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Yoga Heals Us News June 2012
Thought for the Day

The Summer Day

Mary Oliver

Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
 
----
 
I love this poem and just about anything written by Mary Oliver.  And you have seen this one once or twice before in one of these newsletters.  The 5 kleshas in Patanjali Yoga sutras discusses the causes of disease also known as the 5 obstacles. 
 
The first klesha, avidya, discusses the fundamental issue which is we forget that our essential nature is spirit.  In the forgetting, we strive to feel whole again, through faulty methods.  First, asmita.  We put undue trust in the personality, rather than spirit.  In doing this, we encounter raga and dvesha - we cling to things that we think will make us feel better (even if they don't) and we avoid things that we think will hurt us (even if they don't).  This cycle of grasping and avoidance is where the real suffering is. 
 
And it ultimately becomes fueled by abinivesha, fear of death, which I have always thought of as fear of change, the death of what we know and what feels familiar, even if staying the course causes us to suffer.  My father used to say the the devil you know is better than the one you don't.  How many times do we cling to the one we know even when we know it causes us harm?  How many times do we stay with the safe course, even as it tears us down, little by little?  And how many times is the devil we know and the devil we fear our own deep seated habits and ways of thinking, our samskaras?  It takes courage to face our fears and live our own truth.
 
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?
Message from Karen
Dear friends,
 
I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generous emails, cards, offerings of reiki, books, cds and food for my healing, and most of all - your love and support. I can't tell you how wonderful I feel when I read your messages and picture your faces and loving energy. Please know that as much as I value your messages to me, I regret that I can not respond to each of you individually. As part of my self care, I have minimized my time on the computer to once or twice a week. I read your messages on my cell phone and the keyboard is not conducive to thoughtful responses. Please know that I read your emails and cards more than once and I always feel lifted up by your love and concern.
 
I want to give a special shout out to the Ledyard Senior yoga class for preparing meals for me and my husband.  I know that times like this bring out the urge to do something tangible and we are very grateful, especially since dinners are a challenge.  And I am grateful that the meals are being spread out so that we aren't inundated (my freezer is already full from my mother!) and yet we have healthy and nutritious meals at the end of the day.  Please, please, please don't feel that you need to do anything more than send your healing energy our way.  We are in the middle of a huge life transition and it's all going to be for the good.  I really believe that.
 
Now let me update you on my health status. On Friday, April 13th (I know!) I had abdominal surgery for fallopian tube cancer (a subset of ovarian cancer.) In the weeks following, I had some challenges and discomfort as a result. I'm happy to say that most all of the discomfort is gone. Soon I'll be working on strengthening my abdominals so that my back muscles can take a break. I've lost some weight and many of my muscles are deconditioned. In the weeks following the surgery, I found that I had very little energy. I got winded easily and spent a lot of time napping. Last Monday, I called my doctor to find out how long this shortness of breath was going to last. I thought that the reason I got winded so easily was related to the surgery. Well, a trip to the emergency room (yes, that's what happens when you say you have shortness of breath) turned into a 3 day stay to have fluid removed from my pleural cavities. A whole liter of fluid from the left side and almost a liter from the right side! Let me tell you, it was worth the effort. Every day I feel better. Finally, I can breathe – deeply. And I can eat again because the pressure is off my stomach.
 
On May 10th I started chemo which I get every week for 18 weeks. I get 4 meds on week one, then one on weeks 2 and 3, then start with week one again. The first week one was pretty awful but I was still recovering from surgery and I did have all the fluid in my chest. I am hoping that this week one will be better.
 
Something interesting happened today. My blood pressure has been up for weeks. I wonder why! And one of the drugs is known to elevate blood pressure. I was supposed to start that drug today but not if my blood pressure was up – which is was. My husband reminded me to listen to my iPod and meditate. I listened to one of Sudhir Jonathan Foust's podcast meditations that was a very simple body scan. Ten minutes later my blood pressure was 122/72! The lowest in weeks of testing. I listened to some of Sudhir's dharma talks while I was getting the chemo and before I left my blood pressure was 122/69!!! Even though I know these things, even I need to remember to practice.
 
Now an update on Karen's move to Tennessee – we are not moving! At least not to Tennessee, at least not for a few years. My treatment is at Providence Women and Infants. They are the experts in women's health and I have a great team of healers surrounding me.
 
