Living In Grace with Our Body

May embodies the arrival of spring's promise for new life and summer's bounty. This time of year marks the beginning of warmer weather and the blossoming of flowers and trees – not to mention love and romance. Who doesn’t fall in love with spring! The promise of new beginnings and growth isn’t just for the young, the radiantly healthy, or for lovers, but that sweet fragrant promise of life's creation, beauty, and wonder is available to everyone, at any time. The promise of physical and spiritual renewal is especially challenging to those who are preparing to physically transition from this earth’s journey or for those who are physically healing.

Yes, spring has arrived. I’m thoroughly delighted… and I’m dancing – partly in my mind, as I've yet to experience sitting or standing upright and walking with ease for an entire day. But it's happening! I’m on the healing road from chronic Lyme disease, so I can speak from experience. I was accurately diagnosed with Lyme after over eight years of slowly dying. That’s the only way to describe it. My body was breaking down from every angle – my endocrine system, digestive system, neurological system, every weakening muscle, and burning spasming pain to the point where I could barely stand upright and walk or even sit up. My heart too – both physically and spiritually was heavily challenged. Darn ticks. I spent more than two years in a nursing facility in a remote region of central Utah.

Flash back five years before the onset of illness while living in Denver, I vividly recall my spiritual teacher explaining that it was time to prepare for a life changing event that would bring about a "crisis in consciousness." She said that I’d feel like I was going to die several times. She smiled and told me I’d learn to have "sympathy for my empathy." Naively, I said I was ready for a vision quest, perhaps a retreat in the mountains for a month, and okay, I could handle some unknown illness. I think my limited mind at the time envisioned a heroic six weeks. She smiled that enigmatic Mona Lisa smile again. I got up and left stuffing my big ego out the door. I now picture how she must have held her sides, laughing her head off – with compassion of course – after I left. Her last words to me that afternoon were, "You might as well tell God to bring it on." I laughed with her and recited along with her. "Okay God. Bring it on. Bring it on." Pass the humble pie…

Chronic illness or dis-ease evokes a prolonged original fear – one that we must navigate through every day in degrees, sometimes for years. And it's not just the dis-ease itself, but we can lose our financial structure and real estate - all those material/physical things we accumulated in life may be gone as a result of medical expenses and the inability to work. Some friends and family may even exit our life, frightened of dis-ease with facing their own mortality, and or not wanting to feel responsible for us. Our emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical foundation will be under fire and tested to the extreme.

When our physical vitality and practically all the material things are stripped away, what do we have that keeps us safe? What do we have control of? What can we call our own? What's left? Those questions, and more, will arise for us and we must take courage to not only ask the questions, but search within ourselves for the answers. The answers are there when we listen and also after intervals of cleansing tears when we learn to let go. For the first time we may realize that there is nothing we ever do solely on our own. We are not separate entities. Going to the market requires that the merchant is on the corner to sell their products to us. We may go to the restroom by ourselves but the toilet paper had to be produced by someone in order for us to use it. Everything is connected to everything. Back to the question. What do we have left when so much of our "normal" physical structure has been taken away?

We have our thoughts, ideas, our beliefs, memories, our dreams and the ability to create, beginning in our internal world where our inner voice resides. Our spiritual world has everything to do with how we influence and create in our physical world, including our bodies.

During the worst stages of Lyme, I was eating and dropped a few peas on the floor. I looked down and thought, "Oh God. How do I pick those up?" I couldn't bend forward and touch the floor because that meant I'd have to pull my torso back up and my back muscles were too weak and painful. Just sitting up was a feat. Being fiercely independent, I thought, "I won't let those peas just sit there." I looked around and looked down again. "My feet! I'll try to pick the peas up with my toes." It took me five minutes to curl my toes around every pea and lift my leg onto my lap to pass them to my hand, but I did it. I learned to pick up all kinds of stuff off the floor with my toes. I felt great that I could do something by myself, yet I had to think about how to do things differently from how I used to do them. I was forced to listen to my body and let it guide me. I asked for help when I needed it. I made a game of creative wonder. The victim role was just not appealing.

Our bodies need and love: Fresh, healthy food, and yes, the occasional treats, breathing fresh air daily, sunshine on our skin for about 15 minutes daily, bare feet on the earth (not concrete), daily water hydration, movement and stretching, laughter, stillness and quiet, soft music, candles, hot baths or saunas, supportive beds (brightly colored sheets – mix the colors up), wearing bright colors, comfortable clothing, body moisturizer, sleep, hugs, etc. If we can’t get outside frequently, bring Mother Earth inside! Have help bringing in a few rocks, small tree branches (clean them from insects and dirt), flowers and fresh herbs and have them in bed with you. It reminds us we are part of the earth and grounds us. Willow, eucalyptus, and olive branches are particularly healing. We cannot be removed from nature and feel good.

Managing pain:
Stay off narcotic painkillers if possible. It's vital to be comfortable and not suffer for our body to heal and alleviate the physical stress of pain, but we can begin by asking our doctor for alternatives first. Breathing through pain and allowing it to pass instead of tightening up and holding our breath helps tremendously. Use a heating pad, cold packs, aromatherapy, and natural sources that our doctor or practioner can suggest. Eliminating allergies to food and environment are vital for the body's comfort and healing process.

We need positive help and support from our friends and loved ones. Our body needs gentle touch more than we ever needed it in our lives, so gentle massage and touch reassures our body that it's treasured, even while it's broken. We'll be tested to make adjustments between what our spirit desires and what our body requires.

I learned that to possess patience and optimism becomes wisdom that enables us to see through physical limitation, including humiliation, to grasp the inspiring lessons we can gain from physical dis-ease. Therein we can touch grace. We can> be in grace in our bodies.

Next month: Nursing Homes And Nursing Care Alternatives

Affirmation for this month - Body
My form is the temple of my spirit and the vehicle that transports me through life. Today, I listen to the messages from my body and take right action to maintain a healthy harmony.

Live in beauty and be well - Triza Schultz

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