A friend who recently had inpatient surgery on her sinuses texted that she was on a 10-day yoga time-out. And no pranayama, either, of course, because the practice requires deep, deliberate breathing. This is a big deal for someone who's yoga-obsessed! She put her furlough in perspective: "I can barely stand."
When you're feeling lousy, sometimes it's extra hard to forgo your normal sources of pleasure and calm. In a recent post on KevinMD.com, patient Toni Bernhard, JD, writes about lessons she's learned from her body and provides guidance for others dealing with chronic pain or illness.
Bernhard the patient has replaced her healthy law-professor self's to-do list with a "not-to-do list" that includes willing her body to accomplish things it's warning her to skip. Instead, she recommends to other patients, be kind to your present self and honor the body you have, exercise caution when considering a risky new treatment, and let go of what won't serve you - such as a frozen image of your pre-illness self. (Sounds a lot like yoga, even on a time-out.)
Previously: Fibromyalgia – living with a controversial chronic disease, “Live Because:” Living a fuller life with chronic illness, When you say nothing at all: Living with an invisible illness and Study shows poor sleep may increase risk of fibromyalgia among women
Via @dennisjboyle
