What Yoga can do for you !!

My story  and how I got into Yoga . I actually got into Yoga about 16 years ago  and it was just by accident  , I guess that you can say, how the " Universe " works in mysterious ways  I have  always been  very physical and athletic all my  life. I actually  had a very serious back surgery in my early twenty's . I never had back problems I use to do alot  of back bends and forward flips in my younger school days  also riding the horse all the time  when I lived at home  bike riding  just the usual stuff when growing up and right around after my 21 "Birthday " I  started to have terrible back ache  actually the hip on my right side popped out and my right leg was going paralyized  and I became  to be in alot of pain  which I suffered for about  a year  and finally had to go to the doctor  which I try to avoid I just knew that I would end up in the hospital  and sure enough working with the doctor  for another  year  that is actually what took place . I had the surgery knowing that I could come out  with a cast from the waist down or a brace  which I was lucky to end up with the brace  and also the possibility of being paralayzed  which was happening in my right leg anyway  and the plan was to  scrape the bone of my right hip and use that  to make 2 disk  which we found  that had been missing since birth  in my lower lumbar spine .I also was informed from the MRI that there was a cap missing on a nerve that they  thaught  was the cause of my leg going numb.  I   decided to have the surgery  because there really wasn't any alternatives not in case I wanted to stay on pain meds the rest of my life  and no thank you !!
I had the surgery  I struggled with alot of back aches and electric  shots up and down my back  and yet I had feeling back in my leg I still was in alot of discomfort  but the doctor said I am still alot better off then before but  from  my perspective i could not really agree with that but he was right  I did do alot of swimming for my back  and still could alot of physical things i didn't allow it to cripple my life .I even  got into Scuba diving he said as long as I would not lift over a 100 pounds  so I manage to do that for about 5 years and dirt  bike riding  but still had  back aches I couldn't sleep with my legs straight out  and still the  wierd shocks in my  back and now about 12 years has passed by  still going to the gym and swimming  and then  I  came across a Yoga Class now I am around  in my early forty's watching and thinking i wonder if this could help my back ???

So the next week  I came into class and I really felt good after class especially  my back ??
I made my mind up to sign up  for a 6 week class this was the best thing Iever did in my
whole "Life". My  back aches  were less the longer I stayed with  the "Yoga" the more
improvments  came about I started  sleeping better the pain was leaving the electric shocks that brought me straight up off the couch when I was sound a sleep were going away  I could actually sleep with my legs straight out  instead of my knees bent  all night rocking back and forth  and that has stopped also .
I fell in Love with "YOGA" I had been practicing now about 10 years  and I started out just like everyone else first it was just once a week  then 2 times  then 3 and then it be came a
"Lifestyle" change there is not a day that goes by with  out my "Personal Practice".

I also knew when I would not be practicing  as faith fully my back would start in with the back ache  and not sleeping well so I  know the Yoga is what  was fixing my back along with the deep breathing Excercises too.

I  am now  teaching Yoga  and have been going on 6 years .I learned so much just not the Physical aspects  the Spiritual  aspects and Health and Diet and how the  Body and Mind  and Soul all work together  ,there are so many styles of Yoga  that can heal the mind and body  you just have to find what works for you !!  I go to "Workshops " that are Yoga  and they are amazed  especially  "Teachers" about  how I  got into Yoga to see how strong I am  and doing "Back bends" it is never to late to do someting good for yourself it is a "Lifestyle Change" and  I feel I need to share this with others to know  that "Yoga" can heal  in so many ways !! I am also  sending this on to  a wonderful teacher that I recently had  the oppurtunity  to be on a  Yoga Retreat in Louisianna  back in May  called a "Open Heart" with Mary Prafford.
She inspired me to write this to let others know what "Yoga " can do  ,so if you can walk you can do Yoga !!  and be   Happy and pain  free if not at least have it managable instead of "Suffering" I hope this can shed some light  on someone who is looking to change there "life" and if you don't have   any Issuses it is a great way of "Life" Namaste Janis