“Mommy, you can do this!”…The words that changed my life.

There is a common belief that once we hit “middle age” our physical fitness capacity is crippled.  We believe our metabolism is slowing and consequently we expect less of ourselves when it comes to fitness.  I have discovered in my personal journey, that often our minds hold us back more than our physical bodies. When we tap deep into our purpose, we unveil a determination that supersedes the rules of life.

When i hit middle age, I was like most moms – busy raising kids and constantly juggling to balance home life, work life and staying healthy. I had spent the past decade pouring motivation into my kids and encouraging them to tap into their purpose. I was in the kitchen preparing dinner one evening when that motivation came back at me full circle. My 13 year old daughter walked in with a photo of a 2 girls doing acro yoga and told me she wanted to do the pose with me. The photo depicted one girl in a handstand and one in a backbend, neither of which I had ever done. With no gymnastics or dance background to draw from, I had to hide my laughter, but there stood my pre-teenager presenting a goal and virtually telling me she believed in me. “Mom, you can do this.” Those words, and the confident delivery of them, became a defining moment in my life.
 
We started with “hallway yoga”.  She always amazed me with the unfortunate timing of her appointed practices.  It was usually right after dinner when she would call me upstairs to flip my body upside down against a door or a wall.  I spent more time praying my food would stay down than I did working on my flexibility, but day after day I showed up to play with her.  I recall one time working on my middle split.  I had been surrendering to the pose for 10 minutes and had finally reached a couple inches from the floor.  I called out to her, “Look baby!” She glanced over and then looked me sternly in the eyes and said, “Mom…Just drop! You’re so close.”  I was reminded in that moment of my typical response when my kids brought home high B’s on their interim grade reports, “Gosh, you’re so close…With a little bit of work you can probably turn that into an A.”  I glanced back at my daughter, took a deep breath and I dropped to the floor!  At 48 years old, it was the first full split of my life! As I sat stretched out from one side of the hallway to the other, I realized how powerfully our mindsets can either help us or hinder us.  What if we lifted the cap to our limitations and our dreams….What if we allowed our minds to steer us towards empowerment and away from fear…

If we listen to our hearts and the messages that reside internally, we will realize the only thing that often holds us back is ourselves.  The potential to be what we want to be is inside each and every one of us. The world will tell you, “You’re too old.  You’re not smart enough, strong enough, pretty enough or good enough.  You don’t have the experience or background or physical makeup it takes to be successful.  Your past is in the way of your future.”  But we have a choice.  Are we going to be satisfied with an “almost split”, or are we going to put in the little extra effort to “hit the floor”?  That’s the difference between being good or great, ordinary or extraordinary, satisfied or purpose-driven. I have discovered that when I stretch a little further, the path becomes clearer.  When I allow my purpose to shine through, what the world says matters less than what my soul whispers inside. 
 
I started late, but I will finish strong. I am now a fitness professional teaching yoga, pilates and group fitness. My goal is to help empower people of all ages, backgrounds and cultures to be their best – mentally, physically, and spiritually.  It excites me to help others tap into their purpose and a deeper belief that, regardless of the past, a healthier mind and body is an achievable thing. “We can do this!“