Good Belly Yoga

I have had a long relationship with my body. I am 70 now, and I am happy to be here.

My path through life, which was a little bit different. Instead of becoming a doctor, I decided to become a massage therapist and kidshow clown. Both occupations demanded a lot of physical and mental fitness to be there for my clients.

Later in life I became a yoga teacher in a fitness center, and I started to see more of what people really needed (it isn’t always obvious, but the clues are there). Attention, encouragement, and small postural adjustments helped people start to feel their bodies in new ways and grow more sensitive and healthy in their attitudes toward their bodies.

I often regret not being a doctor, but the path I chose came out of a lot of soul-searching. I always wanted to be a healer and help people feel better. The first lesson I had to learn was difficult for me at first: was to listen and not preach.

I have had so many good people helping me along the way toward having a healthy mind/body. So much of my health lies inside the secret of learning how to relax when things are not perfect.

My body has never been perfect (tiny tits and big fanny is my body type). However, I treated it well by eating lots of fresh vegetables and modest amounts of protein and carbs.

Vegetables at the Farmers Market

I was lucky I grew up eating vegetables as a major part of my diet because I came from farm people.

I have childhood memories of running through my parent’s garden and I remember the special scents of corn, pepper and tomato plants. I feel lucky because I grew up with a garden in my childhood.

These days, I am not able to grow a backyard garden, because all I have is a balcony, but I try to buy the freshest items at my local organic grocery store, and (if I have time), I go to the local farmers market on Saturdays.

Everybody who eats at my table gets the same love that my parents gave me, not because I deserved it, because they cared about being connected to their family and friends through good food and good times.