For Everything There is a Season

"In order to write about life, first you must live it." ~ Ernest Hemingway

Category: yoga (Page 1 of 2)

Chronic Illness and Fear

February 11, 2017 / / 6 Comments

Photo Courtesy of Myers Creative Photography

I had this huge revelation the other day and I am sharing it with you because I would bet money that some of you have experienced very similar feelings.

The back story is as follows:

For about a month, I haven’t been feeling right and in a way that feels different than “just Sjögren’s.” As I blogged about earlier this week, my main debilitating symptom has been fatigue. Now fatigue has been a Sjögren’s symptom for me since day one, but this has been even more over the top than usual.

I recently increased one of my thyroid medications (I have hypothyroidism from radiation treatments I received for cancer in 1996.) and was wondering if my levels were totally out of whack. I had them tested earlier this week but I have not received the results because this is the one specialist I have left that just cannot get their act together enough to get me results in a prompt manner; last time it took almost four week…ridiculous!

In addition to the fatigue and thyroid checking, I was working a little more than usual and I work in a school. Every single germ known to mankind was circulating through each of the three schools I work in and next thing I know, I was down for the count about two weeks ago and instead of getting better, I got much worse with a respiratory infection, fever, the list goes on and on. And I just couldn’t bounce back. I finished a round of antibiotics and now am on day four of a higher dose of prednisone for my lungs (I have autoimmune related respiratory issues). Yesterday was the first day I was able to leave the house on my own and actually participate in the world.

For a few years now I have been seeing a therapist to help me deal with having a severe chronic illness. My main reason for starting to see her was to help me find more balance between my illness life and the rest of my life, especially in my relationships. She has done that and so much more. However I had not seen her for about a month and I finally got back in to see her a few days ago. I was a bit of a mess. I was totally overwhelmed with not only my Sjögren’s symptoms and issues, but the current respiratory/flu/cold junk I had as well. I was especially worried about the fact that I could barely move my body from the bed to the bathroom. It took me hours that day just to drag myself to the car to get to her office.

I was freaking out about how sick I was, more so than I thought was appropriate at the time. I mean seriously, EVERYBODY in all of western Massachusetts has been sick, I was no exception. Granted yes, I have underlying issues that can make things like a cold or flu much worse for me, but still. I was getting really nervous that I couldn’t just bounce back.

So my very rational therapist pointed out to me that yes, there’s a lot of illness going around but also that it takes time to recover from these colds, flus, respiratory infections, etc. And that maybe, I have been feeling so poorly over the past month because like everyone else, I have been hit hard and need whatever time it takes to heal and recover.

Now this seems like common sense and it is,and that is when I had my revelation.

I was scared.

Because I was sick for a more prolonged period of time than usual, I was scared that it wasn’t just a typical “you will get over it” type of winter illness.

No, I was afraid that THIS would be my new normal.

Why would I be so panicked about such a seemingly irrational thought? Tons of people get sick in the winter.

Because in 2008, this IS what happened to me.

In 2008, I went from a fully functioning 30-something to a disabled, out-of-work 30-something in about a month. Because nobody knew what was wrong with me at the time, I truly thought I was dying. Life as I knew it completely changed in every single aspect: my job, my home, my finances, my marriage, my sense of identity, and especially how I perceived myself. I went from working as a full-time nurse to working as a full-time patient. Almost everything was taken away from me.

I realized that all this current business was all about FEAR.

I was basing my current thoughts about how I physically felt on my previous experiences, rather than on the reality of the current situation.

I don’t know about the rest of you, but fear has been a common theme interwoven with having a chronic illness like Sjögren’s, and the numerous other health issues that plague me as well. And I have to tell you, fear is a bitch. I have been working hard to get through those fears over the past year or two: fear of getting sicker, fear of losing my disability or health insurance, fear of becoming totally incapacitated, fear of traveling…what if something happens while we are away?? Fear of losing more friends…fear of never being able to support myself again…I could go on and on. But this realization that I was now afraid of a typical winter respiratory illness and the symptoms associated with it being my “new normal” threw me off a bit because until that moment in the therapist’s office, it never dawned on me that was why I was so upset.

Here’s the thing though and I wholeheartedly believe this. Once you realize your fears AND acknowledge them, you are halfway to defeating them. By recognizing them and facing them head on, we can slowly begin to master them. For me, in addition to therapy, meditation and yoga has been helpful. Meditation because it allows me to clear my head, as much as possible, of the constant stream of racing thoughts and worries I often have. Yoga because it helps me gain some control of my body, breathing, and thoughts. Yoga, shows me what my body is capable of and therefore lessens the fear of my own body.

