weekend – Page 2 – We Only Get One Chance

PRELUDE TO 60 EXTRA HANDS

I am recently reminded in my life about the importance of asking for help and started a blog, “60 EXTRA HANDS”, over a month ago. Now this one is appropriately called “PRELUDE TO 60 EXTRA HANDS” …stay tuned!!

If you have followed my last year of my life, you will be aware of I am currently living in a tiny home waiting for my new home to be built. In this tiny home, I have decided against having any cable TV (no TV in general is how I have lived for years), but because of that coupled with the fact that the internet/cable companies need you to be available on a weekday between 8am-1pm in order to get set up (“ain’t nobody got time for that”), I have never gotten internet here either.

Then a friend of mine presented to me the fact that he lives without wifi, as well as no TV, and I honestly thought to myself “That is even better than just no TV, no wifi either!” I have lived in this tiny home since January and haven’t had much access to computer use. When I am at the office it is just too busy, THANK YOU TO MY INCREDIBLE TEAM!!!, that I don’t get a chance to write there either. So blogging has gone to the wayside.

AND THEN someone said to me “what about making your phone a mobile hotspot?” And that is EXACTLY what I did today and I am so excited it worked!!! I can sit on my couch in my quiet tiny home and start to share my words with you AGAIN and I AM ABSOLUTELY THRILLED IT IS WORKING!!!

So this is a called “PRELUDE TO 60 EXTRA HANDS” and I can tell you this, you won’t want to miss the next blog posts as I have a chance to get back to writing on a regular basis. It is quiet here and peaceful and it is the PERFECT SPACE for blogging. YAY!!!!

“Most of you know that I grew up with 3 brothers. If I could possibly explain to you my childhood in 3 simple words, I would call it “three against one”. Always…and I was on the losing side of that scenario…” stay tuned!!! 🙂

BAREFOOT AND FREE

I had an incredible weekend! It was just about as much fun as one could possibly pack into the minutes of one single weekend and a good portion of it I spent at the Barefoot and Free Yoga Festival.

We live, work and play among some real superheros and it is hard to know who those superheros are until something like this weekend is pulled together through the vision of one woman. Of course, there will always be so many people behind the scenes that do not get enough recognition, however, it takes one person to have the vision to start with…and that person is the one who ultimately takes the initial step forward.

Proud Lake Recreation Area is a super amazing place just south of Milford, Michigan. I had never been there before and although I had signed up for the yoga festival just because of the idea of it…quite frankly I had no idea what I was getting into.

I pulled in, parked my car and took a walk to the festival site. It was an absolutely ideal location allowing for yoga classes to be held in a few different areas on the grounds. There were vendors, big tents that would hold yoga classes, a bunkhouse for those that wanted to stay, areas for tents, food vendors and so much amazing positive energy, it could not have been in a more perfect place!

Us yoga peeps, even though we are supposed to be super flexible (not only in class but in life in general), sometimes get stuck with wanting to only take our “favorite” instructor(s) and become actually quite rigid with our regular yoga routine. For me, my time is precious and I am always wanting to maximize my time spent in any yoga class and so I have my favorites and stick with them.

The great thing about the festival setting is that there are options and you are exposed to some other really

exceptional instructors…and because this festival was so close to home, those instructors are easily accessible to me, well if you consider “easy” to be within about 45 minutes.

When I am at my usual yoga class(es) during the week, I am usually running in there last minute and heading out immediately following closing postures. Life is busy, busy, busy! The flow of this festival and the timing of classes

gave us some real time to spend with these like-minded people. There were a few people I see regularly at class but I actually had some time to ask them about themselves and their lives outside of the studio. We shared time, space, laughter and snacks together. We had time for conversation between sweating our behinds off. We had a few moments to jump in the river together. I have stronger, tighter connections because of the weekend.

And then I should mention what it means to the body and mind to do that much yoga in a condensed timeframe. I took six, 75 minute vinyasa classes in 90-100 degree temperatures. I took an inversion workshop, a slow burn class and attended a lecture. This all happened in a matter of 48 hours starting at 7pm on Friday and finishing Sunday at the same time. That much yoga for me would usually be over a 2 week period and so putting myself into that many different postures, that much intensity, that much breath work, that much laughing and that much dancing, shifts a person at their core. Barefoot and Free has such

divine timing as I am in one of the most stressful weeks of my life in a long time. In the midst of playing a mean hand of “52 Pick-Up” with my life, I find peace. Peace is my center and I am craving more time on my mat like I have never felt before, such a strong draw for that level of intense movement and shifting.

