Having practiced yoga for years and trained by an inspirational yogi master (shout out to Caryn), I obviously need to practice more. I confess to not attending classes for 15 months. Ready for a run, I tried to pull on the knee stabilizers… while standing up, I lost balance and hit the floor hard. Apologies to Caryn, I completely forget that when balancing (the weakest part of my practice) I need to find my drishti. She taught that if you find a spot, stare and concentrate, you can pretty much hold a pose with little wobble. Generally I am doing three things simultaneously (a no-no in yoga) and my lack of mindfulness can have painful results.
You don’t have to be a yogi to follow this train. Essentially it reminds us that if we focus we can do amazing things. You may think directing an oncology center, that cancer should be the total focus all the time. No. Wellness should be. You have heard about manifesting in our lives. What we focus on we can invite into our world. It’s well known that patients can start up-chucking the minute they enter the doors of a cancer center; that just the suggestion is enough to affect the mind. If you are entering any center, a hospital, doctor’s office, unfortunately you may get an overwhelming sense of foreboding. No one is happy to be here. There is definitely a noxious stimulant. This is where a mantra comes in. Say something positive such as “I am well. I am strong. I am calm” over and over again in your mind when faced with these challenging moments.
Our drishti everyday needs to change from toxic, tragic, troubled and terrible to a focus that enhances your well being. Find a few positive words that match your goals. This week Megan at 40 was seen for consult. Yes, cancer at a young age is terrible, but when I asked about the crying and pacing she had only one statement “I don’t want to lose my hair with chemo”. She said it over and over again. Well, there are cooling caps but I have heard they are very uncomfortable and you must be very diligent for them to preserve your hair basically by freezing the follicles so the chemo doesn’t get to them in the scalp. I offered that as a option, but then moved quickly to: “Get a wig soon and change your focus. You want to be healthy for your children. Let that be the drishti.” Megan agreed this was her wish but she was sidelined by the expectation of side effects.
It’s not easy, but choose a statement when you arise to be your mantra for the day and be sure it matches your goals and not your fears. It is a practice I need to keep at everyday. If I concentrate on not falling over, I will, but if instead I focus on being strong, I am. There is a new study about ageing. People who think they are old (it especially happens with milestone birthdays) actually age quicker than people who believe they are healthy, strong and meant to live a long life. The article said that the person who will live to be 150 is already born, so don’t accept being a senior at 65 anymore. It could be your middle age.
I recall in grade school the nuns grading us on “self control.” They just hoped with 98 kids in a class and no teachers aide, they could survive the day. We thought it was a grade to keep us from wiggling, shouting out or smacking our seat partner (yes with that many kids we shared seats). Here is an opportunity to really practice self control, but of your thoughts. A very powerful and empowering concept. Focus your vision and have faith that your mind and body will follow.