Day 11 - Healing Yoga

My relationship with yoga had been very on again, off again. I would go through intense periods of intense practice, followed by lulls which could last for months. In September 2009 I suffered a deablitating accident, from which I am still recovering. Throughout my rehab, complementary therapies have played a significant role in aiding my recovery. I have dabbled in giving treatments in the past – I completed my level one Reiki certification a few years back – but mostly I have received many reiki treatments throughout my adult life. It only stood to reason that reiki would eventually come back into my life – I have always found the warm and trance like state reiki can induce to be so healing and spiritually beneficial. The stronger my body got, the more I wanted to begin yoga again, for even just the sensation of stretch, of elongation throughout the muscles and supportive tissue, became a real craving. Before the accident I dreaded the intensity of downward dog and pigeon poses. However, there were many nights where I lay in bed dreaming of pigeon and sun salutations and movement. The accident caused me to be bedridden for 12 weeks, although I could get around by wheelchair which aided in strengthening my arms. I had depleted most of my seat and leg muscles, and my body was so cramped and shrunken feeling when I began learning to walk again. I regained some flexibilty through careful stretching and began hoping that I could soon return to yoga. I am hoping to incorporate a regular, varied yoga practice into my rehab once the initial recovery from my upcoming surgery has passed, and pilates will begin to dominate my exercises once I am strong enough. The 215800 challenges have been a great spring board for testing my body with the yoga and so far it has responded extremely well.
I had a delicious Yoga class today. A monthly treat that E and I look forward to with anticipation. My luminous, forever positive, Reiki practitioner Catherine, has developed healing yoga, or Prana yoga as it is called, which is the most luxurious 1.5hr nap one could ever have. C’s website (www.theholisticway.ca) describes Prana yoga as: “a life force or energy based yoga which combines restorative yoga and Reiki to yield a deeply healing and therapeutic experience. During a Prana Yoga treatment the healing touch of Reiki is applied while the recipient is positioned in deeply therapeutic Restorative Yoga postures. This bodywork treatment brings about an immediate sense of calm, relaxation, and ease, which leads to a feeling of deep openness, clarity and vitality, allowing the body to heal its physical, mental, emotional and spiritual tensions.”. This is my fourth Prana yoga class and E’s third. E isn’t generally interested in yoga as he says “all the sitting makes me angry,” but he is slowly evolving to seeing the benefits of yoga (and I’m sure the promise of a nap for 1.5hrs doesn’t hurt either.) He was so relaxed and so comfortable that several times through out the session I heard the gentlest snores coming from beside me.
I hadn’t had a session with Catherine for almost a year but after the accident she contacted my mum, who was good friends with Catherine’s mother in law. She offered some sessions to help with my recovery, and came to the hospital a few times to practice Reiki on my battered body. I responded well to the treatments and since then she’s been coming to my home biweekly. Mid winter she started regular monthly Prana yoga classes and I began to attend, finding the gentle yoga combined with reiki to be very beneficial and relaxing.
Yoga always zones me out, as I tend to get lost in the meditative breathing and float along happily with the class. Reiki does the same but on a much more deeper, more relaxed level. I describe it as a sort of waking coma – you can still hear what is going on around you but when you come out of it, you feel as if you have just awoken from a very deep sleep. Other times I’ve awoken thinking ten minutes have passed when in reality an hour had slipped by. Combine the meditative rhythm and gentle movements of yoga with the trance like state of Reiki and you have the best physical and mental nap ever. Plus the warm hands and gentle touch make you feel so safe and secure. I sometimes wish it were a weekly class as regular participation would no doubt yield very positive results but the once a month sessions feel like the best present at the end of a hard week. The last two sessions E and I have been paired with a very gentle, comforting practitioner, who has been schooled in Reiki, therapeutic touch, craniosacral therapy and restorative yoga. This woman has the most serene presence – her smile would calm a mad dog and her hands are so incredibly warm you could use them as a heat pad. Her entire demeanor is to serve you and your body, which quickly relaxes and comforts me, while also building a great sense of trust.
I’ve been incorporating yoga into my daily exercises more and more. I’ve found my body seems to crave the stretch and strengthening that yoga brings. This challenge has been lush – the savasana quiets my mind while the yoga series both strengthens and brings focus to my overwhelmed body. The challenge’s in-house yoga teacher zenpeacekeeper (a fascinating Kiwi lady, whose upcoming novel about her experiences as a peacekeeper in Afghanistan screams to be read) put together a 40 minute yoga video called “Yoga for Writers” which is perfect for my stiff aching body. Although some of the poses are difficult, I have managed to fumble my way through, via variations and time outs when I fatigue. Savasana was wonderful the first 3 days of the challenge. As the days passed the more yoga I seem to do the more my body remembers other poses and series that I had done before. The cellular memory of the body is so impressive. It blows my mind that body memories can be triggered by simply repeating a particular movement. And past psychological traumas or experiences can be triggered by simply touching or massaging various parts of the body (issues in the tissues). The body is a tapestry of imprints, cellular and cognitive, all stored in the magnificent vault that is our being. The saying "my body isn't a temple, it is more of an amusement park" is thought provoking on so many different levels. However you interpret this saying, the message is clear, treat it well and your body will continue to amaze, challenge and further become you.
I’ve enjoyed getting up early and practicing the Writer’s yoga, with add-ons and variations from my body memories. My pets eventually come in the living room and sit with me – my cat elegantly balanced on the arm of the chesterfield and my dog sprawled on the floor beside me. My cat loves being in my bedroom whenever Catherine gives me a reiki treatment. She usually starts with lying on the floor beside the bed and eventually will jump up on the bed, snuggling up to my head or lying on her back and rolling on the bed, at my side. Given that animals are so sensitive to begin with I have no doubt the energy that is being channeled is experienced by my cat as well.
This opportunity that Bindu Wiles has provided, by concocting the 215800 challenges of writing and yoga, has opened so many doors and channels for me. I was excited to read that she is thinking of extending the challenge, which would be such an excellent practice to turn into a regular habit. I finally have a new outlet to work out my frustrations and issues with, an outlet that is calming, brings peace to my agitated mind and body, and will hopefully be part of my recovery for a long time to come. And the Prana, well, the Prana is a lovely treat, and something I can share with E, to make his exhausting month bearable with the most delicious yogic nap ever!