testimonial of Charles Njio

This is the testimonial of one of my older students whose quality of life improved when he started attending regularly gentle yoga classes. Charles Njio is an inspiration to all of us who are willing to improve our quality of life.

When I approached my sixtieth birthday…

When I approached my sixtieth birthday, my lower back started to act up. I consulted an orthopedic surgeon and an x-ray made of the area revealed a hairline crack in one of the lower vertebras. Short of having surgery done the doctor advised to do a series of exercises to strengthen the back muscles. At times, the pain was so excruciating that I had to lie down on a hard mattress. A hot water bottle only gave temporary relief. This affliction stayed with me until I retired and moved to Bali. Here I discovered that the art of healing is widespread, and it looked like everyone had her or his favorite guru. I was skeptical and only consulted a chiropractor who kind of "cracked" parts of my spine, which gave me only temporary relief. So I adjusted to the pain, took extra care when walking or moving around. I even used the help of a stick when walking around town. One day I ran into someone I vaguely knew and who happened to be a yoga teacher. I asked her whether yoga would be good for people my age and handicapped because of lower back pains. She affirmed that yoga would not only strengthen the back part, but also all the other muscles of the body. But what about the body of someone who is approaching seventy? Well, she said, soon I will to start a more gentle form of yoga for people like you. So I joined her class and from the moment I started Linda's class my life changed dramatically. I truly became addicted to yoga, and now my body feels lighter and much more pliable. Gone is the walking stick. What's more, I now ascend stairs with great ease.

Charles Njio, Ubud, Bali.

August 29, 2005