Everyone has to start somewhere. It is rare that you try something for the first time and achieve master status. With knowing this, why do most of us become our own worst critic and aren’t patience with ourselves to learn a new skill and implement positive change in our lives!
Meet Kathi and Steve who have been clients of mine since 2006. At that time, they took yoga and got regular massages. Now, after having been married for over 40 years, they have decided they want to become more proactive. They decided it was time to put healthier habits back into their lifestyle despite recent life-changing events.
December 2013, they started doing private yoga session with me to work on getting healthier and fit. Kathi has had a corporate, desk job for years. She was a regular yoga student of mine back in 2006, but as time went on, she became sedentary. She had foot surgery in 2013, and one of the goals of doing private sessions was to regain strength in that foot and work on her balance and coordination and to be able to get down and up off the floor and play with her grandchildren!
As I began to see their progression and I started to work on my vision of online yoga videos, I asked if I could film what we were doing in their private sessions as part of my online videos. They were very apprehensive at first, but I was persistent in asking them, and they began to see my vision!
A couple of weeks before filming, she fractured her other foot and was in a boot. She questioned whether or not she should continue her private sessions and be in the filming. My response to her was, “Of course!” Life happens, and too often, people use setbacks as an excuse as to why they cannot start or continue working on their goals in life.
Starting Point Series was inspired by our sessions together and will show Kathi and Steve’s journey, using yoga to help them become stronger, more flexible, and to create better balance and coordination one step at a time. If you are ready and willing, please join them on their adventure with this series. I hope that their story will inspire you and that through their progression, you will find the motivation to keep moving forward one baby step at a time. Since I launched Sirrine Yoga Online in 2014, to my surprise, this series has been some of my member’s favorite videos, young and old!
Kathi’s Bio
In 2005, I belonged to a gym where Teresa was teaching yoga classes and decided to give it a try. I was hooked and continued to go to her class for about three years. Eventually, she moved on to a different gym, I didn’t follow.
Fast forward: I have now been at my desk job for 26 years, it’s hard to believe. Sitting at a desk 8 hours a day every day, as we know, is not conducive to the best physical or mental health. Aches and pains were becoming a way of life without me realizing it was happening. I now have grandchildren and found I could not get up and down on the floor easily to play with them. It was time for a change; I contacted Teresa about private lessons. In 10 short weeks I am feeling the benefits. She is the best at showing you the proper alignment for each position, getting more out of each workout. She makes me feel at home and comfortable, no judgment. You are where you are, and it can only get better one step at a time. After I started my yoga lessons, I fractured my left foot. She wouldn’t let me stop; she said we would work around the boot and we did. (I cleared it with my physician) Teresa has helped make my yoga practice as an essential part of my life. After working with Teresa for several months, I can know get up and down off the floor much easier to play with my grandchildren!
Steve’s Bio
I met Teresa in 2005, through my wife. I did not attend her classes as I was more into the machines and weights. I also was active in playing softball and helping with our sons sports.
Fast forward: I am now older, and some things are not as easy to do. I am a cancer survivor, who decided that I needed to start moving again. Being retired, I try to stay active doing chores around the house but found it was not enough. I have also developed a hernia. We decided to try Yoga, and there is only one person that we wanted to try it with. You guessed it; it was Teresa. She has a wealth of knowledge in yoga and muscle toning. I also have a hernia, and Teresa researched how to do certain poses without creating further issues. She developed a workout plan, to help us get the most out of our sessions. Working on stretching and the right alignment, along with the correct breathing, I have started to regain some strength, and my balance is coming back. I cannot thank her enough for all she has done. I look forward to the workouts.