Relativity

Day 29:

I wish I could say that I am 100% healthy and all that but no.  I woke up feeling a little better in the sinus and a little worse in the chest.  I know the progress of this one because my son went through it last week.  If all is well, I should feel much better tomorrow.  However I went to yoga and did it anyway.  I felt kind of weak but I kept going.  I took some breaks during two of the flow sequences.  

So I had an interesting realization at yoga today.  So they decided to do a yoga person of the month and put up a nice little bio on a great yoga mate Rob.  Rob is in his late 40's early 50's. He is there a lot of the 9:00 am classes.  He is a nice guy that seems fit and very enthusiastic about yoga.  He works really hard and appears to be very strong.  I never really thought about what makes him tick.  What pains he has that he is trying to heal, he seemed so strong and fit.  Well this bio talked about his knees, back, and other issues that had limited his mobility and activity and how he has been able to get beyond his limitations through hot yoga. 

I was struck by the thought that we all think about our own pain and limits and how no one could be as bad off or have the same challenges.  Then I went to start practicing and noticed the lady beside me, probably late early 50's.  I have seen her a bunch of times and was always motivated by her strength.  She actually has no hand below mid-arm on her left side.  Yet she does all the poses with very little modifications.  She is strong and fit and amazing.  She has overcome her disability and triumphed.  Totally cool.  I had never been beside her before so this time I could watch and see how she persevered beyond most peoples challenges.  

Then to finish off this overall thought there was a lady there this morning who I have seen a few times.  She is new.  She is an African American women probably in her 50's. She is probably around the size I was when I started a few months back.  I saw her do her first class a few weeks ago. She was struggling and I told her my story to motivate her.  She has been back a bunch of times and is going for it.  She was wearing a sports bra and a pair of work out tights.  I told her I did not have the guts to go without a shirt and she looked at me and said 'It's a personal practice honey and if people don't like it that's their problem."

I thought to myself she is absolutely right and took of my top and did my practice in bra and pants like all the thin people out there.  After about 10 minutes in the practice I liked the fact that I had no extra shirt on top. I was more aware of my stomach muscles and also realized that it is not as bad as I thought.  I have a long way to go but I have certainly taken a chunk out of that battle.  

So these three people each taught me something today. Everyone has their own battle and we can't get stuck in our mythology that someone else is not fighting as hard or does not have as much of a challenge as we do.  Everyone has a challenge, we all have pain, we all have our mountain to climb.  Someone that looks thin and fit has their own pain and challenges even if it does not show on the surface like a missing limb or extra weight.  I know it is just another version of the theory of relativity. It is all relative to our own personal journeys and practices.

So sick, healthy, disabled, over weight, in pain physically, in pain emotionally, we are all experiencing these moments of healing and energy and balance.  It benefits us all each individually and together.  Magic.