It has been too long since my last Things I Love post, which is ironic considering I am in the midst of one of the most loving times of my life and this is my place to write about all things I love. The time I am spending focusing on my health is restoring me, but I have missed writing here. I am determined to find a balance and get back to one of the things that has always centered and nourished me - writing. Writing is a passion I can always remember having. When I was a young girl we lived in a very old house. My bedroom walls were covered with many layers of wallpaper. On a particular … [Read more...]
My Journey in Healing: The Efforts and the Rewards
It has been nearly two months since I started my yoga teacher training program and I have learned so much. The Benefits: Yoga heals. A recent study on yoga for fibromyalgia conducted at Oregon Health & Science University confirms what I have been experiencing since beginning my yoga practice 18 months ago - "yoga appears to assist in combating a number of serious fibromyalgia symptoms, including pain, fatigue, stiffness, poor sleep, depression, poor memory, anxiety and poor balance. All of these improvements were shown to be not only statistically but also clinically significant, meaning … [Read more...]
Passing the Invisible Boundary
If one advances confidently in the direction of their dream, endeavoring to live the life they are imagining, he will put somethings behind. He will pass the invisible boundary. ~Emerson I dream of being whole. I dream of healing. I dream of living with passion and with purpose and without pain. I am not there yet, but I am headed confidently in that direction. After one month of yoga teacher training, I am certain I am on the right path. In this short time I have learned that although suffering exists, so too does happiness, and I have the ability to nurture my happiness, which in turn … [Read more...]
Why I Keep Showing Up
There are times in this journey of mine that I am simply tired and depleted, and I have brief moments of defeat when I think - "What is this all about? Why do I bother? Who am I kidding?" Sometimes they happen when, after several days of feeling good, I wake up in the kind of pain that is impossible to reason. Or they happen when I reflect on how long I have been sick, and how long it is going to take me to heal. Sometimes they happen for no specific reason at all. I just get tired of the work, tired of the journey, and I just want to stop. But I don't stop - for too long anyway. And … [Read more...]
Today I Celebrated My Toes!
Six days ago, over twenty members of FibroHaven's Facebook community began a 21 day meditation challenge. The Chopra Center is hosting the challenge, with the thought being, it takes roughly 21 days to develop a ritual. From davidji, Dean of The Chopra Center University: "Rituals are powerful behaviors. And when you combine ritual with meaning, amazing things happen – you get transformation. And transformation is a form of evolution. So by adding meditation into your daily set of rituals, it will effortlessly become a part of you." Each morning we wake up to a new guided meditation in … [Read more...]