It’s New Year’s Eve, 2021, and we’re staring down 2022…still in Covid-times, now dealing with the Omicron variant. There are lots of things I could say, but I won’t. I will, however, give you some perspective.
On New Year’s Day, 2021, I was diagnosed with Covid-19. I was lucky enough to be able to stay home to recuperate, but over this year, I dealt with long-haul issues, including the exacerbation of existing conditions I had. Unrelated to Covid, my A-fib came back late this year, and I had to have a couple of heart procedures this month, ending the year as I began: in the hospital. The upside was, having lost my sense of taste/smell in January 2021, I got it back after I was loaded up with medication to keep me from having a reaction to a necessary part of the angiogram: the contrast dye. I’m really allergic to it. So the bright side is, I can now taste & smell about 85% of the time.
But you know the most surprising thing? The hospital was going to send me home right after the procedure(s). Here I was, punctured by 2 IVs, one puncture in the right wrist from the angiogram, and two punctures in the groin (one in each hip crease), and the nurse said, “We’re sending you home.” Apparently, the hospital is overrun with Covid patients. I was pretty annoyed because these procedures collectively were no walk in the park. It wasn’t my spouse’s job to wake up every 2 hours to see if I was bleeding… So I said so. They allowed me to stay, but as of today, our local hospitals are no longer doing procedures that they can put off. I’m so happy that I was able to have this done, because my A-fib was really out of control.
I’m vax’d and boosted. We wear masks to practice. I’ve adapted every sequence I teach so that we’re able to get the most out of the practice without experiencing any discomfort by wearing the masks. It’s safe, and I’m determined to keep my students as safe and healthy as I can. I trust that my students will also practice the yogic concept of “ahimsa” - or non-harming. Of themselves or others.
I noted that the last entry I had mentioned “what have you done during the pandemic?” and that’s still a thing. And again, I turned to writing, contributing to The Ultimate Guide to Self-Healing, Volume 5, and editing a couple of collaborative projects for other authors.
And, as is normal and right, my yoga practice has evolved again. In 2021, I suffered a labrum tear in my left hip, so I am also rehabbing this by working with a yoga therapist. It’s a unique experience to work with a therapist who’s trained to use yoga like this. If you were watching our sessions, you’d wonder what we were doing, but each session is building on the next, and is helping me start from “the ground up” to help work with what I’ve got. Labrum tears don’t heal; you just hope you don’t tear it more. So it’s another round of “adapt your practice” and learning more.
I’m almost done with my 500-hour training, and have two more steps to complete. Looking forward then to completing a prenatal certification, doing more workshops and finding new and exciting ways to keep my students engaged and learning. Unlike many teachers, I actually enjoy teaching open classes. Yes, I like private sessions, but honestly, having a group of folks who want to engage in a weekly practice really lights me up! I’m always happy to see my regular students, as well as new faces in the studio!
I’ve got a limited number of author copies of all three of my books (all Amazon Best Sellers, by the way), The Ultimate Guide to Healing, Vol. 3; Wholehearted Wonder Women 50+; and The Ultimate Guide to Healing, Vol. 5 — and if you’re in the US and you’d like one personalized for yourself or a gift, please drop me a line here, or via the studio at info@just-breatheyoga.com — I’ll even mail it to you, postage on me!
My main message to you: Care for each other. Follow the Golden Rule. Wear your mask and avoid crowds. We can’t get through this individually. We can only get through it together. We’re on the same team, everyone. It’s time for us to remember that as we move into this new year full of possibilities. If only we’re willing to work together to make the virus a piece of our past rather than a recurring, present nightmare.
