My journey to a new body and a new life began with a difficult pregnancy and an emergency cesarean section birth. By the time I gave birth, I was a size 18 and 61 pounds overweight. At 5’2”, I was putting a tremendous strain on my knees and hips.
The simple act of walking was an arduous task. Walking places a force of 3 times your body weight on the critical joints of your body. At my height and size, I was burdening my body with 528 pounds of pressure. Every step was excruciating. I developed bursitis in my hips creating an inflammation so severe that I couldn’t walk without flinching. I suffered through two miscarriages and eventual gall bladder surgery. My condition had gotten so severe that I couldn’t even play with my newborn without becoming winded. Exercise was out of the question. I could barely see my toes—being able to touch them was a fantasy.
My wake-up call came two years later, at my son’s birthday party. When I saw the videotape of the celebration, I didn’t even recognize myself. It was time to make a change. I was starting to understand why I had no energy. Staring me in the face, right there on the screen was the reason my hips and back ached so terribly. Every day was another dose of my harsh reality. Commuting to work on the bus was a humiliating experience, as I had to endure the cruel snickers when I couldn’t fit into the seat. I had enough. It was time for a change.
While I was working at CBS on the Geraldo show,
a guest panelist and psychologist told me about how meditation could benefit me. I was skeptical, but desperate to try anything that would make me feel whole again. I needed to be there for my son. I decided to give it a try. At first I didn’t understand how a sedentary activity like meditation could help me to lose weight. It was not long before I discovered the secret---during meditation your mind is the CEO and your body the dutiful employee. You tell your body what it needs to do and it follows suit.
The ritual of meditation was the spark that jumpstarted my weight loss plan. I felt energized to exercise daily, choose healthier options and control my portion sizes. The meditation motivated me in ways I never thought imaginable, helping me lose the excuses and get on the track to better health. I started with gentle yoga combined with low impact exercises. This not only helped me to start shedding pounds, but also made my day-to-day tasks more manageable.
Meditation saved my life, and prevented my son from becoming an orphan at 10 years old. I credit my success to the incorporation of mind, body and spirit that meditation encourages. The same breathing techniques that I used to control my appetite and regulate stress also helped to develop my lungs and give them power. It was those same healthy, powerful lungs that delivered me from the brink of death, when a medical miscalculation caused my heart to stop on an operating table. As doctors frantically fought to revive my lifeless body with CPR, my body started to shut down, turning my lips, hands and feet a chilling blue. Near death, I was transported by ambulance to the intensive care unit. My body was on the verge of giving up. My kidneys shut down and my veins constricted so tightly that doctors could not administer a lifesaving intravenous line. My body and my spirit were determined to live. I would not die. I would live. I would see my son again. I started to meditate. After five minutes of willing myself to survive and using my meditation skills, my body started its journey back from the edge. My kidneys started functioning again. My pulse strengthened and my veins opened up. Later, my cardiologist would proclaim in amazement, “I’m an Indian doctor and my patient is teaching me how great meditation is!”
After that day, I had a renewed sense of purpose. I had to motivate others and help other people struggling with weight find their purpose. My weight could have been a death sentence, but meditation and determination was my pardon. My life has been changed since that day.
Doors have opened for me. I went from being introverted and soft spoken to a confident, capable and dynamic woman ready to embrace life. I have made it my mission to help others on their journey to finding the healthy and slim person within. You are the CEO of your health. Exercise and be healthwise. Take care of your body and your body will take care of you.
