The Projects that Inhabit our Bodies

I went to a yoga class this week with a teacher who calls us, her students, "Beautiful Lotus Flowers" and "Yoga Warriors". I love her spunk and I adore her perspective. The sequence was themed with the idea of listening to your body. She addressed the various health issues that each of us bring with us to class, and called them "Guests" and "Projects" in our bodies. When we would take a certain pose, she would say, "What are the Projects in your body telling you in Warrior two?" - meaning, "Is your chronic knee pain screaming at you to stop doing this pose??" Or she would suggest "Do you need to comfort your Guest in this pose - maybe bring it a blanket to rest on?" - meaning, "Are you making your chronic knee pain worse by ignoring it - how about changing the way you do the pose to comfort your pain instead!"

My inner circle of kindred spirits is comprised of women and men in their 20s, 30s and 40s, all in the prime of their lives. In spite of our youth :-) and overall excellent health, most of us have personally encountered some sort of medical issue - joint or muscle injuries, endocrine disorders, cancer, asthma, digestive problems. In discussions with my friends about their medical experiences, I have learned that there is nothing like a medical issue during an otherwise healthy time in ones life to completely shake his or her confidence! I have also learned that these medical experiences have added an invaluable perspective in their lives that challenged them to clarify their priorities and helped them be kinder to themselves.

As I reflect on my own unique medical problem, the one year anniversary of which just passed last month, I can truly relate to my friends' experiences. Last January, my thyroid began acting up and over the course of twelve months, went from hyperactive to normal and now to underactive. These days, it is perfectly on the mend, and whatever is still healing is well treated with medication. In other words, it really does not affect my life anymore. However, I apparently still carry around some of the emotional baggage related to the incident. Just last week I caught a nasty virus and developed a bad sore throat and painful swollen lymph nodes. I began worrying incessantly to myself, "What if this is my thyroid acting up again?!" I would find myself compulsively reaching up to my neck, feeling for my thyroid, making sure it wasn't tender or enlarged.

These compulsive thoughts and gestures began driving me crazy. I finally forced myself to repeat, everytime these worries surfaced, "If it's my thyroid going haywire again, I will deal with it. I survived the first time, I will survive the second. And likely with more quiet dignity and grace!"

This is why my yoga teacher's message resonated. My thyroid is a Project in my body, forcing me to avoid unnecessary worry and have faith in my own ability to handle whatever comes my way. What a great Project outcome! Would I go so far as to say I am thankful for the Project? The answer is absolutely.

Now on to my next project! I think my hamstrings are dying to teach me a thing or two!