one of the excuses.  Then I went into a mild depression - partly the weather, partly just not feeling well, partly just stuff going on and I guess I used that as an excuse.

But as I gathered excuses I also gathered things that would help me be successful.  I padded my workout area enough that, although I had pain when finished with the workout, I no longer had pain in my knees during the workout.  I bought a heart rate monitor (gadgets are a wonderful thing).  I cleared a beautiful workout area (no more working out in an ice-cold basement).  I put two ice packs at the ready in the freezer so that I could put them on right after the workout, and found, actually, that it helped - along with taking two Tylenol and Aspercreme with Lidocaine. I joined "team DDPY yoga" and a great DDPY Facebook page - wonderful loving support in both places. 

But in just now watching Arthur's video (the full cut), Dallas Page said that owning your life takes belief AND work ethic.  I think I was missing a little bit of one and a lot of the other.  Obviously I believe that I can do this - OMG I am NOT worse off than Arthur, or Jared (another transformed individual - I will put his video in my next blog), and I know I can do this.  But what is lacking in that statement of belief is the knowledge that I have not succeeded before and so there is a little chip on the shoulder of my belief - a chip that needs to be knocked off and trampled upon!  And what about work ethic?  I have never - with regard to exercise - said - THIS IS IT. I AM GOING TO DO THIS NO MATTER WHAT IT TAKES.  So, when I go to bed at night and think I will do the workout in the morning, morning comes, and ... oh well...  Then in the morning I say I will do the workout in the evening after work.  I get home, all exhausted and done for the day, and then... oh well...  How can I own my life if I have no belief OR work ethic?  The more things stay the same the more they stay the same.

This is the line in the sand.  I AM GOING TO OWN MY LIFE.  I AM GOING TO HAVE THE BELIEF AND WORK ETHIC TO DO IT.  I AM DONE FEELING WASHED UP.  I AM READY TO LIVE AND BE EXCITED AGAIN.