I would be interested in hearing about what fears you may have associated with living with a chronic illness and how you deal with them, if at all.

 Feel free to comment below…

Guest Post: On Being Naked…A Man’s Perspective by Chuck Myers

March 6, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Written by Chuck Myers

A year or so ago my wife, Christine, the author of this blog (and Tales From the Dry Side) wrote a piece titled “On Being Naked,” which was published on another blog site called The Manifest-Station. It was good. It described her terrible fear about being in locker rooms, and how she’s overcome it. At the end, she says that being naked in the locker room didn’t cause her to explode (a good thing), and that she finally felt free.

This post came to my memory this week as she recently spent a weekend at a yoga workshop, and when she went to soak her feet in the hot tub, she opened the door to find six or seven women in the tub, in their birthday suits.

She plucked up her courage and soaked her feet anyway, although she did remain clad in her “yoga suit.”

I could never do it.

If I were to open a door on six or seven men, naked in a hot tub, I’d run the other way. I would not stop at my room to pick up my belongings, but would head straight for my car, get in it, and ignore each and every speed limit sign on my quest to get as far away from that place as possible, in the shortest span of time I could manage.

I am extremely body conscious, to say the least.

I do NOT mow the lawn with my shirt off, even though our patch of weeds is mainly in the back of the house, and this is not because I am afraid of getting a sunburn.

I hesitate to take my shirt off at the beach, only doing so when I’m going in the water, and covering myself up as soon as I am out.

I used to hate wearing shorts in the summer. It’s only been a few years since I’ve started wearing shorts outside of the gym.

I tend to not wear tight shirts and if left to my own devices, would generally buy everything about a size too large.

I do take showers at the gym, but I go into the shower stall with my sweat-soaked workout clothes, clinging to my body, only getting undressed with the “not-wide-enough curtain pulled closed. When I’m finished, I venture out to my locker with a towel wrapped tightly around my lower body, and I then dress as quickly as possible.

As a result, I’m never cooled off enough by the time I get dressed, and my street clothes need to hit the laundry by the time I get home.

At the gym, in addition to my own phobia about my body, it makes me really uncomfortable when guys are taking showers without the curtain pulled, especially when they call out to me as I’m walking past. “Hey, have a good run?” just isn’t something I want to hear from someone as they’re soaping their butt.

So where does this come from? I’m not in that bad shape at 6’2″ and 230 pounds. I’d love to lose a few of those extra pounds, but I do like to eat. I was raised Catholic, which I’m sure had a huge effect on how I view my body, but I haven’t been a practicing Catholic in thirty years or so.

If I had to put my finger on it, I’d guess that time spent in the high school locker room was the biggest contributor to my issues. I was NOT a jock in high school. I played one year of football and only finished that year because I hate to quit something I’ve begun. It was hard though, to get through that year of smacking each other in the head all the time, and that was in the locker room.

I can’t speak about now, but back in the day, high school locker rooms were tough places to be and you couldn’t avoid them. Gym classes were of course mandatory, as were the showers afterwards, when class was over. There were no shower stalls, just a line of shower heads in a tiled room. That was tough for me. Not only was I one of those guys that couldn’t climb the rope and always flunked the physical fitness challenge, I was also pretty much hairless. Other guys in my class were sporting full beards as I was vainly searching for the beginnings of stubble in the mirror every morning.

It’s not that there was a lot of teasing going on about this.
There didn’t have to be.
It was unspoken.
The sidelong glances and smirks were enough.

I of course grew body and facial hair eventually; yes, I was still in high school. That made things easier, but I’ve never overcome my dislike of people seeing my body. It might be different for women, but guys are competitive, and me probably more than many. I can’t help but feel that I am being evaluated and ranked when I am in the locker room.

So, I’ll go on wearing my sweaty gym clothes into the shower stall, and dress as quickly as possible when I am finished.

As Billy Joel said, “You may be right, I may be crazy,” but I’m comfortable with that.

In the meantime, I applaud Christine for having the courage to overcome her own fears.
Maybe someday, I can do the same.

If I do, I promise not to go out to mow the lawn shirtless, belly flopping over my belt, with a beer in the cup holder of my twenty horsepower John Deere!

