Pain,Present and Choice

Yoga and chronic pain, many who suffer are surprised when our chronic pain specialist suggests that they visit my classes.  They are often surprised as well when I don't promise a magical solution to their pain.  I teach breath work, I teach meditation and gentle asanas that help you deal with pain and often the pain does goes away.  But not always...and then I teach what I taught today.

If you study all the major religions none of the texts promise a life free from pain, sadness, illness or death  here.  Life is a balance, there is good and bad, happy and sad, healthy and sick...I think our answer is to strive to get up every day and truly make the best of what we have been dealt.  We are all tested and there is nothing about life that is fair...we are born, we die and what we do, how we live in between deals with the choices that we make.  Choices can add to our life of pain or make our pain more bearable.  Choices can bring great joy or unbelievable heartache.  Choices can create or destroy.  All those choices come with responsibilities. 

Often my students want me to tell them that when they leave our facility that life will be wonderful.

All I can do is teach them how to use the tools that I use, tools that help us to understand we can't control life, we control how we react...and that is our power, how we react.  Life is not only one day at a time, but most days, one breath at a time.  It is always about those two questions, where are you...here.  What time is it.....now.  Getting through pain, especially chronic pain you have to understand the importance of the breath and being in the present.

Heal

Sharing  a quote with all of you tonight...I hope your week is off to a good start.



"You cannot heal in the same environment that made you sick."
- unknown

A Good Sunday

A good Sunday, full of normal Sunday stuff...reading the paper, walking the dogs, a little laundry and cooking a celebration dinner for Jordan, complete with gold sprinkles cupcakes.  He wanted my home made butter cream frosting and yellow vanilla cake and that is what he got.

I took an extra long nap today.  It was luscious.  Even though the temp hit 90 the humidity was lower and the blue skies made it all bearable.  That changes tomorrow.  Much needed rain is moving in on Tuesday so the humidity has already started to build this evening.

But the moon, have you all seen the moon this weekend?  So very beautiful and how about Mars?
The night skies have been radiant...though the energies from all the activity in the heavens has been at times  difficult.

Our humming bird activity has been off the charts.  They go into a frenzy when we bring the feeders in to clean and refill.  They fly up to the front windows furiously flapping their wings ( I imagine tiny feet stomping) as if to yell at us, hurry up, we have places to go and things to do and we are hungry.

Can you believe July is almost over?  I worked my day planner and calendar this afternoon and was shocked when I realized that Wednesday is the first day of August.  Time is going so fast it makes me want to hold my breath.

I hope your Monday is an easy one.  I hope you get hugged and laugh out loud every day this week.

Gold

Jordan and his relay team brought home the gold today.  They won first place in the state!  I am  still crying tears of joy.  He swam in 5 meets and over all against 100's of kids, he placed 13th in the state.
Breeze continued with her skills of knocking time off her meets.  Their team, The Jasper Sharks placed number 7 in the state.  Can you tell we are bursting with pride?  Their little team only had 59 swimmers that made state, and there were teams there with many more swimmers.

You can tell by the photo that Samantha ( Jordan's mom, his Nana and I) are bursting with pride.
Jordan was overcome by all the attention and congratulations, he kept looking at me saying I don't like this part of it...I told him he'd better get use to it, there would be a lot more to come.

A Good Friday

I saw our local urgent care doc today.  I have an appointment with my pulmonary doc in a couple of weeks and I thought I could "tough " it out until then.  I was wrong.  A couple of shots and another round of antibiotics for a week, but I already feel so much better tonight.

I like this urgent care doc very much.  He graduated from our local high school and spent about 20 years as an ER doc.  He is so knowledgeable about so many diseases and he is smart enough to know if he can't figure out the problem he sends you to someone else.  I wish that I could use him as my primary care doc, but insurance won't let me.  I am lucky he is near by.  Many in our family have used him the past few years, and we are grateful he came back to his home town and opened up a practice.

Jordan competed in two state meets today.  He place 2ond ( in the state) for one, and did not place in the other.  Tomorrow he has three meets and these are his strong ones, fingers and toes crossed that he brings home a first place.  So proud of him.  Our great niece Breeze also competed today, though she did not place, she shaved several seconds off her time which is awesome.  Very proud of Breeze as well, because making it to state competition is not for the faint of heart.

I hope your Saturday brings some fun, some kindness and lots of love.

More Comfort

So today for lunch,  meat loaf, butter beans, Brussels sprouts, mac and cheese, fried okra.  Jordan inhaled a plate full.  He loves Panera green tea and we have been trying to recreate that taste...today he informed me that our tea was not so good...maybe we should give up.  But no, I told him we can do this, more to come.

His mom is on pins and needles about the competition tomorrow.  Jordan on the other hand just shrugs his shoulders and takes it all in stride.  Hopefully by Sunday we will have some pictures to post.

I had full classes today, so I am a wee bit tired tonight.  So glad I am off tomorrow.
Tomorrow night is the full moon, there is an eclipse  but we can't see it here.  Suppose to be the longest eclipse of this century, so if you live somewhere and can see it, enjoy.

Comfort Foods

Jordan and I had a great day.  We made chicken and dumplings and his mom called to remind him to bring a big bowl home when his Pawpaw picked him up.  Tomorrow he wants to make meat loaf.
Our little swimmer is into comfort food, but after all he swims in state competition Friday and Saturday and he needs fuel!

The weather has been stellar again today, but the weather guys are saying heat and humidity back by Friday.  I knew it wouldn't last, but we enjoyed its short visit.  Be sure and read Rick's blog tonight about the weather folk lore and today's clouds.  Our fingers are crossed.

It has been a good hump day, tomorrow is my Friday which is always good as well.
Be sure to laugh out loud, and be kind.
Goodnight, Sweet dreams