Embrace the Journey: Find Your Elixer

Summer 2019 with Adi Westerman

Five years ago, in 2014, I felt like the Multiple Sclerosis was winning. From the beginning in 2000, "good" was measured as how well I was walking. I refused to accept the notion of a steady decline. The type of MS I have (Primary Progressive) projects a slow steady decline with age.

Spasticity was spreading all over my body. I  had a limp when I walked. My body alignment was yink-yanked. My range of motion in both upper body and lower body was very limited  I had a lot of migraine headaches, achey joints, and falling injuries.

The Beginning

Daughter Liz was home on break summer 2014. She went every day to Hot Yoga Asheville.  She had been a dedicated practitioner for many years. I didn't even consider doing hot yoga because of the heat. Heat is not my friend. One afternoon i ask her, “Do you think I could do this yoga? You know what I’m capable of doing.  Give me your honest opinion?”

She said, "Yes. You should try it."  She told me exactly what to expect about the 90 minutes session. I trusted Liz's opinion. I was convinced when she said, ”Why don’t you try it tomorrow. All you have to do is stay in the room and do your best. I’ll make sure you are prepared.” 

Penni and me in the Arizona Desert

I remember everything about that first class. I couldn’t do the postures but the teacher said that didn’t matter. I struggled constantly with keeping my towel smooth and I listened to everything she said. In my effort to focus on me I noticed that everybody else was focused on themselves too. I felt invisible. The balance postures were just as bad as I anticipated. I did my best using the balance bar. I did stay in the room. I tried every posture to the best of my ability. The dialogue reassured me that doing my best was enough. I liked the yoga philosophy. The lingering good feelings lasted several days. 

I take trips with sister Penni to wonderful places. I like to feel competent and not so spastic when I interact with her friends and colleagues. Now, after five years of practicing almost daily, I see and these once a year friends see improvement.  Bikram Hot 26 Yoga has been transformative for my MS symptoms. I am dedicated because i see and feel the benefits daily.

The Hot 26 Practice

Hot 26 Yoga is a 90 minute moving breathing meditation done in a hot room at high humidity. The same 26 postures and two breathing exercises are done in the same sequence, at each practice. Doing the postures in the same sequence works for me. No surprises. The pace is just right with posture, rest, posture, rest. All the teachers are very good, each with a different style, cadence and pace, but always the same dialogue. The hardest postures for me are the standing ones. They require balance, coordination and strength  Adi let me use a chair for balance in the beginning, but soon provided a walker for me to use for balance postures.

Why the practice works for me:

Me with my walker

I need balance, stretching, strength, aerobics and meditation to manage the MS symptoms. What are these symptoms? For me, spasticity, joint stiffness, poor balance, fatigue, depression, headaches,  anxiety, mood, and constipation top the list. Probably the biggest daily take away from class is stress reduction.

I heard about getting increased energy from the practice. That came after about eighteen months of regular practice. A bigger surprise has been improvement in cognitive functioning. The key seems to be consistency and going everyday. I know my my brain has been compromised by leisions from the MS. I think the daily nervous system reboot is a key. Slowly, my body is getting into proper alignment. Little by little, balance is improving.

Improvements I Notice

Teachers in La Jolla on trip with Penni

How well I'm walking is my measuring stick. Five years ago, walking and movement in general was stiff and spastic. In traveling with sister Penni, I see friends  once a year. For the past two years, some of these friends have told me they see me walking more fluidly.  Spasticity shortens muscle fibers causing awkward movements all over the body. Five years ago, I had to concentrate on every step when I walked. Even then, I fell a lot.  Uneven surfaces still are treacherous., I'm comfortable walking, on my own. However, I don't hesitate to ask for a hand when the surface is uneven. 

With improved walking, I don’t have to concentrate on each step. I can get up and down off the floor easily. I get dressed much faster and can reach my arms behind me to do a back zippier.

I am addicted to feeling good. I use to have to take strong medicine for headaches. I rarely have a headache now. No more wrist brace for carpel tunnel. No more constipation.  I have gone off of two medicines. What I do have is lots of energy. 

The psychological benefits are huge for me. The meditative component helps manage MS symptoms of stress, depression and fatigue and cognitive functioning. The calm I feel after yoga stays with me all day. Processing time for doing routine tasks is quicker, smoother and less troubled. Problem solving is easier.

I didn’t know how bad I felt until I started feeling good. I didn't realize how much my energy had improved until husband Donnie commented on all I could do in a day. I like feeling good. Feeling good is my new normal. Feeling good and having great energy all started after I was doing daily yoga. It is my daily therapy. It is an elixir, a magic pill to manage the physical, physiological and psychological symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis.