“]”filter”: { “nextExceptions”: “img, blockquote, div”, “nextContainsExceptions”: “img, blockquote, a.btn, ao-button”} }”>
Going outside? Read this article about the new Outside+ app, now available for members on iOS devices. Download the app.
During my senior year of college, I participated in a school tradition called “Marathon,” where every freshman is assigned to an upperclassman who makes fun of you with a series of dramatic skits. My freshman performance was spectacular. She was complaining, “I can’t do this, I can’t do that. My neck hurts, my back hurts, my shoulders hurt.” The whole audience was laughing, but I was hurt and shocked. Was that how my classmates saw me? As a complainer, a complainer, a joker? As a hypochondriac? Other people’s skits portrayed really funny things, but I had real health issues. And they were laughing at me for it.
There’s a reason chronic illness is considered an “invisible illness” and sometimes even hypochondriac: if others can’t actually see your pain, they’ll think you’re a fake. In truth, I considered myself a “sick woman” for a long time, and I take responsibility for spreading that message to the masses. Until we stop labeling ourselves as sick, others will continue to see us that way.
Instead of seeing your condition as a physical illness, try to see it as an opportunity to reconnect with yourself and learn to love yourself. When I discovered the shining warrior within me, I knew it came directly from a universal force (God, the One, Gaia, whatever!). It is within you too. You will not drown, get lost, or get lost. But you will begin to see yourself as greater than your physical challenges and limitations.
reference How Rodney and Colleen Seidman Yee are helping sick patients and caregivers
Healing Meditation: How to Get Started
First, don’t just sit there. Sit there and be comfortable in the present moment. The first step to true healing is to fully surrender to your presence in the present moment. And let it be. When you allow yourself to be truly present in your body, your mind softens and opens, and you can begin to use the sensations as your guide. This is how you begin to heal yourself. You can always bring yourself back to the present by focusing on your breath. Your breath is your life force, your anchor. Unfortunately, for many of us, the breath gets lost in the shuffle when we’re dealing with serious physical stress. The first place to reconnect with yourself is through your breath.
Breathe in through your nose, focusing on breathing deep into your belly and expanding your rib cage to the side. Then slowly exhale through your mouth. When I first sat and just breathed, I intended to scream as loud as I could to be the perfect hysterical heroine in a zombie movie. After a few tries, I started to enjoy doing nothing without purpose because it allowed me to connect with my higher self, my inner guide, the present moment, and the spiritual forces that are on my side. This is called meditation, and it’s a practice that helps us build and sustain our inner energy and cultivate patience, forgiveness, and compassion.
If you have a chronic illness or are in physical pain, you must set the clear intention to sit through the initial discomfort and distractions that often come when you begin meditating. You may suddenly find yourself not meditating if you find yourself sitting cross-legged, replaying a particularly frustrating conversation at work or thinking about the laundry that needs to be picked up (or sent off for dry cleaning). Eventually, as you re-center yourself and let those random thoughts drift away, you will begin to see yourself differently. You will become more loving, more forgiving, and less critical of yourself. You will move away from the “what ifs” of the future and the “should haves” of the past and be comfortable in the present moment.
Even if it feels very uncomfortable and weird at first, don’t stop. Be persistent. Give yourself time and space to hear your inner voice. It will happen in the moment, or even in the day. Doing nothing is very powerful and has amazing residual effects. It’s like taking a time-release capsule of inner peace and wisdom. Some synchronicity will happen, someone will tell you exactly what you need to hear, and suddenly you will have an epiphany. With it, you will realize that you are more than just numbness in your legs, irritable bowel, or migraine.
Connecting with my soul was one of the best things I have ever done for my body and mind. Finding your soul is like finding your home, and when I found it, everything else started to fall into place and my body began to heal.
reference Finding Your Soul’s Purpose: The Four Purusharthas
Practice: A Simple Healing Meditation
Sit somewhere comfortable and upright, preferably in a sturdy chair. Close your eyes and begin breathing through your nose. Breathe in to a count of 2 and exhale slowly to a count of 4. Keep breathing even and smooth. Set a timer and continue doing this for at least 5 minutes.
One great thing you can add to this exercise is a mantra. As you breathe in, say to yourself, “I am,” and as you breathe out, “I am totally fine.” This tunes you into the idea that you are more than just a physical ailment, and allows room for your true self to breathe. You’ll then notice a positive change in how you feel.
reference Inspire Your Mind: 31 Daily Mantras + Affirmations
source: Overcoming Illness: A Guide to Living with Chronic Health Conditions Author: Amy Kurtz. Copyright © 2017 Amy Kurtz.
About the Author
Amy Kurtz is a wellness expert, AADP-certified Holistic Health Coach, and regular contributor to popular wellness websites such as MindBodyGreen and Yoganonymous. She lives in New York City. For more information, visit amykurtz.com.
