I have a confession to make and something very personal to share that I am a bit scared and a lot excited about.
About 3 months ago I had a major temper tantrum. I was creaking and groaning with stiffness and some pain when I got up in the morning. I had lost all my athleticism and I mean ALL my athleticism. OMGoodness I was feeling like one of my old great aunts (bless them! 🙂 )
I had some arthritis developing in my hands and my feet – I was limping a lot trying to avoid the pain and I actually had to resort to buying one of those special old people gadgets to open jars.
Those of you who know me, will know that when I have a temper tantrum, I swear a lot.
I turn 60 years old this year and I am drastically overweight. I come from a line of mostly long lived women – so with life expectancy actually expanding, I can reasonable expect 40 more years. I had some circumstances happen that made me realize that I had been “settling” for getting older in a crappy kind of way.
“Well …. that!” I said. (That’s where the swearing came in.) I have no intention of spending the next 40 years getting more and more in pain, getting more and more restricted in what I can do. That is absolutely unacceptable.
From all my work with other people and animals with alternative therapy, I know that this is all changeable, so I decided to change it.
My new mantra is “Health, healthy, healthy… dead.”
That’s how I want my life to go – and to do life like that, I had to change something.
I started by developing the Arthritis Trial so that I could share everything that I knew from 20 odd years of helping other people and animals to get rid of arthritis. Kind of a “physician heal thyself” thing.
I started walking in the mornings, getting that beautiful, effortlessly powerful posture that I teach in my riding programs happening again – taking my dog Lily Bär for extra enjoyment. I started paying attention to what foods inflamed my arthritis and what foods calmed it down and applying all the other facets of the arthritis program to myself.
I used a technique that I use with the horses to get a brilliant transition from walk to trot and found this beautiful, easy floating movement between a walk and a run and I feel really good doing it, even at this weight. (For those of you on the trial – I will share how to do this when we get to the exercise section.)
I’m up to 4 kilometres on some days (I vary the length and speed) and there is a very steep 200 metre hill at the end of my walk that I can power up without stopping most days and I can do the whole 4 kms in a kind of yoga breathing that Noora Ehnqvist taught us, that I call Reverse Breathing.
Also, Narel’s husband Ian (Narel is one of the teachers on staff here) has helped me with strengthening my feet (our feet are SUCH an important foundation and yes I’m sharing that on the Arthritis Trial too) and my morning walk/float/run is being done barefoot. We call it barefoot, but I wear these little flat slippers to protect my feet just like we do with barefoot horses.
And I am loving it.
Well… here’s my very personal news – slightly scarey, but only in a good, excitement kind of way.
Well, with Ian’s encouragement I have decided to do a 22 kilometre 1/2 marathon in September – and I am going to walk/float/run it barefoot too.
Well, that means some fairly big things are gonna’ have to change around here to achieve THAT objective! Laughter here…
And here’s the bit that’s even bigger I think.
I am making a commitment to myself, to enjoy every step of the journey and to enjoy the marathon itself.
That’s what I am about here – that’s what I stand for – doing things easily without struggle, understanding how to enjoy the journey. Knowing that it is impossible to enjoy arriving at the destination without enjoying the journey on the way. Applying all these principles to a 1/2 marathon distance, is going to unfold some verryyy interesting changes over the next six months.
A blueprint for good health generally.
Arthritis has so many different root causes, that it’s not surprising that a program to help people with it, should be a blueprint for good health generally – mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually. I have had numerous people point that out and quite a few people with other health issues and even no particular health issues at all, have joined the program for that reason.
Maybe you would enjoy a Goddess style journey to Inner Peace and Good Health again with the Arthritis Program too. (My apologies to the male readers, but using the male version of that just doesn’t seem right!) AND we’re gong to have to change the name I think! 🙂
And if finding your healthy goddess isn’t your thing, send me some encouragement and cheer me on this journey to 22 kilometres in September. 🙂
You go girl!
I’ve realised a lot of this stuff myself lately, will be 59 this year.
I sent you an email, but I do love the ” reverse breathing” concept. Really got a lot out of that.
Thank you, you are inspiring!
Thanks Amanda!