The Manifestation Workshop: On Being Human

February 29, 2016 / / 3 Comments
“If you knew who walked beside you at all times, on the path that you have chosen, you could never experience fear or doubt again.” ~ Wayne Dyer
Photo courtesy of Jennifer Pastiloff

Do you see that photograph above? I didn’t take it, which is obvious because I am the one in the purple shirt right in the middle, but it is one of my all-time favorite photos. It was taken during a retreat I went to in February. To me, this photograph screams support and strength. 

It screams empowerment. 
It screams love.

I waited almost a year and a half to attend this retreat. It was a Jennifer Pastiloff Manifestation Workshop called On Being Human. I first heard about Jen through my dear friend, Tina. A while ago, Tina knew I was looking to submit some of my writing and she thought that Jen’s literary site, The Manifest-Station, would be a good fit for my writing. You can check out the site HERE. So I submitted an essay, it was published, and I started following Jen’s site.

Tina had gone to the On Being Human workshop last year and she couldn’t say enough about it. I guess the best way to describe the workshop is that it is a weekend filled with yoga, writing exercises, music, and self-exploration. It’s about empowerment and connection. When I was considering attending this year’s workshop, I was a little (OK, maybe more than a little) concerned about how I was going to manage the yoga part. However, Jen and Tina both assured me that the yoga is NOT the focus of the workshop. Rather, it is a vehicle Jen uses to help the attendees dig deeper into the self-exploration and writing parts of the workshop.

Even if you stop reading right now, please hear me when I say this: if you can get to one of her workshops, GO!! PLEASE DO NOT LET THE YOGA PART SCARE YOU OFF! I do have some gentle yoga experience, but I know several people in the workshop who had never done yoga, and they were just fine! You can check out Jen’s upcoming workshops HERE.

So, I took a huge leap of faith and decided to go for it.

Honestly, one of the best decisions of my entire life.

And one of the best weekends of my entire life.

No exaggeration.
Despite the fact that I have discussed in depth what transpired over my retreat weekend with a few people, it has been a struggle for me to get it all down in writing. Sometimes experiences are so big and significant in our lives, it becomes a challenge to do them justice with the written word. But, I will try to. Not for my benefit really, but for the rest of you who may benefit from my experience.

The retreat was help at Kripalu in Massachusetts. It was also my first time at Kripalu, but I think I am going to save writing about that for a different day. I’m also not going to describe in detail the exact writing and yoga exercises we did. I did not know going into it exactly what was involved and I’m so glad I didn’t know. I want the same for you. If you attend a Jen Pastiloff workshop, I would like you to go into it with an open heart and an open mind. I think you will be glad you did.

My experience at the On Being Human weekend retreat also included staying in a large dormitory with approximately twenty other women, almost all of whom were attending the same workshop. This was intentionally planned as a lot of the women knew each other from last year’s retreat. This was a VERY difficult decision for me to make. My former insecurities about my health and my body made me self-conscious. Sleep is crucial for me to function. Honestly, I was scared. However in the end, I wanted to share the experience with Tina and financially, it was really the only option as the semi-private and private rooms were MUCH more expensive.

Thank you God I made that decision. Being in the dormitory afforded me the opportunity to socialize and get to know my fellow workshop travelers. We slept in the same room, we ate our meals together and of course, we manifested together in our workshop sessions. All but one were total strangers to me when I got to Kripalu. None are strangers now. As adult women, how often do we get an opportunity like that?

I cannot lie: the workshop experience was intense. Good intense. We had a total of four sessions over the weekend, each lasting between an hour and a half to three hours. I think so anyways. It all went by so fast that I never checked the clock for time. When I was discussing the weekend with my therapist, I told her it was like being in session with her for two and a half straight days, only much more fun. That’s not an exact description, but the best I can come up with at the moment.

So what did I experience?

I delved into the very core of my spirit, or maybe soul is a better word. Now I have spent some time in therapy (I think everyone should) and I think of myself as a self-aware person. My writing gives that away every time. But this was different. This was about shredding the layers of insecurity, self-doubt, self-loathing, and fear that I carry around with me every day. And then doing so with complete strangers. It was about tapping into those parts of me that are good….and strong. I learned truths about myself, some of which I already knew, but many of which I did not. Truths that made me so sad; like the lies I tell myself about how I am not smart enough…or pretty enough…or thin enough…

Or just not good enough.
I learned that I do not need to ever apologize for whom I am or the illness I live with every single day. Through this workshop I came to realize that the beliefs and fears I carry with me are all lies. I was aware of some of this through the work I have been doing with a therapist, but the workshop helped me to finally put so many of those pieces together. I didn’t even fully realize how much I was berating myself with my own toxic thoughts every day, which is interesting because I have spent the past few years ridding my life of OTHER toxic people. But yet, the MOST toxicity resided in my own head.

