Never THINspiration, Always FITspiration! By Raissa Gatus

If someone told me that I would lose weight by the end of this year, I would’ve laughed. Not that I was conscious, but my weight was something that I always problematic about growing up (forever fat kid!) that I kind of just accepted that I was just going to be one of those people who would never be thin and I was okay with that since I didn’t care much for my looks. It was only at the middle of 2012 that I finally had enough and got my butt up and started to do yoga at Beyond Yoga.

My first impression of yoga was nothing short of confused. I honestly didn’t get the point of all of it when I was starting out. How was all this stretching and bending going to make someone lose weight? Well, I saw how people who would regularly practice yoga got thinner so there must have been something yoga was doing right.

I started doing yoga around July 2012 for 2-3 times a week and eventually started taking it seriously at around September 2012 by going 5-6 times a week. I wanted to look for a class that would help me improve my strength and flexibility and started taking Ashtanga, making it my main practice. Eventually, I started taking the other classes at Beyond Yoga as well and got into Power Yoga and Vinyasa Yoga for a faster, cardio-like style that would make me sweat and work on my strength, as well as Yin Yoga and Anti Gravity Yoga to improve on my flexibility. It was convenient that the studio had different kinds of classes to offer that I was able to focus on different aspects of my practice. The harder the classes got, the more I worked and the more I started to fall in love with yoga.

I always believe that environment plays a big role in enjoying something; I can definitely say that Beyond Yoga covered that aspect in my journey to weight loss. Entering the studio every day was always something I looked forward to when I would and take a class because, aside from the actually practice, what made It all enjoyable were the teachers, the staff, the students and even the general atmosphere of the studio. Coming into the studio was like coming home to family, a fun-loving yoga family. In the studio, I learned a lot of lessons that I practice in my day-to-day life. It was through my teachers that I learned patience, self-control, self-worth, and forgiveness to my practice and myself. From the staff and my fellow classmates, I learned how to be dedicated into something that you love and to understand with where you are in your practice.

It came to a point that I was happy that I lost weight without me realizing it and I was feeling good about myself that I stopped caring about the numbers on the scale but started to concentrate on having better form, better balance, better jump backs, better inversions, better binds, generally a better practice. Also, because I was concentrated in having a better practice, I wanted to eliminate the things in my life that were hindering me, and that meant stopping my vices, sleeping early and even eating healthier. Eventually, I guess from not constantly monitoring about the pounds I lost each week, I was able to lose more weight and got better at yoga. 

I have always been a lazy person in general so the fact that I got to where I am in a span of 7-8 months still amazes me that I still can’t believe that I have done it. I guess it was all a matter of finding something that made you feel good about yourself, that’s what yoga, my yoga teachers, my fellow classmates, and what the whole of Beyond Yoga did for me. Through yoga and through the support I got from the studio, I finally was able to find something that makes me feel good about myself, that challenges me and helps me constantly strive to be a better person, not just physically but mentally, spiritually, emotionally, and everything in between.

I wish I can impart secrets to how I lost the weight, but I don’t. It was just purely hard work and discipline. I still have 20-30 pounds to lose, but I’m in not in a hurry. I want to be able to lose the weight while having fun and not starving myself. I don’t want to be skinny; I do enjoy my curves. I am looking forward to the day I finally reach my goal, but until then, I’m learning to love myself a little more each day.