Patricia is 72 years old, lives on her own in Chemainus describes her “old self” as an emotional eater, depressed, full of guilt about not taking better care of herself. Feeling like a doormat, immobilized unable to motivate herself to get moving,“ always cocooning and disgusted with her life in general”.
I first met Patricia at a Weight Watcher meeting in August, where I had been asked to speak about Nordic Pole Walking. She was quiet until the end when she asked to
Although Patricia did not join the Walking Clinic… yet : ) she did join the Release & Restore class and some personal training. She did this even though she knew she could not put weight on her knees to kneel down getting on and off the floor. The first day was tough. She says she felt “terrified” to come. She was out of her “cocoon” and in a room full of people she did not know. It took a long time to find her way to the floor even with the help of a chair and pillow for her knees and we waited for her to settle. Despite her challenges, Patricia was surprised to discover that she felt better once she got up. Although she felt supported in the class, she says she went into a “downward” spiral after that class. I think we have all been in that situation where we get through a challenge and then fall apart later. However, she came back! and I’m really proud of her. It would have been really easy to say, “its too hard”. She says, every class got better.
After our first personal training session, Patricia tried to do some of the releases at home on the floor. She got down ok, but then felt helpless to get back up. She eventually did but in the meantime she reached for a book and read for a while : ))) And still, she came back for more. This lady is so brave. We changed her program for a while to do her releases on the bed
During our personal training sessions we spent some time on the Somatics to help her release the tight areas, relieve the pain she felt in her knees, release the restriction in her hips and improver her posture and balance. A few weeks later she was interested in trying out her walking poles. Now, she says she is addicted to walking the black track at the Cowichan Sportsplex.
Patrica feels so much better now about her posture. She is walking to and from church in Chemainus, attending classes and her personal training sessions with me on a regular basis. She can now get down onto the floor and get back up with very little assistance and no pain. Her knees don’t hurt anymore and she can get down on the floor. But, “her crowning point” was a hike up the hill on Mt. Prevost where she found herself “high above the clouds”.
Patricia is feeling much better emotionally too, “I haven’t had a crying spell for a couple of months now. Last week her washing machine flooded her laundry room. She said in the past, she would have dissolved into tears, not this time. I
enjoy my Black Track walks and look forward to trying new trails. She is meeting new neighbours and “becoming a social person for the first time in my life”.
Patricia calls me her angel and says that I am her miracle. I may have inspired her but I just created a space where she could blossom and that is exactly what she has done. She takes on every challenge I give her and she wins every time. She has the courage to move forward and embrace her life… no more cocooning. Well done Patricia, I look forward to watching as the rest of your life unfolds 🙂