I learned that it is not up to other people to recognize my achievements or strengths. Why not? Because I can do that for myself. It doesn’t matter whether someone else may think negative thoughts about me or doesn’t like me. I didn’t realize how much time in my head was spent worrying about that. Time and energy that I can use to do good things in the world and for myself.
So why would this workshop be different than say, therapy? I believe therapy is important. At times, it has saved my life…literally. But this kind of workshop is also about human connection; something that I believe as a society we get further and further away from. During the workshop sessions, you have to share…like in front of all the other people…out loud. When you share some of your deepest fears and insecurities with strangers, they are no longer strangers. They are friends. When you let yourself be THAT vulnerable to other human beings, magical things happen. Seriously magical things.

For me, the self exploration was incredibly helpful, but the sharing and listening to other people’s stories and thoughts was epic. People just don’t do that in the regular world anymore. And if they do, it is oftentimes stilted. I cried more during this weekend than I have in a long time. Not just for myself, but for others. It was bewildering for me to see and hear how much that we, as women, beat ourselves up, or don’t see our own self-worth. I thought I was the only one.

There is something about bearing witness to other’s people’s pain, struggles, and fears that elicits a response in me ( and in other participants) that I don’t typically have on a day to day basis. Empathy maybe? I’m not quite sure. What I do know is that it was such a privilege to bear witness to the struggles of other people. So if you are reading this and you were in the workshop, thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of your journey.


Human connection is probably the most powerful tool we have in our journey through this world. Deep human connection that is. Before last weekend I used to think that many of the thoughts and feelings I had were unique to me, and not in a good way. I thought I was “different.” So many times, I have been told that I am “overemotional” or “too sensitive.” While I can hold a casual conversation with the best of them, I always crave a deeper connection with people I meet or people already in my life. I am oftentimes disappointed and that led me to believe that I was defective or unusual. At my weekend retreat I realized that not only am I not defective, but I have a gift; that my desire to connect with people on a deeper level, while not for everyone, is not a detriment. I realized that maybe sometimes, it is just a matter of finding the right people to connect with. And letting myself “be seen.”

While I know this whole weekend retreat thing sounds like it was serious work, it wasn’t at all. I went into the weekend from a not-so-good place. I had previously been struggling physically, I had to resign from a new part-time job in January, and I was depressed in a way that I had not been in a very long time. But the retreat brought a lot of laughter and peace to my heart, as well as a dance party or two. And possibly, some wine. It was like my “joy” switch had been turned back on. Quite a relief for me actually. And even though we are all back home, trying to make our way on our day-to-day lives, we remain connected through our private Facebook group. Thank goodness, because I cannot imagine my world without these beautiful, strong, and courageous women.

I was driving home by myself from the retreat and within ten minutes of my drive home, I knew I was coming home a changed person. Well, maybe changed is not the right word. I was the same person, but a much better version…a more peaceful and confident version. A person who will no longer apologize for who I am and a person who is eliminating the work ” should” out of her vocabulary. I truly realized how different I felt when I drove into my driveway and realized that for the entire hour and fifteen minute ride home by myself, I never once turned on the radio. I had no need for the distraction. I was that comfortable being in my own head.

I have now been home for eight days and I have to say, I still have that feel good feeling from my retreat. It doesn’t mean that everything goes right all the time. Hell, this blog alone has taken me two days to do because I have been having so many problems with my blog server. But it does mean that I am walking gentler in this world and with more confidence. I don’t doubt myself and I put my opinion of myself ahead of all others. It does still take daily work on my part: yoga, meditation, staying connected with my Kripalu sisters, and reinforcing what I have learned, whether that be through reading, mantras and/or writing. It’s worth it though. It produces a much more peaceful version of myself.

A happier version.
A version that feels the joy existing in this world.

Thank you Jen Pastiloff and to your assistants, Angela and Melissa, as well. Thank you for finding YOUR path in this world and sharing with us your gifts – a path that brings the rest of us the tools and support we need to do the nitty-gritty work. You are changing this world in a way that not many can do – one person at a time.

Comfort Zone Escape

February 19, 2016 / / 2 Comments

“Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them. How we handle our fears will determine where we go for the rest of our lives. To experience adventure or to be limited by the fears of it.” ~ Judy Blume

Today is the day! I leave this afternoon for a weekend retreat at Kripalu with one of my dearest friends. It’s called the Manifestation Workshop: On Being Human (led by Jennifer Pastiloff). Doesn’t that just sound like the perfect retreat?

