"YOGA SAVED ME" - Bunmi Shares her Journey to Fitness in Honor of Women's Health Week.

“Right now can you make an unconditional relationship with yourself, just at the height you are, the weight you are, with the intelligence that you have and your current burden of pain, can you enter into an unconditional relationship with that. ~Pema Chodron”

This quote changed everything for me about three years ago. See I'm 5'11 and have always fallen into the tall and slim category. After the first two babies, I gained some weight but was always able to loose it except for the last 10 pounds. I have always been active - I ran races, hiked, played soccer etc. I even ran the Washington DC Cherry Blossom Ten Miler a year after having surgery on both feet. I was actually training for a half marathon when I found out I was pregnant with baby #3. I had a difficult delivery with baby #3 and it took me a while to get going but I was on my way.

But everything changed when I messed up both knees playing soccer in the wrong shoes in 2013. I was mad at myself for a very long time after that incident; I should know better is what I told myself constantly. I have gained a total of about 30 pounds since then; the impact of the weight gain on my body has been detrimental. It took me a couple of years to be okay with the fact that I wouldn't be able to race, at least not for a very long time. My knees had shifted; my flat feet and body just couldn't take the pounding. I was in a "I don't give a f**k" phase for a while. Then it took me another year to accept that I couldn't work out the same way any more; squats, burpees, even jumping jacks were no longer for me, because I would work out for a week but be out for two due to swelling knees. To say I was frustrated is quite an understatement. In the meantime, frustration led to emotional eating and even more weight gain. It was an endless vicious cycle.

Then I stumbled on a video clip of Tracee Ellis Ross talking about the above Pema Chondron quote and I made a decision to do exactly that. Accept myself for who I am, where I am in the very moment I am in. It changed everything. I changed my mindset and changed my approach to fitness. YOGA SAVED ME . I walk, hike, bought an elliptical machine for my home, try to practice yoga daily and cancelled my gym membership. I recently started training with a personal trainer twice a week.

Two years ago, what I would have noticed in this picture is the weight gain, the muffin top that you can barely see in this image but I would have convinced myself that it was spilling over because I know it is there, the fact that my arms that I prided myself in are no longer toned... on and on and on.

Today when I look at this picture below, I see the beginnings of muscle tone in my back from all that downward dog, no back acne which was terrible from pregnancy #1, my glorious hair and melanin skin, and a woman who made it up a mountain nearly 6000 feet above sea level pain free! I see a woman in that moment full of gratitude - for the custom orthotics in my shoes which are EVERYTHING, for my flat size 12 feet that have never failed me despite their "design imperfections", for Fightmaster Yoga available for free on youtube which has truly changed my yoga practice, for my lungs that made the necessary adjustments to get me up that mountain in that altitude, and for so many more.

I know we all have struggles, such is life! But in accepting who I am, where I am in the very moment that I am in, I opened the doors to be fully present, full of gratitude and self love. 

“An attorney with a biotechnology background, Bunmi Emenanjo has a career that spans 17 years moving fluidly between the legal and biotechnology world. While her current profession is as an ethics attorney, she continues to pursue her various passions. A strong believer in nourishing your creative spirit, she enjoys writing, cooking, baking, and refurbishing used furniture; hiking the great outdoors is her self-care of choice. A mother to three Nigerian-American children, she created the children’s book club, Atlas Book Club, as part of her efforts to ensure that her children remain connected with their African heritage and continue to develop a global awareness through literature.


A student of authenticity and vulnerability, Bunmi studies the teachings of experts such as Brene Brown and Pema Chodron, incorporating these lessons into daily life. An avid reader and culture seeker, she believes that a curious mind, a yearning for constant learning, a fearless pursuit of your purpose, and an active practice of giving and gratitude are key to living your best life.

Instagram - @atlasbookclub
Facebook - Atlas Book Club”