I have shared about my experience over the past day and so many have asked “How do I get involved?” “How did you find out about that?” and “When is the next one?” I can say this for certain, DO NOT MISS next year! It is a simple 30 minutes from my home and if you are around the southeast Michigan area, probably within an hour from yours too…very central location to many.

I seriously had no idea what I was getting into. This is yet another time that I simply said YES and made it happen. Leading into the weekend I was asked, “Are you meeting a bunch of friends there at the festival? Do you know many people going?” No I did not know many people going, but I knew by the time I left, with the nature of yoga and the woods and the connection with Mother Earth, I would have new friends by Sunday. Plus I am not sure I love anything more than being BAREFOOT AND FREE!!!!!

Thank you to that teeny tiny superhero, Beth James, for creating a place for all of us to play…and be barefoot…and FREE!!!

I’M CONFUSED

A few weeks ago I was at a seminar in Toronto and there was a sign on the bathroom door of the convention center and I thought to myself “I’m confused.”

This is what the sign looked like.

Most of you know that I do not have a TV at home and mostly listen to music and read on my downtime. Because of that, I generally get most of my news from Facebook and all the hype about Target and their bathroom policy had many up in arms.

For a day and a half during the weekend, I walked by this bathroom in search of a “women’s” bathroom and all the while was wondering what it would be like to go into a bathroom that was marked as above.

Would there be urinals in there?

Would guys be required to go to the bathroom inside of a stall?

Will I be walking in on someone or something that I do not want to see?

So I passed by this bathroom option all weekend and pondered it over and over…what is going on behind that door? This is Canada after all and maybe they just do things differently here.

As I watched that particular bathroom door all weekend, I did notice that perfectly normal, and un-traumatized women were walking into and out from that door. Men too!

And then on Sunday afternoon I decided I would take a chance and head through that door.

Once I got to the other side of the door I started laughing. There was a set of stairs that went up with a sign for men’s bathroom and another set of stairs that we down for the women’s bathroom. The women’s bathrooms down that set of stairs had zero lines. The other set of women’s (marked as women only) bathrooms had long lines every single time, as many women’s bathrooms do in this life.

Once I crossed through that door and started laughing, I thought what a great metaphor for life: things are not always what they appear and are usually less scary than we think if we have the courage to cross the threshold.

As a culture, we really need to start paying a little closer attention to the sensationalism that is the news, and even the news on Facebook. We need to be conscious of all the things that slip by our filters and get lodged into our minds and beings. I am not exposed to news a whole lot, however even that whole Target thing, and I am sure that is not the only thing, got planted in my own mind without me even aware of what was happening.

Our subconscious runs most of our days for us without us even paying that close of attention. We need to guard ourselves from a lot of what the media is promoting and learn to originate our own ideas, decision, perceptions and actions.

“I’m confused” may be a theme when moving through the next door that is marked in an unfamiliar way. But I know and trust to drop my guard sooner and venture in just to see what is on the other side. Maybe you will want to try that too!!!

I SAID YES

Quite often I receive emails that sound like this “I see you are on an adventure out on a boat in the Lake Michigan. How did you get involved in that?” My simple answer, “I said yes.”

When I get invited somewhere, I figure out if it is at all possible to say yes and if it is, I do.

When I was 10 years old, I said yes and was given my first horse.

I said yes and ended up moving across the country for school when I was 19 years old.

I said yes and moved up to Anchorage, Alaska for an awesome 3 year adventure.

I said yes (to myself and my abilities) and opened my own chiropractic practice Cafe of LIFE that thrives still today.

I have said yes and ended up away from my family for the holidays but with great friends and that has led to some awesome trips over the years.

I said yes and purchased a condo, a building and a home.

I said yes and have a second business that has been running and successful for years.

I have said yes and got on planes to not one, but 5 different first dates over the years.

I said yes and ended up in some really incredible relationships (though none have gone the distance…just yet anyway).

I said yes and found myself jumping out of a plane.

I said yes and signed up for and ran the Chicago Marathon.

