Have you ever spoken to your BODY, your SPIRIT/SOUL, without your MIND getting in the way and dictating what you should or shouldn’t do? Ever ignore the answer that you hear back? If not, give it a try sometime.

It’s often said that if PRAYER is you talking to GOD (and God is within all of us) and that your intuition or ‘quiet voice back to you’ is God talking to you.

I have two incidences I recall vividly where I asked and received my inner guidance.

#1 In December Dave and I were stuck with our careers within the network marketing companies we were affiliated with. We prayed…got clear on what we wanted, right down to the soul of the matter…..and asked for guidance. We promised to be open and walk through any open doors that felt ‘right’…. and soon an email came to us, that led to a phone conversation and we said YES and our lives have been positively changed since then.

Yes, we resigned from the company we had been with for over 10 years – leaving income $ on the table- as well as a company we had dabbled with for approximately 6 months- also leaving $-(Sometimes I wonder how many things we miss out in the past by not paying attention enough to ‘hear’ that inner voice & wisdom!)

#2 Very recently- within the past week- I was asking my body what it needed from me as I was experiencing aches and pains that I normally do not experience and had lost some ‘zest’ for fully living life. My enthusiasm for fitness was not at its peak and it seemed like I was requiring more sleep.

One day I asked my body quietly what I needed to do and what I immediately heard back was “BIKRAM YOGA”. You mean that HOT YOGA done in 105 degrees of heat and 40% humidity? No way, was my first reaction …. but….then I thought how silly it is to ASK and then NOT LISTEN!

Truly, I wanted to ignore the message but how could I when it was so clearly shown to me? I was to begin Bikram Yoga. Yes, I initially fought the thought in my mind as I know what a discipline any yoga practice is, and I don’t ‘like’ yoga…. but in honor of my body and spirits wisdom, I agreed.

I pulled out my old Bikram’s Beginning Yoga Class book and read it. I was nervous- or more like PETRIFIED as I hadn’t done Bikram for almost 15 years and back then my body was younger, much more flexible and I was 20 pounds lighter.

I checked out a couple of studios, found one I really liked near our house and decided to start an intro pack of 30 classes in 30 days. Yes, I was serious and to entice us ‘newbies’ it was all for only $30. Wow! Talk about commitment!

I emailed the owner of the studio who is also an instructor so she knew she would have a new student the following day, who incidentally was petrified to the core!

Somehow I knew that this is going to lead to a turn around in many areas of my life. I then went to T.J. Max, bought 3 pair of ‘bootie’ shorts with built in shorts under them so that I would have the right attire. I NEVER wear shorts, let alone bootie shorts but knew my yoga pants or yoga capri pants would be far too hot!

Sunday night, August 20th, I could hardly sleep. I was nervous and kept thinking of the class the next morning. It felt silly to be so nervous but I was.

I also came to the realization that at age 60 I don’t care about the good opinion of other people- or at least not to the degree I have my in my younger years. So I agreed to have MYSELF be my own judge.

I decided I would be open and vulnerable and be OK with my ‘yoga’ abilities. For someone who is very athletic and plays tennis, lifts weights, plays sports with ease- this feeling was foreign. I have come to realize, in just 3 days practicing Bikram Yoga, that no matter what stage you are in with your yoga, it is YOUR OWN PRACTICE… It is not a competition and that gave me relief!

Day 1: I got to the studio early. Queen City Bikram Yoga. I introduced myself to Marla, the lady who owns the studio and that I had sent my email to the day before. She welcomed me and I followed others into the studio who clearly knew where they were going and what to do. I was still nervous!

LUCKILY I love the heat. Three weeks prior to this class I had done my first sweat lodge and it confirmed how much I love to sweat and how cleansing and therapeutic it feels.

Even though I had done Bikram Yoga a handful of times in Florida, today felt very different. I was here on my own for me, and my own reasons.

I promised my body and soul to give it my best…because that is all we can do. I had read in the Bikram book to do everything you CAN do, to perfection….meaning do it ‘the right way’…. so this is what I did. If I could only do the pose 10% (and many times that is about how far I could ‘bend’ or hold) but I did it exactly the way to get the maximum benefits. I promised myself I would give it my all, to get the full benefits- or why come at all?

The instructor in Florida was very ‘militant’ and barked instructions at people. I recall being yelled at when I used my towel to wipe the sweat from my eyes, during a time when apparently it was not allowed.

