Musings on turning 44
My birthday was a couple of weeks ago, but I was too down at the time to write my annual self-inventory. I'm feeling more upbeat now, so here it is.
Body: This has undeniably been a challenging year for me, physically. My pain is on the lower end of the scale, and manageable, but I have had to make a lot of changes in the way I order my life in order to keep it that way. I am so very grateful for Rob's help with helping me with the more strenuous parts of daily living: shopping, carrying, lifting, even cooking.
The accident that set me up for this current pain, some 18 years ago, was a head-on collision with a semi that could easily have taken my life. I need to remember, as I continue forward in healing, that I am grateful to be alive to heal.
Mind: It's been three years since I was in school, and am starting to get the urge to take classes again. Probably in GIS (geographic information systems). On the other hand, Rob keeps suggesting that we could write apps for the Hero phone, so a class in the Java computer language may be in my future. However, I won't be able to commit the time to a full college class until after my body is better healed, and I have attained the weight and basic fitness level that I would like to have.
Spirit: My spiritual life has been up and down this year. I studied pranayamas (yogic breathing techniques) last winter, and went through a time when I was keeping a daily pranayama practice. I have had to give up my hatha yoga practice due to my back problems, but I discovered the more gentle practice of qigong instead. There have been times when I have been in too much pain to sit for meditation, but then there's acupuncture, and the nifty feeling of the chi moving during a treatment.
It seems this has been an adaptive year in my spiritual practice and growth. I have had to adapt my practice to fit my current life, and learned new things in the process. I feel I'm setting the stage for a more integrated practice. One thing I want to focus on in the coming year is to better integrate the physical (exercise) and mental (meditation and guided meditation) parts of my practice.
My relationship with Rob continues to be a source of joy and comfort in my life. I am so glad we were able to have the wedding we wanted. My we continue to grow together in friendship, as individuals, and as a couple.
Body: This has undeniably been a challenging year for me, physically. My pain is on the lower end of the scale, and manageable, but I have had to make a lot of changes in the way I order my life in order to keep it that way. I am so very grateful for Rob's help with helping me with the more strenuous parts of daily living: shopping, carrying, lifting, even cooking.
The accident that set me up for this current pain, some 18 years ago, was a head-on collision with a semi that could easily have taken my life. I need to remember, as I continue forward in healing, that I am grateful to be alive to heal.
Mind: It's been three years since I was in school, and am starting to get the urge to take classes again. Probably in GIS (geographic information systems). On the other hand, Rob keeps suggesting that we could write apps for the Hero phone, so a class in the Java computer language may be in my future. However, I won't be able to commit the time to a full college class until after my body is better healed, and I have attained the weight and basic fitness level that I would like to have.
Spirit: My spiritual life has been up and down this year. I studied pranayamas (yogic breathing techniques) last winter, and went through a time when I was keeping a daily pranayama practice. I have had to give up my hatha yoga practice due to my back problems, but I discovered the more gentle practice of qigong instead. There have been times when I have been in too much pain to sit for meditation, but then there's acupuncture, and the nifty feeling of the chi moving during a treatment.
It seems this has been an adaptive year in my spiritual practice and growth. I have had to adapt my practice to fit my current life, and learned new things in the process. I feel I'm setting the stage for a more integrated practice. One thing I want to focus on in the coming year is to better integrate the physical (exercise) and mental (meditation and guided meditation) parts of my practice.
My relationship with Rob continues to be a source of joy and comfort in my life. I am so glad we were able to have the wedding we wanted. My we continue to grow together in friendship, as individuals, and as a couple.