I said yes and ended up having some of the greatest times of my life.

And just last weekend I said yes and ended up on a boat along the shore of Chicago to watch the America’s Cup Qualifying Race.

I am sharing all of this because as I am sitting on a boat in the water and under the sunshine and with a beautiful view of the city of Chicago last weekend, I was so grateful. I have had many experiences and in that moment, I am proud of myself for having the courage to just say yes and get out there and live life.

In the past, I have also gotten email messages inquiring whether I had some sort of terminal diagnosis and why I was making so many different things happen all the time? “The tragedy in life is not death…but what we let die inside while we live.”

Brush fear aside, step up and have the courage to say YES to your life! I promise you will find great adventures along the way and open up to really living!!!!

Next time I see you, I want to hear from you that “I said yes and…” and then tell me all about your adventure.

THIS IS WHAT I SEE

So this is what I see…

Many people left the state for spring break. Many people went down south to the sun, sand and beaches and had a blast. All the stresses of ordinary life fall away while out of their normal environment.

I have seen many of these people back in my office, Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic, this week. They say things like: “My low back pain was fine while I was gone but just a couple days before returning home, it started to flare up again.” “I did a 28 hour drive to Florida and back and I was fine, but now that I am back that sciatic pain is back.” “We had a great time, we were swimming and walking on the beach and my shoulder really relaxed. Now that I am home and running around all over for normal life, that shoulder is driving me crazy.”

One of the reasons we LOVE vacation is because we get a break from the grind of the day to day, we get to let go and maybe smile a little bit more, connect with the people that are important and fill our days with conversation and laughter. We become light and live that light and actually enjoy the lightness of being.

I want to know who made the rule that regular life cannot be like that. I have a bone to pick with whomever said we cannot enjoy the lightness of our being while running kids around, taking care of our homes, going to work and whomever is spreading the idea that we shouldn’t smile through the good, bad and the ugly during the mundane-ness of life?

We can…and we should.

If life becomes that enjoyable while we are away from it all, maybe we could be doing a little better job at enjoying it while we are in the thick of it.

I have used this phrase quite a bit over the past week or so…”Life just really isn’t that serious.”

I really mean it when I say that but I don’t mean that it is all rainbows and butterflies either. It just means that your rate of making it through your days so far is 100% and, until you are at the end, I bet that rate stays right up there at 100%;) If you ask me, we are all doing a heck of a good job and that is pretty freaking amazing!!

So let’s think about it. We get up in the morning and of course that part is really important. But what happens if you burn breakfast, run out of eggs and spill your bowl of fruit right down the front of your favorite white shirt as soon as you leave the house. I bet you will find something else for breakfast and make a joke of your outfit to those who ask and go on with your day. I bet you will gracefully figure out all parts of your day and in the end make it out with flying colors!

There can be trauma and drama along the way and I am in no way trying to minimize that, some really bad stuff happens to good people. However when we take a look at the bigger picture, most of it isn’t that big of a deal and isn’t worth much additional energy.

And during the days that we do not get to spend on the sandy beaches in the sunshine, what about creating that feeling of being on sandy beaches and out in the sunshine? I do not mean by creating a literal beach in your life, I mean by finding things to regularly do that bring you to the feelings you feel when you are there, things that make you feel more connected to nature and the Universe, things that connect you more to your community and activities and people that bring you joy.

What about finding more laughter, even if it means taking on a joke-telling hobby? What if you woke up tomorrow and you set an intention of finding out what everyone’s favorite joke is? What if you started just telling the joke “why did the chicken cross the road?” Making other people laugh, will make you laugh. That is just one idea of how to lighten the day. One lighter day leads to 2 lighter days which leads to weeks and months and years of a lighter life.

When life is light, the contrast of vacation will not be quite as much and the settling in of daily life will take on an easier and more graceful feeling. A lighter life leads to a healthier mind, less stress, more joy and in the long run, greater health!!!

As a chiropractor, I see all kinds of ailments, aches and pains and usually they are stemmed from something happening somewhere along the lines in life; physical stresses, mental/emotional stresses and chemical stresses. When we realize that the low back tension, the sciatic pain and the shoulder pain and stiffness are, not always but largely, exacerbated from the heaviness of our thoughts and stress and the anticipation of our normal life, we can really start to let some of the stuff go. Monday will be Monday. Tuesday will be Tuesday. Wednesday will be Wednesday…and so on. They have no real meaning until we place a meaning on them. If we wish them all away in hopes the weekend will get here sooner or vacation will get her sooner, or summer break will get here sooner…WE ARE MISSING OUT ON LIFE!!!

