One Year and 27 Pounds Later

Student of the Month: April Dechagas

A little over a year ago I was miserable. I was heavier than I’d ever been in my life, I’d just gone through a horrible corporate merger, and my diet consisted of whatever I had time to fit in my already busy schedule. I belonged to a gym, but God knows I never went. Going to the gym felt like work, and who needs more work when you are already working a minimum of 60 hours a week? I used to enjoy cooking, but then I’d have to wash my dishes (again, more work…)

I needed a vacation badly. Really badly. I grew up on the beach, and always wanted to learn how to surf, but never did, so I signed up for a surf camp in Costa Rica. I was a bit worried I was too out of shape, and didn’t want to make a fool of myself out on the water. All of the literature I received suggested yoga was a great way to get ready, so I figured I’d give it a try. It was September, and the camp wasn’t until December, so I figured I had a good 3 months to get ready, and “train.”

I signed up for an “Absolute Beginners” class at Yoga People and thought I’d give it a try. It was once a week for four weeks, and I figured afterwards I’d just take a few classes here and there. Once a week turned into twice a week, and then three or four times a week. I fell in love with it! Unlike the gym, yoga was something I couldn’t wait to get to, and I found myself at work counting down the hours until I could get to a class. And it was so much more than physical activity! It was calming and invigorating at the same time, and truly helped me deal with the everyday stresses of work, life, and just being a New Yorker! I even found myself doing yoga breathing at work when I was having a hard time getting through the day (or when there was someone walking waaaay too slow in front of me – you are in New York! Move faster!) How could I have lived without this for 29 years!

One year later, I am 27 pounds lighter, I’m eating better and I’m happier than I’ve ever been. I’m now doing yoga 7 days a week, and I truly miss it when I don’t get to go. Yoga People has become a home away from home, and in more ways than just a place where I go to do yoga every day. I’ve made some great friends, and look forward to seeing everyone at the studio. I’ve started to appreciate the little things in life, and notice what is going on around me, rather than just the bubble of personal space us New Yorkers tend to have (and I’ve slowed down ;o) I’ve even started cooking again and find it to be quite calming (but I still don’t enjoy doing the dishes…)