When I was in my early twenties, I was not only struggling with an eating disorder, I was also seriously depressed, a bacteriophobe and hopelessly co-dependent.
I tried to take care of each and everyone's needs except my own, stumbling from one unhealthy relationship into the next.
If at the time someone had explained to me that I could overcome all this by finding my center, I never would have believed them.
Balance as the key to health and happiness? Come on! Life is so much more complicated than that!
15 years later, however, I know better. And I am proud to say that not only I have overcome all of my issues, I am really living a life I love.
Of course, I'm not trying to tell you my journey was a piece of cake. Turning your life around is damn hard work.
But one thing I know for sure: if you are dedicated to change and tired of being miserable most of the time, there is a way. For you, for me, for each and every one of us.
You just have to take it one step at a time and, indeed, you have to find your balance first!
I knew I was ready to forge my destiny, when my boyfriend at the time asked me to marry him.
When he proposed, I didn't hear any birds sing in the sky, I literally got sick to my stomach. I panicked.
I said yes not to disappoint him while everything inside of me was screaming: “RUN!”.
And that's what I did a couple of weeks later.
I ran from him, as well as my old life and the first thing which helped me get back on track was joining a yoga class and starting to meditate.
Yoga and meditation taught me to calm my thoughts and find a peace of mind which I had never known before.
Over time I realized I did not need another person to take care of so that I could get gratitude in return and feel deserving of love.
I already was deserving. There was no need to do something.
Being was enough.
Being IS enough.
We all are special, unique and wonderful exactly the way we are and even if many of us were brought up with the idea we have to earn happiness , that is simply not true.
We all have the right to just be happy, and if you are starting to like the idea of finding your balance and get something you have always been dreaming of, I have a first exercise for you.
It is a yoga pose called The Tree Pose and it is aimed to align your head, spine, and hips and balance your body and mind:
- Stand with your feet together, raise your hands and put your palms together at chest level.
- Shift your weight to your left foot, slowly raise your right leg and rest your foot against your calf muscle.
- Keep your eyes open, your left leg straight, and simply focus on your breath.
- Balance on your left leg for as long as you can (or want), let any thoughts pass by and just “be”.
- Repeat the exercise standing on your right leg.
Do the Tree Pose several times daily and simply enjoy the feeling of relaxation that comes with breathing and aligning your body. If you are comfortable with your foot resting against your calf, you can try and raise it, resting it against your thigh.
In part two of my series I'll be talking about the next steps I took on my way to finding genuine health and happiness and I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
