YOGA + Life® Magazines
  • Partner With Us
  • Subscribe
  • Education + Trainings
  • Retreat Directory
  • “The Practice”
  • HOME
  • FEATURED
    • Community + Culture
    • Wellness + Nutrition
    • Products
    • Profiles
    • Yoga + Fitness
    • Events
  • ALL CONTENT
    • Community + Culture
      • Art
      • Books
      • Community
      • Culture
      • Family
      • Fashion
      • Food + Drink
      • Nourish Me
      • Motivation
      • Music
      • Outdoors
      • Travel
    • Wellness + Nutrition
      • Self-Care
      • Nutrition
      • Psychology
      • Recipes
      • Therapy
      • Weight Loss
    • Products
      • Product Spotlights
      • Roundups
      • Try It On – Reviews
      • Try It Out – Reviews
    • Profiles
      • Business
      • Partner Profiles
      • People
      • Spotlight Cities
      • Students
      • Studios
      • Teachers
      • Seva Story
      • Sustainability Story
      • Storytelling
    • Yoga + Fitness
      • Asana
      • In the Practice
      • Meditation
      • Philosophy
      • Physiology
      • Sports
      • Workouts
    • Events
      • Festivals
      • Retreats
      • Training Spotlights
    • Inspiration From Y+L Partners
  • Y + L COMMUNITIES
    • COLORADO
    • MINNESOTA
    • NEW YORK
  • CONNECT
    • Order A Magazine
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contribute
    • Contact Us
  • LIVE CLASSES
Featured Posts
  • Take A Road Trip : Greater Zion, Utah | By Kim Fuller
    • 12 views
  • RYSE with a ‘Y’ : On Family, Battling Addiction, Love + Loss | By Marisol Cruz
    • 31 views
  • Make Your Own Wishing Well To Manifest Your Dreams | By Shauna Cummins
    • 27 views
  • Partner With Us
  • Subscribe
  • Education + Trainings
  • Retreat Directory
  • “The Practice”
0 Followers
2K Likes
Partners
YOGA + Life® Magazines
Subscribe
  • HOME
  • FEATURED
    • Community + Culture
    • Wellness + Nutrition
    • Products
    • Profiles
    • Yoga + Fitness
    • Events
  • ALL CONTENT
    • Community + Culture
      • Art
      • Books
      • Community
      • Culture
      • Family
      • Fashion
      • Food + Drink
      • Nourish Me
      • Motivation
      • Music
      • Outdoors
      • Travel
    • Wellness + Nutrition
      • Self-Care
      • Nutrition
      • Psychology
      • Recipes
      • Therapy
      • Weight Loss
    • Products
      • Product Spotlights
      • Roundups
      • Try It On – Reviews
      • Try It Out – Reviews
    • Profiles
      • Business
      • Partner Profiles
      • People
      • Spotlight Cities
      • Students
      • Studios
      • Teachers
      • Seva Story
      • Sustainability Story
      • Storytelling
    • Yoga + Fitness
      • Asana
      • In the Practice
      • Meditation
      • Philosophy
      • Physiology
      • Sports
      • Workouts
    • Events
      • Festivals
      • Retreats
      • Training Spotlights
    • Inspiration From Y+L Partners
  • Y + L COMMUNITIES
    • COLORADO
    • MINNESOTA
    • NEW YORK
  • CONNECT
    • Order A Magazine
    • Advertise With Us
    • Contribute
    • Contact Us
  • LIVE CLASSES
  • CO YOGA + Life
  • Inspiration
  • Wellness

Listen. Respond. Grow. | By Angela Gaffney

  • Lexi Reich | Managing Editor
  • 80 views
  • 3 minute read
Total
2
Shares
2
0
0

Originally published in the Summer + Fall 2018 issue. 

Picture your #1 Fan, the one who loves you most and is there for you through thick and thin. Have you pictured someone? Maybe a spouse, parent or best friend came to mind. While all these people are great cheerleaders in life, the #1 Fan I’m speaking of is much, much more.

Your #1 Fan is your body.

That’s right, your #1 Fan is your body; the only one who shows up for you day in and day out, regardless of how you show up for it in return. It took me almost too long to realize this. I was 34 years old, had just had my second child and was motivated to lose the baby weight. Off to the gym I went, only to return home after the first aerobics class with a swollen elbow; I could barely extend my arm. It was spin class the next day that made my hip do the same thing … the class after that it was my knee. I wanted to believe it was just because I was out of shape, but my gut was telling me something much, much bigger was going on. And boy was I right.

