As a yoga teacher and massage therapist I have been involved in the well-being of the body for many years;
- I have slowly, slowly changed my eating habits.
- I have always had lots of exercise…walking, swimming, yoga.
- I have meditated for 39 years.
- I use as few chemical-based products on my body as possible.
- I do not smoke and drink moderately of wine and the occasional G+T.
- I am perceived by others as being strong and very healthy and yet every year I become ill!
November moving into December is my time of frailty and this past two months has been no exception.
So, how can that be and why do others, who appear to be couch potatoes escape…or do they really?
Many years ago I had a lovely herbal practitioner who supported myself and my family with many wonderful herbal concoctions. She solved my recurrent bouts of thrush, she helped ease my menstrual pain and was always able to provide a cough remedy for our daughter.
I asked her once why I got ill when pretty well everything I did was to enable my body to heal.
Her response has stayed with me all these years…..”Everyone needs to be ill occasionally. It is the way the body detoxifies itself.” It is important to remember she said ‘occasionally’. Recurrent episodes of illness is the body’s way of telling us more is going on.
Some of the super foods that sustain us through the year.
Goji Berries, Maca , Bee Pollen, Cacao Nibs etc
The back-end of the year is my least favourite time and that impacts upon my immune system weakening it, and, of course also all illness has it’s emotional/mental aspects. I guess there is a level of stress within me that wakes up as the days get shorter and cold air creeps around our house.
I have realised that the only way to heal myself is to be incredibly patient and have oodles of compassion for myself. It is my responsibility to enable my body and mind to heal. I actually don’t mind becoming ill…what will be will be and now let’s get on and workout a healing strategy.
Sometimes my patience is tried and really tested. This latest virus, call it what you will, really enjoyed sticking around and even seduced me into thinking it had left only to return in the middle of the night leaving my shivering and shaking under an enormous duvet.
Occasionally, I visit my doctor but even he seems to realise that all I want is his diagnoses and then to be left to get on with it.
Taking care of myself whilst ill takes a certain willpower and energy as it is all too easy to give in and lie in a heap and eat comfort foods…oh the joy of it!
This period of being unwell lasted weeks not days and did rather take me by surprise. I took to ensuring that I had a fresh vegetable juice every day, drank coconut water throughout the day, adding to it wheatgrass and baobab powder and Himalayan sole. I took large doses of vitamin C and Echinacea although that is best taken as a preventative. I ate no dairy or wheat products but did discover (actually I rediscovered it) Bone Broth. My parents always swore by chicken broth as a wonderful winter food. They made it with the stripped carcass, onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf and barley all popped into a large pan and simmered away for hours.
I carried on skin-brushing on a daily basis to encourage my lymph system. I soaked in Himalayan salt baths and did some very gentle yoga.
I then slept a lot, lay on my yoga mat in savasana a lot and gave in to healing myself.
It took quite a time but it worked and I feel that something deep within me has changed. For the first time in years my lungs did not enter into whatever was going on in my body…I breathed easily. My head hurt…a lot, but that was fine because oxygen readily entered and nourished me.
2014 is now here and I am slowly entering a new year at a pace that suits me. As I get older I feel that I listen more and more to the wisdom that is deep inside. I sit gently and wait for intuition to speak her wise words.
Rest, eat wisely and enjoy those things that we are sometimes advised to do without…for me that meant still having my filter coffee and the odd cookie, Soul Food!
May I wish you well in this next and new part of your life…I don’t do Resolutions or Grand Plans.
January is dark and drear in my part of the world so I keep things soft and easy. No diets or fantastic exercise regimes just simply enjoying various parts of each day is sufficient.
A place that touches me deeply each time I visit.
My whole being feels better simply looking at this amazing building.
Love and best wishes to all…..Gillx