Testing our Resilience – Grab Your Yoga Toolbelt
A Special Message from Justine……
On the night of January 31st my 32 year old son had a 3 story fall in Los Angeles at his apartment. When I received the news, we were not sure if Mike was going to make it. In that one moment, my life changed. Drastically.
I was able to get to USC Medical Center to see him. I was able to speak to the Neurology team after they operated on him to relieve pressure on his brain from an epidural hematoma. Thanks to my training, I knew what questions to ask and, gratefully, I understood the answers….and their implications. I was briefed by the ICU Doctor on all of Mike’s injuries….as you might imagine, there were many. I won’t go into all of that now. The reason I am writing this is gratitude – for my education and my years of working with clients and learning so much about the human body….and, not least of all, the human Spirit.
When I embarked on my Yoga Therapy training journey, I never, in a million years, thought it would be to help my son recover from such serious injuries. But, as we know, life prepares us for the unimaginable.
My years of training only started an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Each client, each student, each person I met with an injury or condition thrust me forward in wanting to learn more about how to help them. I studied cranial sacral therapy to deepen my knowledge and better understand the brain and entire nervous system. How lucky am I to have that knowledge?
That is just part of the blessing. You see, we also have the tools of Yoga to help sustain us during difficult times. I remember when I was a brand new Yoga teacher, I had the privilege of hearing Aadil Palkhivala speak at a conference. He shared a story of a traumatic time when he almost lost his wife. I remember him sharing his despair and asking himself, “Where is my practice now, when I need it most?” That always stayed with me. I go to the breath…..even the times it truly felt I couldn’t breathe at all, I just kept trying. When my son couldn’t breathe on his own, I breathed with him, for him. I know to take care of my body. I know to reach out to friends, mentors, students, teachers…..and truly, I have been lifted and held up by my community….their support, their prayers, their hands on my back, their strength when I feel I can’t find my own.
Not long ago, I was questioning if I have resilience. I was unsure how I would cope if faced with great difficulty. Now, I tell you honestly from the depths of my Soul – I am resilient. I have found strength I didn’t know existed….and I don’t feel alone. WE are resilient. And thank God, my son is resilient!
A deep bow of gratitude to everyone for your support, love, prayers and healing energy.
With Love,
Justine
