Flu-Asana

It's happened again—I've been reminded of the wonders of yoga! Earlier in the week I came down with some sort of stomach bug. It really knocked me for a loop.  Other than dealing with the gastric distress in various ways, my body mostly wanted to sleep. And I did. A lot. For two days. Happily, things started to return to normal and I had the energy to practice and teach on Thursday. And boy, did it feel good. As I've mentioned many times, illness or injury in yoga, obviously bad things, can be transformed through the practice. The ailment itself can make us remember how amazing our bodies are when they are working normally (and how often we take that baseline functioning for granted). Dealing with the injury or illness can also teach us how to be gentle and patient with ourselves, admit our limitations, "back away to go deeper," as I like to say. And it's in that way that our yoga practice can become a part of our recovery. Finally, once our health has been restored, coming back to the mat can feel like a revelation, can remind us of the beginner's mind that should always be a part of our practice.