Sean Makes A Miraculous Recovery With Yoga 15

Prior to getting launched from my bike at 25+ mph, I was a career American Airlines pilot and USAT Triathlon Coach to professional caliber athletes. I swam, cycled and ran a lot and also found that my on-the-go airplane lifestyle had a detrimental effect on my back.

I tried everything to cure the non-stop aching in my lower back. At work, I’m constantly strapped into a cockpit seat with few opportunities to move around. The first step of our checklist is: “Seat belts and shoulder harnesses—adjusted and locked.” I was a sedentary guy at work, and on the front lines of the “sitting is the new smoking” debilitating disease.

MY ACCIDENT

At approximately 8am on Sunday morning, March 29, 2020, I was cruising towards home at the end of a 144-mile ride.

About mile from home, I was thinking about hoping off my bike and going for an easy 20-minute run before showering and heading out to work, which that day was due to be an easy flight from Miami International to Boston. My commute from near Key West, Fl, is a short, 40-minute ride in my own private plane, so I was thinking about the weather, the logistics, and only just noticed the pothole—shrugging it off as not much more than a small bump I’d roll through. 

My last conscious thought was, “This is really going to hurt bad. I’ll probably break my nose,” as I flew over the ground, horizontal to the bike path.

THE AFTERMATH

Without getting into all the gory details, I was eventually diagnosed with a fractured hip, six fractured ribs, a fractured collar bone, a bruised heart and a fracture in my skull. In addition, I had some pretty good vertigo and a healthy dose of whiplash.

Surgery, alongside plates and screws for the collarbone and now, 4 months later, I’m sitting looking at the ocean and wondering if I should go out on the boat or maybe paddle board today. I’m far from 100% but I’m happy, healthy and energetic once again!!

MY YOGA REHAB

As I began to very slowly try and gain some movement after the accident, I knew that Yoga 15 was going to be a great tool to assist my recovery. 

I found Abi years before and I share with all my athletes, the joy and comfort I’ve found from a small dose of yoga to keep me in top-notch shape despite the challenges of my job. I especially use it in hotels, before and after work, as just the ticket to wake up and get the blood flowing or relax and prepare my body to sleep in a strange bed.

As soon as I could move, I sought my yoga mat and iPad and loaded up a very gentle Yoga 15 video. At first, I could barely turn my neck to see my watch. I was decades prior to where I had been pre-crash. 

Thanks to 15 or 30 minutes of daily sessions, I’m now at 75-85% range of motion in my neck. My whole body is returning to normal and I am trying to re-master all the videos I once could, which certainly was not all of them. One of my goals is to flow through all the videos, with ease, this time around.

I know, and every doctor and medical professional has mentioned, how lucky I was and how well I am recovering. A gigantic part of that is the complete all-round athlete Abi helped me to become prior to my wreck. 

Yesterday, I graduated from one of my physical therapists. But in all truth……..I look forward to and probably get more from two sessions a day with Abi. 

Thanks so much!!!! Now to pre-hab for the next 60 years!!!