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Yoga in My Life: A Path to Wellness by Dick Crowley

I have been a student of Robin Rothenberg's for over five years now. Connecting with Robin back in '92 was the result of a personal search, a quest, if you will towards finding an effective program of rehabilitation to combat a rare neurological disorder called Tardive Dystonia or T.D.

The necessary personal history to describe this condition and its effects is Sidebar as follows: I was diagnosed at 17 as having a severe case of manic-depression (M.D.) which required a long series of medicinal regimens and many in-patient, psychiatric ward treatments to manage the illness. One controversial medicine I was put on to stabilize the M.D. had a side effect which led to the physical disability of T.D.

By the time I answered Robin's ad in the Issaquah Press in the fall of '92, the M.D. was well-managed, but my physical condition was at the lowest point in my life. I had always had a strong bent towards sports and physical activity (having played football, tennis and run track), but at 33 years old, seven years of T.D. had ravaged my body to the point where I could not walk, sit or stand without a constant battle to control the shaking twitches and ticks, similar to what one would find in the advanced stages of Parkinson's disease.

The greatest frustration as my body deteriorated, was that the doctors had no clue about how to treat the T.D., a condition their medicine had caused. My response was to seek out my own treatment plan.

I went to a sports medicine clinic, reconnected with a friend who teaches Yang style Tai-chi and studied Aikido under a world renowned Sensei, all with varying degrees of success. None of these methods provided the it, that I was looking for: a rehab program I could stick to, improve with and incorporate daily into my life.

That's where Robin and the yoga came into the scenario. I knew Robin was someone I could work with (and would work with me), from our first private lesson. This was back before The Barn was even built. We started from scratch. I could not even lie flat on my back due to the severe muscle spasms. From the beginning to the present, Robin has been able in our one-on-one sessions to target very specific yoga postures aimed toward my regaining control of my physical self.

Now, entering my 6th year of practice, I see yoga becoming not just rehabilitation, but a way; an integral part of my self-journey. The calming, focusing and centering qualities that my yoga practice has provided me, has positively effected all aspects of my life. I can now stand erect and walk in a normal fashion. I can sit for short periods of time and lay on my back to meditate.

I still live daily with my disability, but through yoga I have found tremendous improvement physically and I also have found hope.

Robin has supported, helped cultivate and nurture this comeback process and for that I am truly grateful!

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