Thankfully, not the case here at Queen City Bikram Yoga. First of all, Marla is a great teacher and offered great instruction. She didn’t care if I had to wipe my body or face the entire 90 minutes due to the waterfalls of sweat dripping off my body. She also offered ‘helpful’ and ‘useful’ advice that would help each and every student get the most from the poses.

Long story short, I survived Day 1 of Bikram and felt like my own hero! I was BEAT RED and drenched when I left the class but I felt on top of the world. I did it….and I decided, or course, I’d return the following day.

By the way, my body was exhausted from a different kind of fatigue. One of stretching my muscles, organs, tendons and the blood flowing rapidly through my body. I hydrated my body throughout the day, feasted on veggies and fresh fruit and went to bed around 8 pm. 🙂

Day 2: I felt slightly more confident going to class on day 2 and was excited to see a woman who I had met weeks before at the sweat lodge I mentioned before. It was nice to see a familiar face and also to learn that Cara also teaches there on Tuesdays at 6:30 am. (Doubt I’ll experience an early AM class but who knows?)

One of my main reasons for agreeing to doing this introduction of 30-days of Bikram is I truly believe it will help me in the aging process.

I want to be full of vitality and healthy for my next 20, 30 or even 40 years.

It was my body that knew what I needed- more flexibility, more functional abilities, deeper lung capacity … and I listened. Perhaps reluctantly, but I also moved into action as I promised myself I would.

On day 2 I was equally as sweaty and red-faced as Day 1. My body was exhausted on one hand, but rejuvenated on the other hand. Last night I slept sounder than I had in a long time and I expected it would be the same this night.

I consciously ate healthy foods, and kept hydrated. I was beginning to feel like perhaps this ‘yoga thing’ could be good for me. I also knew with Bikram Yoga that my body would continuously rid toxins due to sweating. Hydration was a key. Reducing alcohol and increasing water, was my new medicine.

Day 3: Today. I had more pep in my step. I am by no means cocky. My poses do NOT look anything like they are supposed to but my body is becoming more flexible in just 3 days. Today I could actually do several poses that I could not do before. My tennis elbow pain had slightly more pain today but that was because I forgot to wear my Quantum Relief Strip….. (These strips help with areas of discomfort as well as energy & balance …but are also great to place in areas on the body that need energy.)

Interestingly enough, the one pose I knew I could do with relative ease – the TREE POSE- is one I have not been able to do on my left side. What the heck is that all about?

I am so right side dominant and so sweaty that my foot slides and I find myself literally hopping around on one foot just trying to get and stay in balance. Crazy but true. I think I need to find that spot ahead of me to concentrate on so I can keep my focus…even if it only means standing on one foot and doing nothing else.

I imagine I’ll line up each day, every day, along the back wall in the back of the class so I can learn from others who have done Bikram yoga for months or years or longer. It is good to have someone to watch so you can learn the poses correctly. If not, no worries, the instructor is there to help you.

Interestingly enough, there are both men and women in the class- clearly FAR MORE WOMEN, and they are women of all ages and body shapes. I have noticed that most of the people are comfortable in their bodies no matter their size or physical conditioning. Many women bare their ‘less tan or toned’ bellies, and don’t seem conscious that their bellies were whiter and softer than the rest of their body. This to me is refreshing- especially coming from the ‘gym scene’ and Jane Fonda days where there is a look and competition on how ‘tight and toned’ the body is and what fashion one is wearing.

Maybe I’ll bare my belly in my jog bra ‘some day’, but I doubt it. At least no time soon. My ultimate goal is to become more flexible in 30 days, increase my stamina, my focus, to drop some ‘bloat weight’ and reduce alcohol consumption.

Clearly going to Bikram yoga the next day has curbed any discussion or craving for cocktails at night. There is no way one could tolerate Bikram being tired or hung over!

If you are humored by my story….keep reading my blogs over the next several weeks. No doubt there are some funny stories to share ahead!

If this inspires YOU to talk quietly to YOUR body & soul and listen to what it tells you it needs, fantastic. I would be delighted to have that positive influence.

Our business seems to be booming even more now that my focus remains intuitive in nature. When I tune into others needs or who can use a call for product or business support- it is always the right action.

Good luck on YOUR journey in life. Be true to yourself. Be yourself, everyone else is already taken.

I’d love to hear your stories of how you made a change when you listened to YOUR inner wisdom. 802-846-7530, email me at joyedgerton@gmail.com or www.DaveandJoy.com

Joy Edgerton