Let’s lighten the days. It starts in our minds and in our hearts. Let go of the pattern of dreading the mundane, that has become a bad habit. Let go and laugh more with your children, cut some slack to the car that just cut you off in traffic and be grateful for every single sunrise and every single sunset you get to experience.

Life is really not all that serious…this is what I see.

I AM NOT CRAZY

I know what you are thinking, “what is she up to now?!?!” I have to write this post and just globally announce that I AM NOT CRAZY!!!!

I am selling my house. Yes, I have been so grateful and blessed to call a cozy place on a beautiful lake south of town “home” for the past 3.5 years. SO. VERY. VERY. VERY. GRATEFUL.

As I was headed out the door for a run 3.5 years ago, my mom called me to ask if I would ever consider living on the lake (they live on the other side of said lake). The very first thing that came out of my mouth is “that would be great if I had somebody to do that with.”

I pondered that thought for my entire run and it became very apparent that very thought was an incredibly limited belief about myself and my situation. I called her right back and said “YES!!!”…and the rest is history. Fenton Chiropractor Lake 2

So fast forward 3.5 years later, with a for sale sign out in front of my house, and everyone is calling me CRAZY!!! “You have got to be CRAZY to move off the lake!” “Are you nuts, you live in a beautiful home!” “I heard a rumor your home is for sale, are you out of your mind?”

All of you know that owning a home is a lot of work. Adding the word “lake” in front of that word “home”, adds a lot more work on top of that. I am not one to shy away from work and I have a lot of maintenance things hired out to keep my life simpler.

My biggest challenge is that everything on the lake weights 60-80lbs or more and there are so many routine things that I cannot do at all because things are so CRAZY heavy. I am just one single gal and I truly have to call people over to help me on so many occasions.

Everyone will say “Oh, but that is simple for you…you have 3 brothers to help you with all that stuff.” Well there is some truth to that and they step up every single time they can, however, they have their own lives and families and it is tough sometimes to coordinate schedules to make things happen.

I absolutely love the lake I am on and I practically grew up here though we didn’t have a house right on the water. However, like I mentioned above, my Mom and step-dad are on the other side of the lake and in the summer, my brothers and their families hang out there almost every weekend. Therefore, I am rarely at my house at all. I would much prefer being with everyone else and playing with the kids as they learn about their world, about the water and how to swim. We spend hours and hours chatting, playing, listening to music and the squeals of the children, and making and sharing food together. That is what I want to spend my time doing and the greatest part of this is that I do not have to give any of that up. My family will live in the house they are in for many, many, many more years to come.

I have a beautiful pontoon boat that I keep at my house. It is a running joke on the lake, and some think I AM CRAZY that it never leaves my dock. I took it out a total of 3 times last summer and 4 the summer before that. If my family is out on my parents boat, why would I undo my boat and be separated from them? Trust me, I AM NOT CRAZY!

I have a family home and I do not have a family. I AM NOT CRAZY for making this decision, I am just one single gal and that is too much house for me anymore.

It is true that I will miss my view and my garage. I am down-sizing and moving into town really close to my practice. I AM NOT CRAZY, I have plans to eventually live on another lake down the road sometime. For now, this is the next right move for me. Fenton Chiropractor Lake

It seems backwards and so strange when I tell others of this move. I always feel like I have to justify the fact that I AM NOT CRAZY and then I go into my long list of reasons that I am choosing what I am.

I will absolutely miss this house. If you know me at all, you know I have put some blood, sweat and tears into creating a home here. Homes that are loved show you they are loved, that is apparent to anyone who walks in my front door.

I remember moving out of my last chiropractic office location and into the location where the Cafe of LIFE Chiropractic lives today. When I left that location, it had been a chiropractic office spot for over 50 years. I didn’t buy the office from someone, it just so happened they were moving their practice out when I was moving my practice in. When the final day came in that space, it was incredibly emotional for me. It just so happened to be the spot my brothers and I would go to see our chiropractor while growing up. As a child I ran through those halls I was now serving in. I also knew that we would be able to offer such a superior experience with so much more space and a better fit in our new building and that is exactly what has happened.