Well, I also want to be a fit 80 years and during this winter I have been stiffer and stiffer and that is something new to me! I think it has to di with that I haven´t done my yoga, there has been a lot of stress when moving to a new house and started to read in the same time- I guess I am not a superwomen, ha,ha! All this have given me pain in my body, hm.
Yes, I will sign up for Inner peace and Good health and give me self a new start! And I love walking barefoot and I have tried those barefoot shoes and now I look forward that the ice on the roads melts away so I can walk more comfortable!
Thank you for the reminder doing the thing the easy way and take small steps instead of big jumps! I do need to hear that again.
What an inspiration you are, Jenny. I will wave at you from Sweden when you float through the marathon!
My heart is warmed by the thought of you waving from Sweden… Smiling here…
Jenny, .. just so excited about your big decision! You will have so many holding space for your accomplishment of this 🙂
Cant wait until September! xo
And I will love the support that gives me – thanks! I can already feel a knowledge of what needs to change in order to reach my goal and some physical change seems to have happened spontaneously. How weird is that!
Well done. Go for it!
Thanks Gerry! There are some BIG changes that need to happen to make it – but hey, I am COMMITTED to enjoying the journey!
Whoo Hoo, Jenny, and Atta Girl! I’ll be following and supporting your every step! (I wish I could follow every step literally, waving at the Joeys on the way.) I hope you’re remembering to wear your little cotton socks!
Devo
Laughter here Devo at the cotton socks. I know you mean my often said saying about “bless your cotton socks”, but from a literal point of view the barefoot slippers are just that – no socks! 🙂 🙂 I’ll bet with all your ice and snow in Alaska right now, you would seriously love joining us in our spring weather down on the coast of New South Wales where I’m going to be doing this! 🙂 I hear the weather has been even more crazy over your way this year. Have you hit 40 degrees below again? I gotta tell you that is BEYOND my comprehension…
Dear Jenny,
I turned 60 the end of last year, just about the time I signed on for the arthritis trial, and at the same time our house sold, at beginning of Winter in the Canadian North.
I haven’t had the energy to keep you posted on my progress as I followed along, but I have been experiencing some great personal breakthroughs. My biggest victory is posture. I have bemoaned my poor posture, being defeated by my attempts to improve. My attempts were high maintenance, worked only when I was diligent. Your small steps, taking me through the feeling of how I balanced on my feet, where my knees are over my feet and the feeling of leading each step with the top of my knee has been so simple to practice.
Now that the ice is melting and the pressures of relocating are coming to an end, I need to go back over your exercises on walking up and down the small hill. I need to get that part right. These little steps have been so liberating. Having energy is still a challenge for me, but as the good weather comes and new posture takes a firmer hold I shall try your “bare-foot” walk too. Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge, you have helped me in a big way.
All the best with your half marathon. I don’t doubt but it will be a wonderful achievement, a piece of cake, sounds like you are well on the way. You will surely achieve it, just continue on as you have begun. How wonderful you have someone in your life that supports you in your dreams, and who challenges you to make yourself happy. I will be thinking on what you are attempting, it inspires me, making my resolve stronger too.
Estelle Nix
Thanks for the encouragement Estelle! And I am so glad that the Arthritis Trial is delivering for you. I suspect that you will be able to improve your energy levels with some of the food stuff that is still to come and there is a particular emotional thing that we nurturers can do that can seriously sap our energy too. we’re going to cover that soon.
Re the barefoot thing – Ian put me onto foot exercises to strengthen my feet, before I actually started. The foot exercises were a BIG key to success, particularly because I wore orthotics and I took it slowly five minutes at a time at the beginning. It’s really the same key to your success with the posture I think – baby steps make it easy!
this will be you!!
http://stacywestfallhorseblog.com/2011/10/12/101-year-old-cowgirl/
What an inspiration she is! Lovely video Joanna – thanks!
WOWEEEEE Jenny! This is one of the most inspiring blog posts I’ve ever read, on a any subject. You are literally walking the talk! I will dig out the photos on the internet of the 102 year old (working) cowgirl as I see you as her in 40years time. Go Jenny, is all I can say!!
Well I did say I wanted to be riding fit and happy at 80 years old – so clearly I am manifesting that!