I first heard about DDP Yoga several years ago when I was still active duty in the Army. My brother told me about it after reading about it online. I was mildly intrigued, but quickly forgot about it when faced with the distraction of deployment. I would end up serving 5 years active duty as an Infantryman, deploying to Afghanistan in 2009. Stints in Afghanistan and in the Honor Guard began a series of deteriorating injuries that I ignored while still active.
 
In early 2010 I exited the service and began taking college courses. Before long I had shifted my focus in school towards fitness. I engulfed myself in education and training, all while slowly becoming more and more injured. Eventually, shin splints, early onset arthritis in my knees, problems with my wrist and back all began to get worse. The more I tried to exercise, the more injured I became.
 
A couple of years had passed since I had been home and I began to have a host of problems related to deployment. As I began fighting against PTSD, Depression, and Anxiety my world started to darken. I stopped exercising and started eating as a coping mechanism. My weight exploded, finally topping out at about 300 lbs. My pain was at an all time high, and I was extremely depressed. Seeking treatment from the VA had been a complete failure resulting in me taking about 8 different prescription medications at one time. I knew I had to do something.
 
My first goal was to reign in my diet by cutting out added sugar and refined carbohydrates. After losing some initial weight I decided I had to do something about exercise. My wife would attend a traditional yoga class fairly regularly, and would often try to convince me to come with her. My response was less than enthusiastic. I had no interest in trying yoga. Then I remembered my brother talking about DDPYoga a few years before and I began Googling. I was intrigued again, but very skeptical. A main problem I had/have with the fitness industry is that it is full of snake oil salesman only looking to make a buck. But, I figured I would give it a shot.
 
Within a few workouts I started to feel a little bit better. Then the weight started to really fall off. The more I did the program, the better I felt. Pretty soon I felt like I was getting something back  that I had lost. My energy levels increased, and my pain levels began to reduce significantly. I was finally feeling like my old self. People in my life began to notice the dramatic results and were not shy about telling me so.
 
It has been just over a year on the program, and while attending the DDP Yoga Retreat I hit 100 lbs lost. I cant express how appreciative I am for this program and what it has done for me. It feels great to get my life back.