Just a few months later my body was consumed with pain. I could no longer hold a pen to write, open a jar, or carry my baby up the stairs. But it didn’t stop there; chronic fatigue, headaches, stomach aches, brain fog and memory loss became part of my daily routine. And then came the dizzy spells and muscle weakness that eventually landed me in the hospital because I couldn’t walk. My body was failing me, and not one doctor had an answer.

After almost two years, my day of knowing arrived. I was so excited and eager to hear the plan to fix my ill body. The doctor shared that I have a rare neuromuscular disease called mitochondrial myopathy; the bad news, he said, is it’s progressive and will attack one organ system after the next. He didn’t know of any good outcomes and said to “go home and prepare for what’s to come.” I wished my gut had been wrong and the worst part of it all is I NEVER saw it coming.

For months I tried figuring out how to die gracefully. I woke up one morning and in an instant my thoughts shifted; I decided I was going to figure out how to live! That moment was the biggest moment of my journey and it started with my mind … shifting perspective and choosing to participate differently in life. If you’d like to get healthy, stress less and live more, you too will need to shift your thoughts and choose to participate in a new way.  Start with these three ideas:

  1. Listen: The body speaks to us every day; maybe you feel tired, have a headache, or knee pain. These are all signs the body is giving us in hopes that you might slow down, pay attention and respond. All too often, we dismiss what’s going on and move forward with our day. How can we demand that the body support us when we haven’t provided it enough in return? Take time to listen, it’s a vital first step to health.
  2. Respond: Listening is a fantastic start, but then you must do something with the information. Speak to your body just as you would a small child, let it know that you’re there to work as a team and support it in health. Take extra time for self-care when needed, see a doctor, or go get a massage. Your body will love you for it and respond in return.
  3. Grow: There can be a LOT of guilt associated with not doing enough. Especially when a diagnosis is part of the journey, we begin to question our past choices. Don’t allow yourself to go there. Focus on moving forward every day. Learn from your past choices, choose differently and participate in a new way going forward. This allows us to grow as a person and maintain good health. Health is not about perfection, it’s all about progression. One step at a time.

Focus on moving forward every day.

Photo courtesy of Real Evolution Yoga.

Angela Gaffney, CHC, is a catalyst for healthy transformation. After overcoming a disease she was told would take her life, Angela teaches others simple strategies to achieve health and excel in their career. Angela is the best-selling author of Feel Good, Look Good, For Life. To hire Angela to speak at your next event, discuss a wellness program for your corporation, or take advantage of complimentary health tools, please visit www.AngelaGaffney.com.
Total
2
Shares
Share 2
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Lexi Reich | Managing Editor
Lexi Reich | Managing Editor

After experiencing a yoga ashram nestled in the mountains of Colorado, Lexi became enthralled in the practice of yoga and meditation, and earned her yoga teacher training at the sacred space. Originally from Chicago, Lexi loves the holistic lifestyle she found in Colorado, and combining this passion with her writing is what makes her truly happy. Outside of her role as Managing Editor at Jaunt Media Collective, the publishing company behind YOGA + Life® and Spoke+Blossom, Lexi spends most of her time freelance writing and leading yoga classes. Besides this, you can find her hiking or daydreaming about traveling. Learn more at lexireich.com

Previous Article
  • CO YOGA + Life
  • People
  • Profiles
  • Teachers
  • Yoga + Fitness

Q + A with Laura Rust : Co-founder of BIG Power Yoga and Out Here Yoga

  • Lexi Reich | Managing Editor
View Post
Next Article
  • CO YOGA + Life
  • Retreats
  • Training Spotlights
  • Travel
  • Yoga + Fitness

THRIVE! : Engage, Expand and Evolve with Real Evolution Yoga | By Kim Fuller

  • Lexi Reich | Managing Editor
View Post
More from Y+L
  • RiverWonderGrass

    Rafting, Camping + Live Music : The 2021 RiverWonderGrass Expedition Lineup is Here

    • CO YOGA + Life®
    View Post
  • Hanuman Academy Launches Tantra Yoga Psychology Course : September 20 – October 31, 2020

