I've had it since the age of 2. It's a painful disease that attacks the synovial fluid around the joints - eventually the joint is destroyed before it needs to be replaced. I was the youngest recipient of bi-lateral hip replacements in the US (that means they replace both hip joints at once) . Before yoga I felt constantly at war with my body, my body was attacking me
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My name is Miranda McCarthy & I recently won an award from the British PM for bringing @adaptiveyogalive to the disabled community during Covid-19 & making yoga more accessible, especially for those who have injury, physical restrictions, or disabilities. The emphasis is on the experience within the pose
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Through 40 years of operations, rehabilitation, & medication my focus was only on managing my disease. After multiple surgeries & learning to walk again (several times over), I had become aware of my body in space. I needed to protect it. Falling would mean more time in hospital. I became so in tune with my body, even, to the point of craving food which would help reduce my inflammation. I thought I knew my body inside and out - until I discovered adaptive yoga. At the age of 42, I realized my ‘relationship’ with my body, had only just begun!
Yoga, for me, was about crafting a new healing, accepting, & loving narrative around my own body image. Yoga taught me to thank my heart for beating, to honour myself for the work I put in, to be kinder to myself - even as far as to give myself a hug. I no longer judged myself - or compared myself to abled bodied people. For the first time, in my life, I’m talking openly about my disability & referring to myself as disabled
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#Yogasavedmylife by giving me the tools to combat the stress of living with chronic pain. Yoga shows you a way of re-inhabiting the body, with harmony & ease, no matter how painful. Learning to live with the body rather than fighting against it is truly the path to a richer, more satisfying, quality of life 💚
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There are so many resources to help people stay fit and keep moving – but it is vital that people with disabilities aren’t being left out of that conversation. Please help us spread the word!