My body was a mess when I entered the doors of the Dahn Yoga center at Champions in Houston. I was dignosed with severe Rheumatoid Arthritis with Lupus symptoms and Fibromyalgia along with a Pituitary brain tumor in 2001. Since then I have been in and out of hospitals on a regular bases; so much so that the staff on the fourth floor at the hospital knows me by my first name without looking at any chart. I have had just about every medication and chemo treatment that the medical world has to offer for my condition. I have had physical therapy numerous times. PAIN was one of my big issues in my life, thankfully the Lord provided me with a high tolerance for pain. I do have to say, from time to time the pain would get extremely out of control and I could not function; completing day to day tasks were extremely difficult physically and so mentally exhausting that I wanted to just explode out of my body.
My condition makes my joints and organs swell as well my muscles involuntarily start jerking and causing intense pain. From time to time swelling would accrue inside the joints and the various organs , causing my body to start shutting down leaving me close to death more times than one should endure. The last time this happened I realized the Lord still has hope for me to find my way here on Earth and he needed me to complete my purpose. After a lot of soul searching and praying and help from my best friend Stacy who introduced me to yoga and mediation one weekend, it became clear. I need this all the time if I want to be healed. I didn’t really understand at the time why I strongly felt this way, I just figured it might help ease the pain so I could handle my pain a wee bit more. I started my journey of finding the one place I belong to that was right for me. I visited a couple of places that didn’t feel right, then one day my daughter and I was driving to the store next door when she said, mom look there is a yoga center, do you want to go in? To tell you the truth I was so exhausted from going to the store I really didn’t want to stop by. My daughter did get me some information. After reading it a life changing event happened. I called then came in and have not looked back.
The changes in the short time (two months) I have been doing Dahn Yoga has been amazing. The breathtaking mobility in my body is beyond words, when doctors and physical therapist had told me never to expect to move like I once did. My pain is down to a wee annoying nuisance. I do have to say the first month was difficult and painful in so many ways. I just kept believing this was where I was supposed to be. From my family to co-workers, even my doctor and nurses has noticed a change in me. They tell me I look and act happier, my skin looks healthier than they have ever seen it. They were shocked when I told them last month I did not take one pain pill or muscle relaxer. The two hair stylists whom I had been using for the last five years said they’d never seen my hair grow so fast and look so shiny.
I received a phone call this February from my doctor asking me to come in immediately, which sent fear all up and down my body and the pain came rushing into every cell of my being. When she calls it normally NOT good news. I went in and was told I had bacteria in my blood and that it could by no means get to my liver or once again I would be fighting for my life. They put me on a strong medication which should have made me sick and figured I might would end up in the hospital. Instead they’d never seen me look so good. My doctor’s family was joyfully surprised and told me to continue to do whatever I am doing.
In my closing I would like to thank my Lord for giving me Dahn Yoga and the realization that this was what I needed to do. Thank you to the staff, you guys are amazing, from just being you, to how you guide and teach, it is truly refreshing.
Jenny Purnhagen
