Happy Monday! I was at my school job today, racing deadlines. It will be touch and go for awhile. Lots of stuff due before the holiday. People should know better than to create deadlines like that.
Yesterday I went to a special ‘killer yoga’ session run by my yogini. Some of you might remember there are many people – including yours ever lovin’ truly – who have sadomasochistic relationships with my yogini. She kicks our asses and we say “thank you” and come back for more!
Since yesterday was no exception to the rule, standing up, sitting down and walking are all adventures today. I am sore from the bottom of my rib cage to the tips of my toes.
This is actually an example of distress tolerance through sensation. Remember the S in ACCEPTS? Since I have been in pain rather frequently today, it served to take my mind off of a lot of other things. For example, just now thinking about what I did not think about reminded me I was not frustrated over the clinical trials at all today. Too busy squealing in pain every time I stood up.
My yogini also did an exercise for transition, the end of one year and the start of another. She had us write highlights of 2016 and what we learned from them. From there we looked for themes. Then we did the low points and what we learned from them. Ditto on themes.
It was sort of interesting because my themes were the same for both lists. People are generally good. Others will come to your aid if you let them and it is rewarding to go to the aid of others. Basically, community is a good and necessary thing.
The other thing I learned from my lists was I – and by extension, I believe you as well – am a lot stronger than I ever would have believed. I have weathered one wicked year. Not only am I still standing but I have adapted and grown.
We received a nice note from one of you. This was also the year this woman’s vision became very bad. She credited us with, essentially, showing her the way. She thanked us.
We humbly accept the thanks but I would like to point something out. That woman also told us she was networking in her community. She is telling people about her eye disease and allowing them to help her. Not only that but she is finding more and more people with degenerative eye diseases and helping them! This woman is doing great things! She is probably doing more than she ever thought she could or would. She also is stronger than she ever thought she could be.
So I guess that is 2016 in a touchy, feel-y, new age-y, yoga nutshell (which makes me wonder again how anyone who can encourage thought exercises like that can be such a merciless drill sergeant!) It was a bitch of a year, but it had its value.
Lessons? Find your community. Help and be helped. You are stronger than you think.
Written 12/19/2016