Up and Over

I'm no marathoner. I'm not a flashy yogini. I like to do a lot of things, and I am mostly average or slightly below par in most of them.

I've learned to run. I'm not fast. For me, being able to run 3-5 miles without losing my breath is a BIG deal! I couldn't do that as a teenager. With age, I've learned about pacing. With time, I've learned the value of intentions.

There've been a lot of "I" statements in this post so far. Not all of this is about me. Some of it is about YOU.

You who struggle.

You who have bad days.

You who ask for prayers.

You who keep fighting - though your income has dipped or your relationship falters...

Yep. Some of my running is for you.

Up and over this hill. Not a steep incline. A gradual one. One that on hot or particularly blustery days, can seem endless.

When I know you are struggling, I take you with me.

I call to you, "C'mon! C'mon! Don't you see the top? Let's get it!"

I take the boy who beat cancer and the one who's almost there on every climb. Sometimes, I take the wife of a police officer, or the single mom, or the single dad. Lately I've added the drug addicts and their families. Sometimes I take a whole farm (and all the farms!) with me. Sometimes I take the teachers, the administrators, the aides of special needs kids, the special needs kids, my kids, my family... the dog I saw that came up missing (I sometimes figure my dog, Storm, has that one's back on that particular outing).

There's a whole team at my back and do you know what?

WE make it over this hill EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Believe me. You were there. Did you feel it? I always ask on the way back down. I hope you feel as empowered as I do. You see, I needed you, as much as you needed me.

That's the point.

Ankles, Tendons and Heels, OH MY!

This has not made it into my blog, so could be a long story, but I guess I will just jump right into the middle. Yoga really brought me into a healthier state of being - mentally and physically. Yoga acted as a gateway to wanting to be and feel healthier, happier, fitter, all of the time, in every way.

Indoor yoga made me want to take yoga outdoors. Outdoor yoga made me want to take walks outside… walking led to running. Slow running led to faster running…

Faster running led to re-injuring my ankle, re-igniting plantar fasciitis, and igniting Achilles Tendonitis.

I was yoga-ing less, and feeling the burn much more!

Now, for real, I'm a flexible person. I have had a very hard time with understanding what this pose was actually supposed to do. That's where I was, on the floor, exploring this pose, and asking myself 'what is this pose even about?'
Then….

*POP!*

My toes tingled, something felt different… No Way, right? Not after months of rehab, strength and all of these therapies, right?

Yep. The answer was (and continues to be) Half Happy Baby Pose.
I do this pose daily and sometimes several times a day to keep whatever that-thing-is-in-the-back-of-my-leg where it is supposed to be.
Now, there is still work and healing to be done. My heel still feels bruised sometimes. I have to rest and keep re-aliging with this pose. The thing I have learned, though, is that no matter where my healthy living intentions and habits take me, I cannot ever leave my yoga practice.

Namaste ;-)