Back From The Brink

Since my last blog post only a month ago, both my admin and private coaching businesses have absolutely flourished.  After having become so depleted and demoralized through the winter and spring, to now have an abundance of administrative and private training clients is gratifying and solid confirmation that I made the right decision to diversify.

The stress and depression of those tough months took a definite toll.    As I look at my regression on the scale, in how my clothes no longer fit properly and in the decline of my fitness performance, I recall that for many months, I couldn’t even muster the energy or discipline to care, least of all stop the slide.  My heart goes out to those around me who, for whatever reason, are still sitting in the depths of their own personal hell.  It will pass.  Everything does.  Seriously.  Please hang in there until the change comes.

Last month I finally started to break free….first with the business change, then the twice weekly hikes with girlfriends and their wonderfully furry tow ropes. Those hikes have been so very helpful for healing my heart.  I just adore my huge community of fit and adventurous women!  Like this highlight of the antics from Sunday’s 4-mile run.  (There’s a 5k coming up in September that I’m jumping on…  Mt. Wilson Inaugural 5k.  Come join me!)

A few weeks ago, I also added back in CrossFit three times a week.  My  current box isn’t ideal given my background, knowledge and standards, but for the moment it’s most important to just again immerse myself in a fitness culture that surrounds me with likeminded people.  No doubt I’ll keep visiting the different boxes in the area until I settle in the one that fits me best.

Last week I was even able to pull the trigger on one of the last of my healing needs… I reconnected with my old nutrition coach.  If anyone can help me finish reclaiming my body and spirit, it will be Perla Solis.

Even though I let some things go slack for awhile, one thing has consistently provided such pleasure, that I’ve managed to keep it going through all the turmoil of change.  Anatomy tutoring!  Yep, I’ve been studying anatomy weekly with an excellent teacher. One who also just happens to also be a close friend and favorite backpacking buddy… Kaelyn Silva.

Kaelyn has an enormous education in human physiology; first as a student, then as both teacher and coach.  She is so knowledgeable, gifted and creative that I was beyond blessed when she agreed to take me on.  Almost every Tuesday evening, we meet at her house to work our way up the human body.  I asked her to focus her teachings on those components that would be most useful in my coaching… bones, muscles, joints, movement and structure abnormalities and corrections.  She has done all that and so much more; never hesitating to suspend her curriculum to make sure that I understood a concept and its practical application… even when it meant calling in her physics specialist.

I’m a tactile and visual learner and even with all the time, money and effort I’ve put into live and virtual courses and certifications through the years, I’ve never felt completely confident with my grasp of human movement.  That is finally changing!  It has been incredibly powerful to fill in my understanding gaps up close and personal.

Kaelyn prepares well in advance of each week, preparing extensive notes, homework and crazy hard quizzes.  We’ve used client case studies, practiced with our bodies, performed the dissection of a lamb knee joint (Did you know that a dried lamb meniscus looks just like a baby’s ear? Who’d have thought!) and studied some really awesome books.  This one in particular has given me hours and hours of insight and fascination.  (The history of the wax artwork is bizarre all in itself! )  I had no idea that I would fall so in love with learning about the human body and how it works and I have Kaelyn to thank for that.  (If anyone reading this post thinks they or someone they know could benefit from advancing their working knowledge of the human body, let me know and I’ll connect you with her.  She may be able to offer you tutoring too!)

Oh, one last thing…  I bought this little money plant just over two years ago.  It thrived all the way up until last winter, when it started to slowly die.  In the spring, the last of its few remaining leaves were all ripped off during a wind storm, leaving nothing but sticks.  I was going to just throw the pitiful baby away, but I’m oddly superstitious at times, and I procrastinated.  Now look at it!  Even after having gone to the very brink, it’s not only alive, but again thriving!  If there’s a mystical message here, I’ll leave you to figure it out…  🙂