“’tis far from yoga and being vegetarian you were raised”

My dad tells me as a baby I would eat everything and anything that was put in front of me. “what’s that shite”, he will ask these days when he looks at my plate, or “no meat? sure what else do you eat?” He’s a meat and spuds man, unwilling to break away from what he knows. He supports me in everything I do but I don’t think this man who eats with  his eyes will ever be subject to the kind of changes I am making.

Truth is, it took me 23 and a half years of living in my body and trialing different diets to realize what my body needed, that now being primarily a plant based diet. Have you ever stopped to consider what relationship you have with food? Mine was inconsistent.  I was what some may call, an emotional eater. Food provided comfort for me, but also caused me to feel pain and guilt.  Some may not think we can have a ‘relationship’ with food, but we sorta do considering we can spend several hours a day with it, you could say its pretty intimate relationship really.

My new healthier food choices inspired plenty of judgey comments from some family and friends.

• ” sure you will just sit in the corner and eat sesame sticks” ( when suggesting a catch up with nibbles)
• “ughhhhh, whats that manky vinegary smell?” ( when getting a whiff of kombucha! whats with everyone smelling stuff  before they try it :))
• “what the hell will you eat for Christmas dinner then?”

The list goes on. But yano what? I really don’t care. Because I feel amazing. I am the healthiest, happiest and strongest  I’ve felt in forever. Food is fuel and medicine for me. I no longer rely on medication to  manage Rheumatoid Arthritis. ( oh I forgot to mention, I was diagnosed with this when I was 23, shit enough but its totally under control). I took control of improving my wellness. Rather than focusing on everything I was giving up I tried to think of all the delicious alternatives I was going to try. When I mentioned primarily plant based, this is because I like to think if I want a little treat every so often I’m gonna have it! I’m doing my best but no ones perfect right? But I am embracing and enjoying this new diet.

doesn’t look like ‘shite’ to me 🙂

As for yoga, I was always interested and thought it was so beautiful and interesting how yogis moved and was inspired by their strength, it was aesthetically pleasing. So a few years ago I tried it and hated it. I wanted to be flexible, I was naive enough to think that was what yoga was all about.  I  was stiff as a plank. I hated not being good at it. I was convinced my legs were too long for my arms as I couldn’t touch my toes, downward dog fell like an upward whale, and I couldn’t get through a sequence without sounding like a downward panting dog. I gave up the dreams of being a yogi.  I thought a yoga class would be a sanctuary in which my worries would melt away, a place where I would come out of my mind and into my body but I was tense, I was conscious, I was stiff as a feckin’ plank, but maybe I just wasn’t ready.

Fast forward a few years, I am beginning to live a holistic lifestyle and I am advised to practice yoga to help ease the symptoms of the arthritis. I began to incorporate regular yoga into my weekly routine and I couldn’t help but have my mind open to a more spiritual connection that I may have resisted before. There are some days I just cant wait to roll out my mat, or head to my favourite yoga class taught by my beautiful friend ( @yogawithjoquinn) She always creates a magical zen den allowing and encouraging personal growth. I can actually touch my toes now!!

 

I still receive the ole judgey comment. Like from my brother for instance. I posted a picture from an acroyoga workshop to which he texted me saying ” i know your gone all into your yoga, but whats going on with the couples sex yoga?” People will judge, haters will hate but if I’m feeling like a better human I don’t really think I should worry what anyone thinks of my lifestyle.

Although in saying that, I am currently thinking of delicious plant based ideas for Christmas day in the hopes my family will get curious of what I have and wanna try some. One can only hope right? 🙂 Results to follow.

 

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