This feels a lot like that move. It will probably be even more emotional because it has been a sanctuary for me, a refuge at the end of my day and a nest to settle into at night.

In retrospect, maybe it would have been great if I had somebody to live in this lake house with Maybe that would have made it simpler and easier, or at least I could have had built-in help for carrying heavy things. (On a side note, I would allow all of you to call me CRAZY if I married someone just so I would have help carrying things). But I also know and fully trust that it is the next right move for me and it is going to lighten the load, free up my time and allow life to be so much fuller and richer in my new spot, right in town, right by my practice. That will become my sanctuary, refuge and nest to settle into at night.

Ultimately I did choose to live here and though the seed was planted by someone else, I let it grow and become my current reality, which truly is beautiful and I am so blessed.

I also have found that when life gets a little uncomfortable, that is when the magic really happens.

Yes, I am in tears, this is incredibly uncomfortable. It is so much simpler to stay in a place than to move It is so much more comfortable to not make waves and shake up my life and have to pack everything up and unpack a home of boxes on the other end. But I hope you can hear in my words that I am stunted here in this most beautiful place I call home right now and it would serve me better to let go and move forward. It is also well thought-out and I rest peaceful knowing that, though it looks like a strange move from the outside, I AM NOT CRAZY!!!! Rather, I am just doing my best to live my fullest life possible and I HOPE YOU ARE TOO!!!! …and as a side note, there is a really great, very loved home for sale on Runyan Lake if you are in the market.

2.5 YEARS

Some friendships bridge all concepts of time and space. I am sure you have someone like that in your life. It has been close to 2.5 years since I have seen one of my greatest friends, Lana. Time never seems to matter with us.

In June, we spent a beautiful long weekend in the Dominican Republic at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (if you happen to be heading that way, I highly recommend this spot).

The resort was amazing, the food was wonderful and, of course, the company I was with was the best part.

Life has twists and turns and many ups and downs. Sometimes managing our own lives at home can be enough, much less trying to stay closely connected with friends that are 3 time zones away. Lana and I do not get to actually talk much, but we hang with each other in spirit all the time.

We had 4 solid days of uninterrupted “girl time”; no homes to take care of, no kids to tend to, no practices to worry about…just time together. Absolutely priceless.

We talked about life and practice and family and challenges and books and nutrition and growth and men and helping others and health and workouts and friends and clothes and love and adventures and…and…and…

We had some great meals together. We had a 2 hour walk on the beach. We had some serious laughs. We had a blast. When Lana and I met, we knew we were kindred souls. As time has gone by, it is apparent we have always been connected in some form. We think alike, ride the same wavelength and our lives have run parallel learning a lot of the same lessons at the same times.

Its friends like Lana (and there are a few others I connect with at this level, you know who you are) that make this life so much sweeter.

Did I mention that she earned this trip and had an extra spot for me to just go along for the ride? What a gift. Truly a gift and when I look at the generosity of a friend like that, I am grateful to tears.

I am hoping that our next time together isn’t 2.5 years from now, I am pretty confident it will be sooner than that. Though she lives in wine country in Northern California, I feel her support by my side on a daily basis. Thank you my dear friend. Thank you.

FOLLOWING MY BLISS

I am a rule-follower. I was born that way. I have always had a keen sense of what was right and wrong and always chose the former. Over the years I have also learned that some really great experiences come from following my bliss.

I had an incredible day this past Sunday. The best part was riding bikes in downtown Detroit. I have grown to really love that city. It has come a long way and still has a long way to go, but if you haven’t been down there lately, make it a point to spend an afternoon right downtown.

As my friend and I were riding bikes, there was this constant “hum” in the background of the city. After a bit, we realized it was coming from the Chevrolet Grand Prix that was happening on Belle Isle that day. Curiosity was piqued and we headed that direction.

Fenton Chiropractor Grand Prix

Mobs of people, buses and police cars clogged up the streets on Belle Isle and so it was perfect to be riding a pedal bike and we gained quick access to the area.

