Reach 10K Steps Per Day in Just 8 Weeks. My 8 Year Journey Unknowingly Battling an Autoimmune Disorder
If you'd told me eight years ago I would take pleasure and joy in going on long walks, know how to manage and reduce pain and feel stronger in my body, I would have laughed in your face. Eight years ago I was in a turbulence with my health, my body was swelling, I could barely walk from my front door to my car without having extreme pain in my back. I had a cyst rupture and take me to my knees. My Dad had just recently passed. My old relationship was taking a toll on my mental health. My perception of what was possible at the time was very gloomy. I remember during that time my mom helped me wash my feet in a milk bath. She could see how swollen and tight my ankles were and neither of us could figure out what was going on. I pushed and pushed against her nurturing at times in attempts to do it on my own. But in this moment, I surrendered.
Fast forward a nearly a decade later where I have a wider perspective on what was happening during this time, why my body was in such tension and what I could have done to ease some of the pain. How do I know? Well, my body decided again two years that it was going to rebel. I was in the beginning stages of my mom's hospice care journey unknowingly, fighting a corrupt healthcare system that is predatory and violent, being present in my marriage and moving through our own evolution of individual/collective agreements/needs/boundaries/desires, caregiving or care advocating 24/7, trying to keep my business afloat....
In other words ....
Life was f---- lifing, y'all. And my body said "yeah, no".
I injured my foot going into the spa one day and that skin injury just wouldn't heal. Which made it increasingly difficult to dance...then to walk....then to stand long periods of time. I was in and out of my doctors office, testing, every antibiotic, every cream. Drove four hours away for a doctor's appointment only to get a steroid I could find at my local drugstore and still nothing healed. My body was in a full on meltdown and all I could do was sit in it. For over a year I went to various dermatologist, rheumatologist, podiatry and more before we came to answer. My body was battling an autoimmune disorder and fighting to the last breath. The autoimmune disorder accounted for all my tiredness, fogginess, the unexplained swelling, the pain getting to and from the car....Eight years.
Oh yes, and let's not forget that for most of that eight years I was gaslit by the medical industrial complex to believe that my weight was the sole perpetrator in the cause of all my symptoms. Well, if you just lose a little weight. Well, if you focus more on nutrition. Well if you just exercise more that will really reverse all of this. Meanwhile, you all know damn good and well this girl had not stopped dancing. It wasn't my weight. It was my exercise. Hell- It might not have even been the nutrition. But a genetic condition.....
And all activated by stress.
Overwhelmed. Underresourced. Tired. No- Drained. Afraid and Uncertain.
S T R E S S.
So, I had to do something different. We started taking daily walks along the beach and one day I noticed that I was able to get through the walks with less sensations of pain when I had upbeat music playing while we walked. I went from not being able to walk down the block and back without pain, to walking 1.5 across downtown Chicago on my birthday of last year just because. Truly something I never thought my body would be able to do EVER. And definitely not something I thought I would enjoy or initiate.
My walking practice has become a central force to kickstarting my day, giving me the mental break and pause that I need and giving my body a simple way to relieve stress and promote good heart health. I know some of you may be like - -- what the hell?
Why a walking practice? What does that have to do with being sensual? Well - I know that a lot of people avoid even having a sensual relationship with their bodies because of the way pain disrupts that connection. It's hard (sometimes) to focus on your sensual self or want to explore creative expressions like dance when you don't feel strong enough, flexible enough or question your stamina or pain tolerance. My walking practice has greatly improved my sensual movement practice and my connection to my body. I want the same for you.
For the next week I want to share with you all more tips and tricks that have helped me improve my walking experience.
And if you are ready to reclaim your body from stress, overwhelm and tiredness then I want you to join me for our Sensual Cardio and Conditioning Class.
This 8 week series is designed to help you reach 10,000 steps daily in just 8 weeks. Feel stronger. Feel more confident. Feel more stamina. Feel lighter. Feel more connected in just 8 weeks with our Sensual Cardio and Conditioning Class.
Unleash your inner strength and celebrate your amazing body! This sensual cardio and conditioning class isn't about weight loss, it's about rediscovering the joy of movement and building strength and stamina for a lifetime of well-being. We'll groove and move to upbeat music (think Afrobeat, Latin, Pop anthems!), reaching your daily walking goal and raising your heart rate in a fun and inclusive environment. We'll also incorporate bodyweight exercises and light weights to build muscle, improve endurance, and support you for a lifetime of vibrant health. This is a judgment-free zone where we celebrate every curve and move our bodies with confidence. It's all about feeling fantastic in your own skin! Join us for an empowering experience that will leave you feeling strong, confident, and ready to conquer anything!
When you purchase your 8 week series within the next 24 hours you'll receive:
8 Week Sensual Cardio and Conditioning Series
One Private Coaching Session with Me. 90 Minutes to discuss your needs, desires and create a custom thirty day sensual devotion plan you can follow for the rest of the Spring/Summer. Recorded for you to keep forever. (Retail Value $2500+)
12 Pack of Drop-in Passes for our Sunday Sessions (Retail Value: $350+)
$300 Studio Credit to use towards future classes.
This is a really expansive offer so the time is limited to claim. Grab this deal within the next 24 hours
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See you not the dance floor,
Rashida
The Messy Movement Lab
Try one of my favorite walking practices here....