Spring 2013, I was diagnosed with Reynaud’s Phenomenon. Spring 2014, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia and connective tissue disease.
The past few years put me through the most stressful times. I believe it contributed to my getting sick. I have had chronic pain issues with my hands and feet for the past two years. I have 3 diagnoses, all of which cause me excruciating pain. One diagnosis is connective tissue disease. This causes extreme swelling. The pain is so great, it wakes me from a dead sleep. My feet swell so much, I AM NOT ABLE TO WALK when I come home from work, as you can see in the first picture taken February 2015. The second picture was taken May 2015 after I started yoga.
March 2015, my younger sister convinced me to try 90 minutes of hot yoga with her. I had no idea what this yoga was about; I had never done any yoga prior to her asking. Shortly after taking classes, I realized that I was not waking in the middle of the night from pain in my swollen hands or feet. I could not believe how quickly my body started changing.
I started a journal of how I was feeling after yoga. To my surprise, after more than two years of insomnia and pain, yoga helped me sleep again. There are some days I can’t sleep, but it is not an every night battle anymore. I realized after only 5 weeks of hot yoga, I had virtually no swelling in my feet. (It’s been a year with no swelling in my feet.)
Hot yoga has helped me more in 5 weeks than doctors did in 2 years.
I have never in my life put focus on myself before this. I feel more spiritual than I ever have, which mentally has been a life saver for me. I realize through yoga and healing, I am changing for the better.
Sometimes I find the yoga to be torture, but I love the benefits I am feeling. I plan to continue this journey of healing through hot yoga.