Lakeside Yoga retreat group walk – Glorious!
Monday April 3 loomed as a big day in my healing journey. That morning I wondered if I should wait and write about it after the x-rays results and new guidelines for physical therapy were provided at my doctor visit. Those pieces of data are important, however there is something I solidly believe right now – my ankle has become very strong in the past week.
Over the weekend I attended a yoga retreat held by my friends Claudia Taller and Gail Johnson out in Lakeside. I’ve been practicing yoga for over 12 years, yet this event had been a guarded “maybe” on my calendar for quite some time. Truthfully, I was not sure the state of my healing would allow it to be pleasant. Right up to the day before the retreat, I was unsteady when I put weight on the ankle. Careful to discuss cautions with my physical therapist, I found myself worrying about how I would navigate the weekend with unfamiliar steps and stairs, uneven walkways and the challenges of modifying yoga moves to keep myself safe.
Friday was a rainy, so being outdoors in Lakeside was not even an option until skies cleared after dinner. My feeble attempt to hobble down to the lakefront before our first yoga session resulted in turning back at the halfway point. My leg was too tired to make it. I promised myself to try again.
The Friday evening yoga session provided a chance to be quiet and set an intention.
“I want to have an enjoyable time noticing how
comfortable and balanced my body can be.”
The next morning I had a chance to skim through the book Living Your Yoga by Judith Lasater PhD, PT recommended by Claudia. I was immediately struck by a passage that advised examining your beliefs and noticing how those beliefs demonstrate where your faith lies. I’ve listened to thousands of people share their negative beliefs with me over the years and suddenly realized the hazard of placing faith in something that is detrimental. I also recognize that positive beliefs and the effort to reframe the energy of a belief to be more positive can also build and support faith, especially when it comes to invisible things like energy and healing.
In Living Your Yoga, Lasater recommends changing the words from “I belief in _____” to “I have faith in _____” as a test for the truth. I was easily able to see where my faith had always been.
I have faith in the healing potential within my body.
I have faith in the wisdom of my surgeon and medical team.
I have faith in the power of EFT to transform even the most challenging situation.
I have faith in miracles and the power of love.
I have faith that there is more I can do each day.
As the weekend continued, I found everything getting easier. The yoga sessions provided me with the movement and stretching my body craved. I was able to join a group for a Saturday afternoon walking meditation and covered more than 8,000 steps. By Sunday, I was walking crutch-free with ease and accomplishing the yoga moves with a steadiness that surprised me. I logged over 10,000 steps by 3PM! The progress in three short days was glorious.
Back home on Sunday, the celebration continued with a walk in my yard and to the end of my street, time reconnecting with my husband and my first bubble bath of 2017.
Update after 4/3/17 Doctor’s Visit: My x-rays are great and healing is ahead of schedule, however I will remain in the boot, with little or no reliance on crutches for another 2 weeks. The reason for this to allow my tendons to heal and stretch a bit more under my full weight with support. More glorious “firsts” took place this week including unassisted treks up and down stairs with ease, first grocery store shopping since 2016 and first time back to my Weight Watcher’s meeting where I weigh less than goal for the first time since 2014. Tonight I will lead my first live EFT seminar of 2017 with more added on the calendar. I’ve also finally felt ready to book my first vacation of 2017 and my doctor has blessed our plans for June biking, hiking and kayaking.
With a heart filled with gratitude, I know there is still a way to go before I will be gliding on this foot, however each day gets a little better. Faith is a beautiful thing.