    • YOGA + Life® Magazines
    View Post
  • Meet Two Featured Artists from CRUSH Walls Art Festival in Denver : September 14-20, 2020 | By Brooke Welsh

    • CO YOGA + Life®
    View Post
  • Eat, Drink and Learn During the Flatirons Food Film Festival Fundraiser this August

    • Bobby L'Heureux | Director or Partnerships, Y+L
    View Post
  • Keeping the Yoga Retreat Alive During a Pandemic | By Lisa Blake

    • Bobby L'Heureux | Director or Partnerships, Y+L
    View Post
  • Summer + Fall Adventure with RiverWonderGrass | By Brooke Welsh

    • Bobby L'Heureux | Director or Partnerships, Y+L
    View Post
  • Yoga & Collective Resilience : Hanuman Community Offers Online Event | By Wendy Wilkinson

    • CO YOGA + Life®
    View Post
  • Wellness Retreats – Can I Still Do This? | By Juli Rathke

    • Juli Rathke | Founder, YOGA + Life®
    View Post
  • UCHealth evrē 2020 Self Care Saturday for Women | By Karstee Davis

    • karsteedavis
    View Post
  • Kate Fagan on Inclusivity in College Sports | By Karstee Davis

    • karsteedavis
    View Post
Archived Posts!
  • Africa by Jay Rush
    Retreat Spotlight : Africa Safari & Yoga Retreat
    • 219
  • Embodiment Helps You Reconnect with Your Body
    • 87
  • Low-Waste Lifestyle | By Selena Rodriguez
    • 158
  • What We Love Winter + Spring 2019-2020
    • 77
  • On-The-Go Snack List
    • 87
Instagram
We’re well into 2021 — how are your New Years goals holding up?
Focus on your internal well-being. Self-care is not only beneficial to oneself, but for the communal good. Together let’s rise up and rejuvenate with the help of our 2021 self-care essentials. Link in bio for full list of products!
Cheers to the new year! Who’s ready for 2021? ✨
Step into your power 💪🏼
Illuminate Your Intentions with yoga, meditation + writing on Sunday, January 3! This two-hour interactive workshop with Kim Fuller - @lifeinfull - will guide you through a stimulating movement session followed by uplifting introspection, helping you to explore clear space for the new year. It’s a wonderful way to spark creativity and set intentions for 2021. ✨
How has working from home been going for you? Like many, it may be a struggle.
Since we’re all spending so much time at home, why not embrace the comfort and warmth — two defining characteristics of hygge (pronounced hoo-ga) — that encompass the holiday season?
Happy Holidays to all! 🎁❤️💫 sending love and light!
Facebook
Facebook
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
We’re well into 2021 — how are your New Years goals holding up?
Focus on your internal well-being. Self-care is not only beneficial to oneself, but for the communal good. Together let’s rise up and rejuvenate with the help of our 2021 self-care essentials. Link in bio for full list of products!
Cheers to the new year! Who’s ready for 2021? ✨
Step into your power 💪🏼
Illuminate Your Intentions with yoga, meditation + writing on Sunday, January 3! This two-hour interactive workshop with Kim Fuller - @lifeinfull - will guide you through a stimulating movement session followed by uplifting introspection, helping you to explore clear space for the new year. It’s a wonderful way to spark creativity and set intentions for 2021. ✨
How has working from home been going for you? Like many, it may be a struggle.

Join the YOGA + Life® Newsletter!

Events, Product Reviews, Promotions and More!

about
YOGA + Life® - an online community and magazine.
Recent Articles
  • Take A Road Trip : Greater Zion, Utah | By Kim Fuller
    • Kim Fuller | Editor-in-Chief, YOGA + Life®
  • RYSE with a ‘Y’ : On Family, Battling Addiction, Love + Loss | By Marisol Cruz
    • CO YOGA + Life®
  • Make Your Own Wishing Well To Manifest Your Dreams | By Shauna Cummins
    • YOGA + Life® Magazines
  • Painting with Purpose : Activist Shannon Galpin Invites Us to Combat Apathy | By Lisa Blake
    • CO YOGA + Life®
  • Editors
  • Online Columnists
  • Contribute
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
YOGA + Life® - All Rights Reserved

Input your search keywords and press Enter.