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Healing, Grounding and Centering


A while ago, I was carrying laundry, in a rush to the basement at about 6 a.m. and missed the second to the bottom step. You can probably imagine what happened next. I came tumbling down, dispersing dirty clothing everywhere. I landed on the top of my foot rather than the sole. Needless to say, I dislocated the ankle and fractured it in two places.

I remember Googling 'fractured ankle', trying to learn how long it would take to heal. The amount of weeks I saw that it would take was awe-inspiring. During that time I spent time in a wheel chair, on crutches, in a motorized cart while shopping and in a boot. I also had surgery, which was scary. For a former dancer and someone who loves yoga, this was a humbling experience.


As you know from reading this blog, I have been going to restorative yoga for healing my body and getting more in touch with it. One class I go to is strictly restorative in the best sense of the word. The other one calls itself restorative but includes standing poses, moderate abdominal exercises and balancing poses such as tree pose.

At first I was pretty pissed off that the teacher was not strictly restorative as advertised. I do believe in fate and suspected that there is a reason I was drawn to her class. After the many months that had elapsed since my ankle fracture, I still didn't have the bravery to stand on that foot alone without the support of my other leg. Tree pose forced me to do this. To accomplish what seemed like a great feat to me, I had to ground, center and focus. In some ways I came out of my body and got more in touch with spirit. Doing that pose, the last time I was in the "restorative yoga" class, was more healing than stretching or resting on bolsters. It renewed my faith in my self and the abilities of my mind and body.


There is something to be said for standing firmly on your own two feet or just one leg, and through it all, holding your space.

Comments

  1. Ouch! This is why I don't think I could have a washer and dryer downstairs. I'd end up doing the exact same thing. My mom fell down the steps while she was pregnant with either me or my sister...the big pile of clothes that she'd been tossing to the bottom of the stairs for a day or two broke her fall...

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    1. Wow! Glad you are okay and that the clothes were able to break your mother's fall. Sometimes housework can come in handy!

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  2. wonderful post .....i admire your positive approach to life Stephanie......

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    1. Thank you very much Athira. Thanks also for coming to my blog!

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  3. Oh my goodness! I hope your ankle is doing better now. I hate the thought of falling down stairs, especially with my back. It would not be pretty! I don't even think I'd be able to stand in the tree pose without teetering over. lol

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    1. Yes Chrys, it is better but has caused me to be permanently kind of crooked--so my yoga instructors have observed. My back hurts a lot from compensating for that ankle which doesn't support me all the well. Still, it could have been much much worse. I might not be here, had I landed on my head. You stay safe with that back!

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  4. Great post Stephanie thank you. You WILL get there re: healed ankle and straightening your spine properly. Keep those hips in alignment as much as possible and if necessary ensure that your foot wear is properly supportive. Do dog and cat poses for strengthening the spine. Good luck! Incidentally, my late mother was a yoga teacher (hatha) - I wrote a post for the 2013 A-Z; Y for yoga - you may care to check it out.
    Garden of Eden Blog

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    1. Susan, yes, I recall your post mentioning you mother was a yoga teacher. I will revisit it. Thank you for your advice! I value what you say.

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  5. Stephanie I hope your foot is better now.I'm told by some yogi friends that if the pain carries on beyond its natural course of recovery, it is some kind of mental stress that you have stored in that injured part of the body...and releasing the mental stress can ease the physical pain too.Don't know how valid the theory is but your post reminded me of it.Take care.

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    1. Vinodini, that makes a lot of sense. I think that's why I blogged about it. To release the mental part of it in some way.

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  6. thank you so much for the quiet sensibility of this post. best wishes, jean

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