I have never understood the draw to auto racing. It always just seemed like cars endlessly going around in circles. I began to slightly understand it when I first started checking and adjusting some race car drivers in my chiropractic office, Cafe of LIFE. The intense stress their bodies are in during those races, for an extended period of time, in that position…I am not sure you can compare it to any other sport. Chiropractic care has helped these gentleman as they chase their passion of going faster than the rest.

As I approached the track, I could tell that without having a ticket, we were going to have limited viewing capability. We pulled our bikes into a parking lot and I began scanning the area for the best spot. As I got closer and closer to the track, it was absolutely amazing how fast these cars were going. I have never seen anything like it. And then to think there are guys in those cars, making split second decisions for hours at a time…it truly was incredible.

I found a small utility pole that was close to the fence and was the perfect size for 2 size 8.5 feet to stand on comfortably. It was about 2.5 feet off the ground so it gave me clear view of the track and was about 20 feet away from where the cars were driving. I had a really great view.

My “rule-following” mind said, that is not an okay thing to stand on…who knows what it actually is…it could break…I am sure someone will tell me to get down.

But I got up there anyway and, with my fingers in my ears to block out some of the intense noise, I stood and enjoyed a bit of the Grand Prix race.

Down the way I could see an ATV with some policemen heading my direction. I was pretty convinced they were coming over to tell me to get down. As I watched them approach, I was thinking that if I don’t actually make eye contact with them, they may just pass me by.

Fenton Chiropractor Grand Prix 1

I could feel them approach. I pretended they weren’t there. I could sense them bring their vehicle to a stop and I acted as though I had no idea and because my fingers were in my ears, I could also pretend that I couldn’t hear whatever requests they were giving me. I was enjoying the race from my perch and I really didn’t want to get down.

It got to a point when I could no longer ignore them sitting there behind me. I had to turn around as I was approaching the amount of time that “ignorance” turns to just plain “rudeness” by not acknowledging them. I knew my fun was over.

I turned around and smiled at the officers and to my surprise…they were trying to get my attention to be able to hand me a SET OF EARPLUGS!!!!I

I was shocked and so thankful. And then I started laughing at myself and my internal dialogue that led up to that moment. I know better than to make assumptions. I was creating anxiety inside of myself because of that assumption, which also led to beliefs that were not true.

Now…by no means am I encouraging you to participate in delinquent behavior, stand on utility poles or disobey any rules. I do want to encourage you to attend the Grand Prix the “right” way and purchase a ticket. Above all that, I want to encourage you to follow your bliss. Have more fun with your day to day stuff and seek out adventures.

As I look back, I consider that day one of my most favorite days of this year so far. It wasn’t filled with exciting things, it was just a day of hanging with a friend, riding bikes, no obligations and chance to go on an adventure following my bliss.

I PLANNED ON HEALING

I am calling my newest snowboard trick “double back-flip to face plant”. Sounds a little like something that Shaun White would do in the Olympic Men’s Half-Pipe competition, however probably without the “face plant” part of it. Actually it is not a trick at all…and don’t worry, all along I planned on healing.

It was the second run of the day at Georgian Peaks, a private ski club in Northern Ontario. I drove over and met a friend there and we hit the slopes for the weekend. It has been a while since I have actually snowboarded with skiers, I usually snowboard with other snowboarders, and we definitely attack the slopes a little differently.

I have said over the years that snowboarding is meditative for me, and is one of the reasons I love it so much. You have to be 100% present-time consciousness otherwise you will find yourself in trouble in a hurry. This time maybe, just maybe I was a little bit distracted. Maybe.

Fenton Chiropractor Georgian Peaks

I was cruising along to keep up with the two-planker, and I caught my back edge on some ice. I am not exactly sure what happened from there. I know I hit my head twice (thank goodness for helmets, do yourself a favor and do not go out there without one) so I am convinced I flipped twice. I also know how I landed, so the face plant definitely happened. No one was there to witness it but I am positive 5’10” red jacket and loud plaid pants flipping down the hill was quite a show.

When I gathered my thoughts and got back up on my feet, I became acutely aware that I had jarred my right ankle and knee. I am not sure what movie this line comes from, but my mind went right to “That’s gonna leave a mark.”

When injuries occur, I go into a mode that I like to call “let me just pretend that didn’t happen”. “Where thoughts go, energy flows and manifests in physical form.” Over the years it has served me to distract my mind from what just happened, and it usually leads to quick healing.