I have been looking forward to this experience for almost a year and a half now. I’ve NEVER done anything like this. Actually, the reason I didn’t go last year was because I was too afraid my body couldn’t physically handle it; not just the yoga classes, but all that comes with this type of thing.

Does that mean my health is better this year? No, not really. My doctor has me on a course of prednisone, which is helping, but not quite as much as I had hoped. At this point though, I’m going for it and I am going to do the best with where I am at this week.

I will be staying at Kripalu for two nights, in a dormitory, with a bunch of strangers, minus the dear friend of course. We will be attending workshops, doing a lot of yoga, a lot of writing (yay!), and eating together.

So. Outside. My. Comfort. Zone

There is a lot of uncertainty for me regarding this weekend. I may have to climb in and sleep on a top bunk. I don’t know yet what access I will have for certain medical things I need to take care of (i.e. using my humidifier), so I am trying to do extra treatments today before I leave to help cover me until I get back home Sunday afternoon. What I need to pack for myself personally is minimal, but so much to think about medically.

Health issues aside, I’m also going out of my comfort zone just by getting into the car and going off into a new environment. I don’t know about anybody else, but it brings up so many insecurities for me; insecurities that I wish I didn’t still have to face at forty-four years old…

I’ll be fatter than everyone else.
I’ll be an utter failure during the yoga classes.
I’m not strong enough,
Or flexible enough,
Or witty enough,
Or funny enough.

See my problem?

The good news is, those WERE my fears. I’ve been working through them and so today, I’m in a much better place about it all. I’m so excited, I cannot even stand it! Excited for the workshop, to spend time with my girlfriend, to be at Kripalu, and last, but not least, to have someone else preparing and cooking all my healthy meals this weekend!

I’m looking forward to meeting new people and connecting with them and more importantly, myself. Life has been bumpy lately, no doubt about it. I spend a lot of time and energy taking care of my physical body, so it will be nice to have time set aside to take care of all the other stuff. And to be in an environment where everyone else is doing the same thing.

So, I’m going to finish packing and then open my heart and mind to this big daring adventure.

Happy weekend!!

Read “On Being Naked” on The Manifest-Station

February 18, 2015 / / 0 Comments

I have been a writing a lot lately and I thank the Lord for that. I was going through a difficult time with my writing, which started sometime before Tales From the Dry Side was published and lasted right up until about the end of 2014. Part of the reason was due to being so busy in early 2014 with the book and starting a new job back in the nursing field (yay!). I love and am absolutely proud of Tales From the Dry Side, but the marketing that goes into self-publishing a book successfully is astronomical.The other big reason for having a difficult time with my writing was that I was having a hard time connecting with myself and I just couldn’t seem to get it together to make the sentences come as often as I would like.

Some of my blogging, maybe half of it, is writing designed to teach and inform, mostly about Sjögren’s syndrome and autoimmune diseases in general. The rest of it takes the form of a personal essay. If I just wrote personal essays for the rest of my life, that would be fine with me. I may try my hand soon at fiction again; we will see. I may try and publish another book. The jury is still out on that one.

Lately, for reasons that have recently become clear to me, my writing has been more intense, more authentic, and not to sound like a jerk, but good. More like great. Great because I am more willing to share more of my personal experiences and feelings with my readers and at the end of the day, we are all human. We all want to connect and know that someone else feels how we do. Some of the writing never gets published or makes it to my blog; its just for me.

My girlfriend, Tina, is one of those people who connects well with others. I know that if I want to get together and have a chat with a gal pal and have a conversation with some real depth to it, she’s one of my girls. A few months ago, Tina introduced me to a website called The Manifest-Station, founded by Jennifer Pastiloff. Jen is a writer, yoga instructor, and overall great human being. She leads sold out workshops all over the world which you can check out HERE if you’d like. Tina knows how much I am devoted to writing, yoga, and how sensitive a soul I am. The Manifest-Station is a website/blog where sensitive souls, and excellent writers (including Jennifer) share their personal experiences and more importantly, look for the beauty in every day life. Also known as Beauty Hunting.

Tina also called my attention to the fact that The Manifest-Station was accepting essay submissions. I was working on a piece that had to do with body image issues and I thought it would be a good fit for The Manifest-Station. I found out yesterday that the piece was accepted and it was published this morning.A huge thank you to Jennifer Pastiloff and her staff for loving this piece as much as I do. You can read it by clicking on this link:

On Being Naked

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