Lenten Project: Yoga with Diamond Dallas Page!

Today is Ash Wednesday for Christians, the beginning of Lent, or the time when people typically give up something or take on a special study or project for 40 days to simulate Christ’s trials in the wilderness and gain spiritual wisdom and insight. While I am certainly not the most religious person in the world, this Lent I will be taking on a project.

You may have seen this incredibly inspirational video of the transformation of Arthur Boorman, a severely disabled Vietnam Veteran who, at 47, decides to transform his life. Through an exercise and yoga regimen he loses weight, regains the ability to walk and even run!

Wow! It is so incredibly important for all of us to see these reminders of life transformations. It gets harder and harder as you age to believe that your life can radically change but when you see stories like Arthur’s you know that anyone can experience these amazing changes if they commit to it fully and put in the discipline and hard work required.

Recently, Katie Thayer, a publicist contacted me and asked if I would like to test out the exercise program that Arthur Boorman followed? Well, yes! Of course! How could I turn this down?

So, she sent me a set of 4 videos and an instruction booklet. I was surprised when I opened the videos to see this:

This was the most unconventional yoga instruction I have seen! The tattoos, the sticking the tongue out, the name “Diamond Dallas Page” and the tagline “It Ain’t Your Mama’s Yoga!” Really?! This was the exercise program Arthur followed?

But then I started reading the instruction booklet that comes with the videos and former world wrestling champion Diamond Dallas Page shares his own story. He didn’t start wrestling until 35. At 42 he was severely injured in a wrestling match, rupturing two discs in his back. After watching his wife’s yoga exercise program, he took up yoga as a method of recovery, but put his own twist on it, and at 43 he became Heavy Weight Champion of the World, a title he went on to repeat three times! He is now 55 and in incredible shape.

The booklet gives a week-by-week workout schedule, a 3-phase dietary plan, recipes and a journal to track your progress.

I am not going to follow exactly the guidance in the plan. I am coming into the program at an OK level of fitness and the dietary restrictions might be too much for me to implement fully while also cooking for my children. The recipes look yummy though and I will definitely try at least some of them. I would like to start doing some exercise every day. If it gets too much, then I will scale back to what is in the guide.

If you want to follow along on the program, you can order the Diamond Dallas Paige program at his website, ddpyoga.com. I will be trying the “Combo Pack” program.

So, hope you will join me and if not, you can at least cheer me on!

Are you taking on any self-improvement projects for Lent or otherwise? Are you a yoga fan? Please share in the comments.