I snowboarded the rest of the day and met up with some of my friend’s friends at the lodge afterwards.

I noticed that my ankle was a little bit uncomfortable when we were sitting and chatting with friends. After a half hour went by, it became impossible to ignore. Another half hour and the pain is nearing a 7 out of 10. By the end of 2 hours of chit chat, I was in so much pain, I was nauseous. Even through all that, in my mind I was still planning on healing.

Our original plans to head out for dinner and drinks changed in a hurry as my body required that I succumb to RICE mode: Rest, Ice, Elevation, Compression. The friend I was traveling with is a Naturopathic Doctor and we were able to add some homeopathic remedies and do some manipulation of the ankle joint to add to the RICE efforts.

After a few hours, it became apparent that I was probably not going to be able to walk the next day, much less spend any time on my snowboard. As the evening progressed, it was increasingly difficult to ignore what was happening with my body, however I still planned on healing and the RICE efforts continued well into the night.

The real test came the following morning, when I took my first step on to the floor from the bed.

I have to admit, I was groggy, needed to use the restroom and my mind wasn’t focused on our evening spent in RICE mode when I took my first steps.

Half way to the restroom, it dawned on me that I was not only able to walk normally on that foot, it also felt 90% better. Good thing I planned on healing all along.

The next question was “do I dare snowboard today or just spend my time resting?”

If you know me at all, you know the answer to that one is always, “Let me just give it a try and see what happens.” And so I did. But remember, my mindset was always that I planned on healing.

Turns out I was able to comfortably ride harder that day than I did the day before. It felt good to be out there in my happy place strapped to my board. I also know when one experiences joy and happiness, healing energy is turned up a notch as well.

I was happy. I planned on healing all along and my body did exactly that.

We were both astonished at the fact that I felt as good as I did the very next day. We both witness incredible healing on a regular basis in our different professions, however we were still amazed by how quickly this process happened for me.

When situations like this come up in my life, it just leads to the building of a stronger and stronger faith in the body’s innate recuperative powers and it’s incredible ability to heal. We, as a society, have not given it enough credit for what it can do.

It is important to listen to the body’s warning signals and stop when it says stop. We also need to be living a healthy lifestyle so the body has the building blocks it needs to heal, grow and repair. But one of the most important factors is plan on healing.

In retrospect, I know that my mindset of “I planned on healing” took my healing energy up a level. I am not at all recommending that you test the limits of your body, but when you do happen to get injured…do yourself a favor and plan on healing. I guarantee you will be astonished at how quickly your body follows those orders.

A GREAT WEEKEND

It was a GREAT weekend, I mean really great. It was the most perfectly balanced weekend that I can remember in a long time. It started with a coaching meeting and getting my hair done on Friday morning. The evening marked the last class of Yoga Teacher Training with concluded with 108 sun salutations to a live bongo band. Awesome! And maybe you are not familiar with what a sun salutation is so let me breifly describe it. It follows the length of about 5-6 breaths and includes 11 postures, standing, forward fold, top of a plank then bottom, up dog, down dog and back to the top of the mat. Multiply that by 108 = A LOT of work. Good work though. Saturday morning began with the Le Leche League doing their cloth diaper sale in the front yard of the Cafe of LIFE. It was great because I came and helped set up and didn’t have to stay and work. So I chose to head up north. There is a bike ride called Zoo-De-Mack(http://www.zoo-de-mack.com/) that happens once a year and I have gone up and participated for 7 years. This year I didn’t get to do the ride but I went up for the celebration anyways. Mackinaw Island is such a cool place. There is so much to do and see there, I really enjoy it. The evening was filled with friends and dancing and everyone was in such great spirits. I woke early on Sunday and made it home to finish the weekend hanging out with my family and having dinner on the lake.

This is the frist weekend where I actually felt like I was able to catch up with myself. Seems life is so full anymore that I feel I fall behind a little with myself. Great to relax and have some fun and catch up. This morning I woke up loving the fact that it is Monday. Monday mornings are so full of potential. Some people really dread Mondays however I feel like there are so many possibilities for the week when I am staring at the ceiling waking up on Monday mornings. In that same moment, I am so grateful that I play a part in choosing to make the week a good one or not. It was a great weekend. May as well do our best to make all of our weeks great…we only get one chance.