The iris are just emerging! May 18

Continuing from the book chapter: This will appear May 26 but I’m writing it May 19.

All illnesses of body and mind have many, often subtle, causes. Environmental and genetic causes may be beyond our ability to amend. However, we can change the damaging tensions we unknowingly hold in the body, because these tensions originate in our thinking and perceptions. Think an angry thought and see where the tension occurs in your body. Perhaps your face gets red, your jaw tightens, or you start to cry. Your pulse and blood pressure may increase. At other times, perhaps an unpleasant fluttering sensation arises in your abdomen, or a headache develops. If the anger then dissipates and compassion arises, new physical experiences such as relaxation or a sense of ease might become predominant. We can think of the body as the mirror of the mind, because even subtle and transient mind states may manifest in the body. If we are unable or unwilling to acknowledge and attend to these mind states as they arise and dissipate, the body will faithfully store its responses to tensions, thoughts, and emotions for years, even lifetimes.

Our beliefs in our unworthiness, self-limiting thoughts, and fears can also damage the body. It is vital that we do not scold ourselves for our habits. But it’s also imperative to take responsibility for learning to make more skillful choices, and for learning what blocks us in choosing wisely. If we can develop an attitude of kindness toward our bodies and our minds, both in illness and while healthy, a space is created wherein we can find greater potential for healing.

The ailment can become the teacher, using our body to lead us to profound self-discovery. This newfound wisdom can bring the light and space that sometimes leads to physical healing. The result comes as a gentle correction that happens naturally and lovingly. This is in stark contrast to the results obtained by my first approach, which followed a now-familiar pattern of trying to control and to “fix” the problem.

I’d like to explore this with my readers as present reality, not theory, with two examples.
(to be continued)

Writing today, May 19. Ailment as teacher… This 83 year old body as teacher!!!
On wet days like today, arthritis is worse. Hands hurt; knees hurt; walking becomes harder and any small repair like using a hammer to replace a picture hook is impossible. Even preparing and cutting food can be challenging. I really have only two options, to open my heart to this body as it is, or to hold the heart closed and scold myself, trying to push though. Opening my heart, I still choose to do what I can but with invitation, not command. This leaves an opportunity for the body to dance with the situation, rather than becoming a slave.

You can see the water fall coming down outside my bedroom window very early this morning, pouring over the gutter. No more chain saws; no more ladders! It used to be so easy to clean or adjust the gutters. Years ago, I loved to sit up on roof, looking out over the woods behind the house (which is now a subdivision). Today really was beautiful; I went out in the warm rain (in a bathing suit; sorry, no photo) and just enjoyed the very heavy shower, the good moisture and the gifts it brings to all that is growing; I sat out there for about 15 minutes with a joyful thank you for all the blessings. Then mind started planning how to fix my gutter.

Shower!

Irs 3 days later, after the rain!!