One of the things that I didn't talk about in my last email was that the day I went to the emergency room and was subsequently diagnosed with cancer was also the day that we signed papers to sell our house. We listed our house on March 31st and by April 6th we had 2 offers (imagine in this economy - and we got asking price!)  We chose one. Great news except that where are we going to live, right? After much searching, mostly by my husband, we found a cute little house in Mystic, CT that meets all of our downsized needs. We are closing on both houses the same day – July 2nd. The house is half the size of our current house. It offers a few projects for my husband, who is retiring in a few weeks. Instead of moving to Tennessee to build our new life together, we'll be doing it right here where we are surrounded by friends, family and deep roots. I couldn't be happier. We have a plan to move out of our current house over the course of 2 weeks. I will be doing very little. Luckily, in preparation for selling this house we got rid of a lot of things, decluttered and packed up a lot. However, if any of you are interested in helping me pack up the kitchen, dining room, etc. let me know. I can use some help for a few hours and a few boxes at a time.
 
I plan to teach classes this summer, especially the gentler classes. Just this week, I taught 2 of the kids classes at the Lighthouse. I found that I was a little tired on the first day. On the second day I had a lot more energy and it felt great to be back. The kids are wonderful (I always call them kids but they are really 18+). Next week I'll be teaching 2 chair classes in addition to the kids classes. And I may stop into other classes just to say hi. Don't worry, I am pacing myself! I really am feeling better every day.  And I have some wonderful friends who may occasionally sub if my energy is low.
 
Wishing you a wonderful day.  Peace and love always, Karen
Summer Class Schedule
Ledyard Parks and Recreation, begins June 19th and 20th
Tuesdays, 11 - 12 p.m., Yoga Basics Gales Ferry Community Center
Wednesdays, 5 - 6:15 p.m., Gentle Yoga, Ledyard Senior Center
Wednesdays, 6:45 - 8 p.m., Moderate Yoga, Ledyard Senior Center
register at www.ledyardrec.org
 
Montville Senior Center, begins July 3rd
Tuesdays, 9:15 - 10:15 a.m., Chair Yoga
ongoing, open to residents and non-residents
 
St. James Church, begins July 3rd
Tuesdays, 5 - 6:15 p.m., Gentle Yoga
register with karen@yogahealsus.com
 
Ledyard Senior Center, begins July 9th
Mondays, 9 - 10 a.m.
register with Ledyard Senior Center
 
Independence Physical Therapy, begins July 9th
Mondays, 11 - 12:15 p.m., Adaptive Yoga for MS
register with karen@yogahealsus.com
Private Lessons and Personal Coaching
  • I will resume offering private lessons in July. 
    • at your place or mine.
  • Lessons can include
    • health focus, restorative, yoga nidra, pranayama, and yogic lifestyle. 
  • Coaching can include
    • health focus, lifestyle transitions, living with chronic health conditions, business coaching for yoga, welllness, and lifestyle entrepreneurs.
 
Given my own health challenges with multiple sclerosis, and now cancer, my work will lean toward the therapeutic application of yoga.  There are other area yoga teachers who focus on asana and personal training.  I will be happy to refer you if you are seeking to strengthen your asana practice.  If you are seeking healing through a deeper spiritual connection and gentle approach, I will be happy to be your yogic guide.
Workshops for Yoga Teachers
Teaching Adaptive Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis (TAYMS) YTT
Swansea, Massachusetts
Rescheduled to September 9 - 15, 2012
Details at this link.  Save the date!
This program is an IYT approved one week specialization program that counts toward the PYT 500 hour certification.
 
Teaching Adaptive Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis (TAYMS)
Postponed.  I hope to reschedule for this fall or June 2013.  Details soon.  Please let me know if you are interested.
Hosted by the Indiana State Chapter of the NMSS
 
Teaching Adaptive Yoga for Multiple Sclerosis (TAYMS) YTT
Austin, Texas
October 16 - 21, 2012
Details at this link.  Save the date!
This program is an IYT approved one week specialization program that counts toward the PYT 500 hour certification.
Jon DeKadt coming to New London County
Saturday, June 9th at Centerspace, Bozrah
Don't miss this.  Jon is wonderful!  Details here.
Contact
Karen O'Donnell Clarke
karen@yogahealsus.com
www.yogahealsus.com
Yoga Heals Us LLC • 129 Rose Hill Road • Ledyard • CT • 06339
http://www.yogahealsus.com
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