Writing Takes Me to My Pathway of Inner Peace -#5

Welcome back to my Healing Motion Blog. If you read last week’s Healing Motion Blog please scroll down to the Chapter 5 excerpt.

If you’re new to my Blog, please enjoy the full page:

I am continuing to enjoy the process of editing each chapter and flashback for my upcoming memoir, Apple In My Truck, A Pathway to Inner Peace.

Erin R Lund of Sunshine Editorial Services is currently hard at work brightening each paragraph. I am grateful to Erin for her professionalism, enthusiasm, and quick wit.

My initial editor was Angie Bihn. She had helped me to unbury my painful past while writing and editing. I have referred to Angie in previous blogs as my personal therapeutic archeologist. I am thankful to have Angie’s brilliance within the pages of Apple In My Truck.

Allow me to briefly explain my history with writing. One afternoon during elementary school recess, in 1978, my teacher kept me confined to the classroom while the other children got to play. Her reasoning was that I needed to learn how to NOT talk during the moment that she was attempting to perform the roll call duties.

My punishment was to stand in front of the chalkboard and write out, ‘I Will Not Talk In Class,’ one-hundred times. So you can imagine that I never really liked writing much when I was younger.

During 1993 through 2011 I worked in the emergency medical and fire service profession while living in Arizona. Patient documentation was a daily requirement. Therefore, while I worked for the fire service, the act of writing was never enjoyable.

However, in 2011, I discovered a Yoga Teacher Training program. It was my yoga teacher trainers who helped me to realize that yoga wasn’t only a physical practice. They’d taught me that yoga is about joining together or ‘yoking’ your mind, body and spirit. I’d learned how to connect to my higher Self mentally, emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Today, I continue to practice the ancient teachings of yoga. Specially the teachings of an ancient sage known as Patanjali. He is famous for his teachings of the Yoga Sutras. The Eight-Limb Path of Yoga is embedded within the Yoga Sutras.

Svadhyaya (self-study, study of the Self, journaling) is the fourth tenant that resides underneath the second-limb or Niyamas, which inspired me to begin journaling or writing.

My yogic path of a daily Sadhana (practice) of the Eight-Limb Path of Yoga continues. I will be a forever student of yoga continually visiting the teachings of Patanjali to learn, explore and reach my own pathway to inner peace.

Below is a short excerpt from Chapter Five, Candle Moth, from Apple In My Truck, A Pathway to Inner Peace.

Chapter 5 Excerpt:

I returned two days later to lead the group of seniors myself, with Merdala participating as a student. As I began, I created a calm environment by relaxing my breathing, hoping they’d all relax theirs as well.

“Welcome. During this class, be sure to move your body in a way that feels good to you. We might not all move the same here, and that’s ok. We are all unique with many different stories of pain, injury, and illness. You may feel one of those stories bubble up when moving your body certain ways. Go slow and be easy on yourself. If a movement I’m demonstrating gives you pain don’t, push past it. Simply back out of the stretch and deepen your breath. With practice you’ll notice when the pain begins to resurface. When that happens, you can try a new approach to pain. Try greeting your pain with a mindful breath. Feel your deep, slow inhale and exhale. If the pain doesn’t subside, you can modify or back out of the stretch.”

One gentleman spoke up. “I have low back, hip, and sciatic pain.” He looked uncomfortable sitting in his chair. I decided to suggest a healthier way for them all to sit, to improve their postural alignment and comfort.

“I am glad you told me that. We will be doing exercises today to help bring a slow, mindful breath to any area that is causing you tension, stress, or pain. If it feels good, sit on the edge of your seat. Breathe deeply into your belly, and relax your facial muscles. Feel your inhale as you roll your shoulders up and back. On the exhale, let out an audible sigh. Notice how your posture feels while sitting. If your shoulders are rolled forward, inhale and bring your shoulder blades together towards your spine, like this.” I demonstrated with my own shoulders. “Simply move in a way that feels good to you.”

Because spinal health is important in order for the nerve impulses to send messages through your entire body, I lead the seniors in a variety of chair stretches, including the heart opener for the front of the body, sitting forward fold for the back of the body, left and right side openers, and seated twists. When we finished, I asked them to stand.

I made eye contact with one of the women. “Tell me what your favorite song is.”

Immediately, she began singing, “Take me out to the ballgame, take me out to the park …” The others joined in with arms and hands swaying; “Buy me some peanuts and cracker jacks, I don’t care if I ever come back, ‘cuz its root, root, root for the home team, if they don’t win it’s a shame, for it’s one, two, three strikes you’re out at the ol’ ball game!” I could tell they had sung this song many times together, and soon learned that these folks loved to sing and dance. So did I.

Another day, I brought a tennis ball to class and played a game with them in which they each got to demonstrate their favorite dance. I began by bouncing the ball on the ground with one hand.

“This activity improves hand-eye coordination. Now, when you bounce the ball yourselves, tell us your name, where you’re from and your favorite food that starts with the same letter as your name.” I gave the example, “A-my name is Alicia, I come from Arizona and I like Apples. Then, show us your favorite dance!”

While they showed me the Twist, the Pony, and the Cha-Cha, they reminded me of the way little children listen to their authentic nature. They weren’t letting anything hold them back. Watching them dance, I could feel myself better tuning into my own intuitive nature.

Over the weeks of leading their class, I sometimes couldn’t believe this group was in their seventies. Some days, they had the spunky energy of twenty-year-olds. Other days, someone might tell me about a new injury or an increase in chronic pain, but dancing and singing usually gave them some relief and lifted their spirits. There’s no mathematical equation to express how I felt witnessing their smiles of joy as they suddenly recognized their own inner strength, even from as simple a move as standing up from their chairs.

____

I hope you enjoyed this short sample of Apple In My Truck, A Pathway to Inner Peace.

Stay tuned, as next week I”ll bring you another brief excerpt from my upcoming memoir.

To learn more about the Eight-Limb Path of Yoga please read my self-published fictional book, dYnO’s DaNcE, On The Eight-Limb Path.

dYnO’s DaNcE, On The Eight-Limb Path, is an imaginative tale liberally sprinkled with Patañjali’s spiritual teachings. This story offers a great pathway for you to connect with your inner child.

Find your copy online at:

https://www.amazon.com/Alicia-J.-Valentyn/e/B086VNZ8ML

Be A Flower,

Share your Beauty.

Namaste.

Alicia

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