My Health Coach Story (Why I’m hooked on Yoga & Superfoods :)

Hi Warriors!

We all have a story to tell. What lead you to where you are right now? What pivotal moments shaped your life?

Although my journey to becoming a yoga teacher and a health coach has been over 30 years in the making, I tried to film it in 60 seconds (because that’s how long my attention span is, and supposedly I’m more patient than most 🙂 …

The slightly longer version is… I taught my first fitness class in 1986. It was my junior year in high school (complete with big hair, braces and leg warmers of course). My mom managed a ladies fitness spa and needed a substitute to fill in teaching some classes. I remember practicing to teach a choreographed dance aerobics and “toning” class in my bedroom. I was so nervous before my first class, but after that I was hooked! I’ve been teaching fitness ever since.

I taught everything that came along with all the fitness trends… Step, Slide, Strength … And Spinning. This was way before my yoga years, when my idea of stretching was 30 – 60 seconds at the end of an hour long sweat-fest.

I continued to teach fitness all through college. After I graduated and got a “real job” I taught before or after work. In the early 90’s my husband and I moved to Massachusetts and I was fortunate to get a job at a fitness expert at Canyon Ranch Resort Spa. That was such a fun time in my life… Until I started to experience a lot of fatigue, headaches and joint pain.

I went from doctor to doctor with no diagnosis. They’d suggest pain killers and anti-depressants. I was so frustrated. I felt like the unhealthiest healthy person. Meanwhile, I was newly married, in my mid 20’s and working at one of the top resort spas in the country. I mean, Julia Roberts was in my class on more than one occassion. At a time when I should have been feeling my best, I was feeling awful.

Over a year passed. I kept getting worse and worse. My husband got a promotion and we moved from Massachusetts to Virginia. I started looking for a new job and a new doctor and the saga continued. Eventually I was tested for Lyme and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. I honestly can’t remember which diagnosis came first. It’s all a blur…  but I do remember being told that the undiagnosed Lyme probably lead to an autoimmune reaction, causing the Hashimotos.

I continued to teach fitness classes even though my whole body ached and I had no energy. I forced myself to keep pushing, thinking that was the answer. I drank a lot of coffee and diet soda and I ate a lot of sugar (which of course only made things a lot worse but I honestly didn’t know better). I was in survival mode. I felt like I was 90 years old. My body was stiff and tired all the time. My skin was always broken out. I stopped getting my periods completely. I was 24 and was told I was in early menopause. I always felt bloated and carried extra weight, even though I was eating low fat foods and diet soda.

I was on antibiotics for 7 months for the Lyme and was put on Synthroid for the low thyroid function. We moved again – This time from Virginia to Maryland. I didn’t start to feel better for another year. I got a job as the marketing director for a health club and of course kept teaching fitness classes before or after work, despite feeling AWFUL. I continued to eat a lot of sugar, caffeine and diet products. I had migraines, acne, digestive issues, body pain, forgetfulness, fatigue and issues with depression due to my low energy. Despite working in the fitness industry, my job was very stressful. I felt like I was in a constant fog. I was very afraid I’d never feel well again.

Then one day, my knees literally buckled while I was teaching a Step class. I was taken off the fitness schedule that day and I started practicing yoga the next week. This is when my life started to change for the better. I started listening to my body more, practicing self-care and embracing my situation instead of fighting it.

The downward spiral soon shifted to an upward spiral…

The yoga began to transform my mind, body and spirit. I was so inspired, I got certified to teach yoga in 2000 and began teaching yoga to other athletic, Type A’s who, like me, needed a little chillpower. I founded Flexible Warrior Yoga in 2002 and began teaching yoga for the Baltimore Ravens football team. I filmed 5 volumes of Flexible Warrior yoga DVDs. It was so exciting to feel healthy again. I quit my marketing job and began to pursue putting my energy into my Flexible Warrior business to help others with their health and wellness.

But, I would continue to get flare-ups of pain, fatigue and migraines if I pushed myself too hard and slacked on my self-care.

One winter, I had a flare-up so severe, I didn’t leave the house for almost 6 weeks. Only my husband really new how bad it was. That’s when I decided to hire a health coach and change my diet. I started to incorporate superfoods and plant-based protein and reduce inflammatory foods like diet soda, gluten, dairy and refined sugar, coffee and and alcohol. I added in smoothies that were packed with fruits and veggies and stopped worrying about calories.

Little by little I started to feel the cloud lift and my energy increase.

As is often the case in life, my struggles have been my greatest teachers.

I graduated from the Integrative Institute of Nutrition in 2015 and enjoy coaching clients to create more health, energy, strength and flexibility with yoga and superfoods.

I founded Flexible Warrior yoga, health & wellness to help clients incorporate Yoga + Superfoods and find the balance between Willpower and Chillpower…

I believe if this approach benefitted me, I know it can benefit everyone from athletes to a stay-at-home mom or a corporate executive… We all deserve to look, feel and be our best!

Everyone is a warrior at some level!