Celebration of the Body

Last Saturday, April 25th was the 10 year anniversary of breaking my neck. It was a hair line fracture to the C2 vertebra. It's a crazy anniversary to have but when I let my thoughts go as far to playing the "what if" game I know a celebration is in order. I've been told over the last decade how "lucky" I am that everything worked out the way it did as the result was miraculous.

Any miraculous situation calls for a celebration right!? What better way to have a party for my body than to attend my favorite yoga class? It's a 1.5 hour sweat fest and Gina's best torture techniques blended together in a way that keeps me coming back for more.

It was a great time of focusing on how much my body can do. The whole 1.5 hour was focused on the unique appreciation I have grown to have for my body. It was an amazing time of realizing how blessed I am to be able to move through each pose and enjoy the benefit of exercise. I was even able to practice (for the first time) a forearm balance. I didn't get it but the ability to be able to practice and the reality that I CAN attain it someday was enough.

The past decade since my injury I've been blessed to experience life with movement of my arms and legs-something that could have been taken away in the blink of an eye. Yet it didn't turn out that way but since April 25th, 1999 I've had a different perspective. Now looking back it's not surprising that the path I went down in the last 10 years was what it was. I believe my life today would be different had I not experienced what it was like to almost have life and mobility taken away. Here's a list of the last 10 years; a summary of what I've done with the gift of life and mobility I've been given:

1. Up my expertise in the sport of slalom water-skiing.
2. Figure out I love white water rafting.
3. Discover the pure joy that comes from having a child.
4. See parts of the world and experience different cultures. I love feeling cultured!
5. Find that I love working with people and helping them make their bodies stronger.
6. I can run 12 races in 12 months.
7. Some college degrees.
8. Getting married.
9. A love for learning and experiencing new things.
10. Feeling the wind on my face while riding a bike.

My hope is the next decade will bring just as many milestones. I just need to keep pushing the limit and always remember how wonderful it is to experience life and mobility and to do something with what I have.....hallelujah, my body works!