My name is Arthur Boorman. I am a disabled veteran of the first (1990-91) Persian Gulf War.

I am a special education teacher, and I work as an assistant administrator (vice principal) in an alternative education (summer school/night school) program.

It all started with that first step in February. On February 9, 2007, I weighed almost 300 pounds. I was morbidly obese. To be exact, I weighed two hundred and ninety seven pounds. I could only walk using crutches and leg braces. I needed to wear a back brace, and I needed help to do the simplest tasks like dressing myself. I had sleep apnea and I was a prime candidate for a stroke or a heart attack or worse.

That was when I started DDP YOGA. When I started, I needed a chair for balance and straps to hold myself in many of the positions. I was determined, however, to regain control of my life. I listened to the Own Your Life CD, and I heard DDP say that there were three things that I controlled:

How I think

How I breathe

What I put in my mouth

I took control. I stopped thinking of myself as a victim of my injuries. I stopped thinking of these as permanent conditions. I started thinking of how to fix things. I started working the program every day. I fell down many times. Hard. I got back up every time, more determined than ever to make this work. To tell the truth, there were a few days when I was tired, or sore, but I listened to DDP's CD for encouragement. This was also in the early days of TEAM DDP YOGA, our mutual support network. Looking at the example of those who went before me, particularly Smokey and Ted, gave me inspiration and motivation to stick with it when it was hard. After I got over that hurdle, I quickly began to look forward to my DDP YOGA workouts. I really enjoyed the way I felt when I was doing DDP YOGA. It made me feel strong and alive for the first time in many years.

I put up with disbelieving friends and co-workers. I heard the negativity, and I ignored it. They started thinking differently when they saw the pounds begin to drop off and when they saw me moving better, with less pain and greater endurance and mobility. Now some of those same people ask me about DDP YOGA. 

I learned to breathe. I became aware of my breath, and I gained and am continuing to gain control of it. I learned to use my breath to help my workout. It has helped me gain balance and stability as well as endurance.

I took ownership – responsibility for what I put into my mouth. I did not realize it before, but I was eating crap. It wasn't good for me, and I knew it but I didn't care. I was communicating to my wife and kids –the people I love the most in the world – that I wanted that pizza more than I wanted the years that I would not be able to spend with them. NO MORE! That is over. I eat healthy food now. DDP sent me an eating plan. It is simple and easy to follow. I followed it without exception for all these months. No amphetamines, no surgery, no quack diets, just healthy food and DDP YOGA.

 I did my DDP YOGA, many times twice a day. Daily DDP YOGA is as much a part of my routine as getting out of bed. It isn't just my exercise program; it is part of my lifestyle.

I may have done the work myself, but Dallas provided me with the tools, inspiration, and motivation that made this possible. I have never been alone. I am not unique. I'm just a regular guy. Look at the other stories on this website. I am part of TEAM DDP YOGA, and we all are working towards the same goal: to own our lives.

It all started with that first step back in February. Today, I weigh 197 pounds. It has been less than six months, and I have lost one hundred pounds. I am not done yet. When school starts, in three weeks, I will meet the busses on the first day on my own two feet, no braces, no canes, no hardware.

If you're reading this, and you're wondering if you should try DDP YOGA, don't wonder. DO IT! DO IT NOW! OWN YOUR LIFE!