Dreaming Again, Feeling Rested
A rather long-winded, but heartfelt, testimonial: I have a bevy of conditions, illnesses, and allergies that make life rather difficult for me. I have Fibromyalgia, which includes extreme fatigue, exhaustion, an inability to recover or heal normally after regular activities and exercise, and excruciating pain in my body’s trigger points. I have Chronic Myofascial Pain, which means that my myofascia – that thin layer of tissue that surrounds all muscles, bones, and organs - is contracted, tight, and causes me constant pain. I have Alpha-Delta Sleep Disorder, which means that I never sleep the night through, and never reach the deep healing sleep that allows most people to rest and recover and be ready for their day’s work. I don’t even dream – I tend to stay in that realm of almost-awake all night, waking up every half hour or so, and drifting back to that almost-conscious state. I have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, too – a reminder of my former occupation. I spent every day in pain and exhaustion. Drugs didn’t work, I couldn’t stay on any exercise regimen (too exhausting), and I was spiraling into depression. I’ve had most of these conditions since elementary school – and I’m in my 20’s now. That describes the basic problems I had when I walked in the door to the Oom Yung Doe school in Largo for the first time. When I arrived for my first lesson, I couldn’t touch my toes. My hands would barely stretch beyond my knees. My back was in agony, it was difficult for me to drive to the lesson. I explained a few of my conditions to Instructor Jeremy, who chose my early lessons to focus on flexibility and stretching, to increase my range of motion and to lessen pain. I’m certain that one thing that helped him know what to do (in part because he himself credited this as the reason), was the level of instruction he has received – not just in the forms and movements themselves, but also instruction in how to teach, and how to adjust to the student. That kind of personal adjustment and teaching is not something found in most martial arts schools, in this country, at least. My back wasn’t hurting at the end of that first lesson. It took me two days to loosen my back up enough – with Gi Gong breathing – to touch my toes. I slept better the first week than I’d slept in years. I continued, loosening up, getting more flexible, becoming stronger. I learned Chi Gong breathing, and could almost taste the toxins leaving my body. I coughed up nastiness a lot – feeling better and better each day. My feet stopped cracking when I walked. My hips no longer pop when I bring my leg up to kick. I don’t have constant migraines any more. I went to my first Sae Gae almost a month to the day since I began learning. We learned Chung-Sul-Gi Sul-Bope. I spent three hours there, the only white belt in the lesson, and began to learn the form. The fact that I was able to stay through the entire three hours astounded me – a month before, if I’d tried that, I could have stayed half an hour, maximum. Head National Instructor Jerry, National Instructor Chris, and Assistant National Instructor Rich were very patient with me, careful to explain things to my level, and showed me adjustments to make my movements more correct. I had a wonderful time, despite my initial nervousness at being an inexperienced white belt in a gymnasium of those far more knowledgeable than I. The next day, my legs hurt – but after using a bit of herb and stretching them out with some light kicks – I was fine. I can’t remember the last time I’ve exercised for three hours and been in pain for less than three days. Two days after the Sae Gae, I went to the International level training. Again, the teachers were patient, even when my lack of endurance meant I simply couldn’t learn all the things they’d planned to teach me. The movements I did learn, however, selected especially for me, to focus on developing my weakest areas quickly, have been amazing. A week and a half later, I could see visible results. My endurance was better. My focus was clearer. My body was certainly stronger. I was not suddenly a master of the art, but I see my body getting stronger and less sickly every day. I am dreaming again. I am starting to wake up feeling rested. I sleep the night through. It’s been almost two decades since that has happened. Some of the things I have been avoiding eating or drinking, because they made my condition worse? I can have again. Not in large quantities (balance is always the key), but if I have a bit now and then – it doesn’t force me to go to bed for a day or two, either. I can’t explain how much Oom Yung Doe knowledge has helped me. What I’ve put down here is just the tip of the iceberg. I can’t express what it’s like to live in pain, every minute of every day, and then find it gone. Sure, I have bad days – days where it’s still an effort to breathe and move. But those days are getting fewer and further between, and I have days where I don’t spend all day in agony. I am getting out of the house more now, because I have the energy to go out and do things again. Going to the movies is no longer an act of will – I can just decide to go, and do it. I’m spending more time with my friends and family again. I’m actually able to live a real life. And that’s just physically. Mentally, the depression is gone. I’m calmer now, less easily upset. My family has gone through some hard times in the almost three months that I’ve been training – and having the physical and mental balance that I have achieved has helped me stay balanced through everything. And it is so much easier to be calm when I’m not spending most of my energy just trying to cope with pain. I’m almost ready for my first section test, now. I think I could probably stay a white belt for a long time, though – I have so much to learn! But no matter what level I am, I am going to continue learning. Some day, with the help of Oom Yung Doe training, I will live a pain-free life. S.G. |
