LESSONS ~ HERE THEY COME AGAIN!

Yesterday morning I woke up feeling a little odd, nothing to get excited about - until I almost fell over from dizziness three different times as I headed for my shower. Yikes! There was no avoiding the fact of it - I had the flu. 

I spent the day dozing, drinking ginger tea, chewing away on my readings for classes, and hoping, really, really hoping, that I had the twenty-four hour variety. Today I feel a little bit better. I'm pretty sure it's not wishful thinking since I actually managed to walk up and down my stairs four times - twice for the daily dog-walks (which must go on), and twice because I was truly out of clean laundry. I washed my sheets too, which felt like an optimistic gesture. You know - no point in washing the sheets until the virus or germs or whatever have gone on their merry way. And now I'm whacked, from just that little effort. Off to bed shortly.

But first! (as one of my heros, Jian Ghomeshi would say) some musings on how getting sick yields gems of insight. Yes, really. First one came this morning as I woke up with no urgency. The alarm was irrelevant, my schedule was out the window, my only goal - do whatever my body needed to heal. Lying there I noticed how delicious blue sky is. And how even more delicious it is to simply lie still and take it in. Ahhhh (as my yoga teacher would say. I can hear her now) And following on that I also noticed how much I love the colours of the world as revealed by sunlight. And further, what a fine thing it is to lie in bed simply revelling in all that beauty right outside my window.

At which point it occurred to me ~ I need to incorporate some delicious body moments into my life on purpose. A regular diet of them, particularly one alarm-free morning per week. I have been pushing myself to do as much as possible every single day. Rising early so I can fit my practices in AND give the dogs some time at the park AND eat breakfast before classes. And then I stay up late either reading or working on assignments. I do believe it's called burning the candle at both ends. And I do believe as well, that my body is saying a firm no to this practice.

So from here on, I declare Saturday mornings as my time out from having to get up, whether or not I'm ready. I suspect this will really increase the beauty of my life. And I happen to know that beauty is essential to wholeness and vitality! 

Another gem came with a text from one of my class-mates asking if I needed a dog-walker while I was down with the flu. Such grace, such generosity. I see that I forgot and have been gently reminded ~ sometimes we are called to surrender which can look like asking for help. I may take him up on it tomorrow, as I attempt to resume my life. 

I have my sensors turned on high now, keeping a look-out for other ways to nourish wholeness within the intensity of life. Tomorrow will be another day, yup, virgin invitations to engage surrender, fresh chances for kindness to my body, new ways to absorb beauty. I think I'm ready.