Kendra Blackett-Dibinga asked me: What’s my current class count? As of this morning’s 6 am Bikram Yoga Virtual session, I’ve taken 123 classes since March 22, 2020.  

Recently, Kendra, Helena Workneh, and Jackie Leftwich have commented on my “flexibility” as demonstrated by my “fixed firm” pose. 

This was me in February 2015. That was me then.

In July/August 2018, there was no way I could get into and out of this pose, for three reasons — wear & tear, arthitis, and sprains. In both knees, with the left knee worse than the right. 

I had three major guides “to cure my knees” and get me back to my fixed firm pose. 

1. Helena was my physical therapist, and she is one of my Bikram Yoga instructors. I had several physical therapy sessions with her at Howard University Hospital. After she reviwed my x-ray and MRI reports, her sessions turned out to be “mental therapy” ones as she had to nudge me to realize that it was my mind, not my body that was my biggest challenge “to getting back,” For her, what I needed to do was some strenghtening exercises and be more intentioonal in my Bikram poses. She offered me some modifications to my poses so that I would continue and deepen my practice.

2. Under the guidence of Sakiliba Mines. MD (https://www.timmed.com), my integrative health professional,  I advanced my move toward an anti-inflammation diet and lifestyle. I was already on that trajectory when I first visited her in February 2019.

3. My enhanced Bikram Yoga practice, which included several instructors. A couple of weeks after “sheltering in place,” I committed to taking at least one virtual fitness class per day. I’ve practiced 108 out of 110 days.

As I was approaching Day 90, I felt improvement, progress, and advancement happening, and these are what my “fixed firm pose” demonstrates and what Kendra, Jackie and Helen have noticed.