Last week I was pretty much down for the count. I get sick at most once every 2 years. The last time I was sick, was about 2 years ago, and it was similar to a cold, like the way I was feeling last week. It started as a tickle in my throat, on the left side, and by Saturday night, my sinuses started filling up. But I had to work at Maxine's the next day for their Sunday brunch shift, and because it's crazy busy there on Sundays, I was not about to call in sick. So, I stopped at CVS, loaded up on Day/Night Alka Seltzer and consumed it generously until my shift was over at 4 p.m.
That night we drove to Melbourne, FL to visit friends and spend Memorial Day at the beach. Monday I was useless. Under the umbrella I slept for several hours as my hubby surfed the small waves crashing on the beach. Fully expecting to feel better by Tuesday, I was only able to get up in time to teach my a.m. VIPKID classes and return promptly to bed at 10 a.m. until my body hurt around 4 p.m. Trying to avoid too much synthetic medication, I finally gave in to more Alka Seltzer and crashed for the rest of the night.
Wednesday, I woke up, less snotty, and decided it was time to get better. I taught my VIPKID classes from 6-10 a.m., then decided to clean the kitchen, take the dogs for a walk and go to the gym. I devoured 3 Texas grapefruits, that which made my mouth numb, and then finished it off with half a watermelon. I'm a firm believer of food as medicine. Alas, by 2 p.m. I was exhausted, and I never made it to the gym that day, or at all that week, nor did I even attempt a yoga practice, even though my body was feeling so stiff.
By Thursday I was feeling a little better, and to parlay Memorial Day weekend in to my cousin Jean's wedding weekend right after, gave me an excuse to take it easy, a mild stay-cation, as you will. On Friday, I drove to Jacksonville celebrate with my family, and was finally feeling somewhat back to normal. But the mucus draining from my left sinus would not cease.
The weekend was lovely and super fun, as I got to spend time with my cousins who came in from all over the country to celebrate the wedding of Jean and Chris. After my wedding in 2013, our family has been through 4 funerals of Aunts and Uncles, one being my own father. So, many of them made it a point to make the trip to Ponte Vedra beach for a joyous occasion this time.
Because I was not feeling 100%, it gave me reason to stay hydrated and aware. Wanting to feel better, I did not allow myself to drink or eat too much. I even got up early on Saturday morning and took a 4 mile walk on the beach. The salt air and warm morning sun, has healing powers, and I fully took advantage of them. For breakfast I sipped on a pineapple, turmeric smoothie, which added to me feeling a little more alive. Saturday was spent on the beach drinking beer with the family, while I sipped grapefruit shandies, believing the Vitamin C in them really existed.
Saturday night I danced and danced, and made it to bed by midnight. Sunday morning, after a light breakfast, we meandered home, down A1A, through Deland. Honestly, I was so proud on myself for feeling so good after such a big party weekend. Just two or three years ago, I would have drank myself silly, and felt even worse by that Sunday morning after the wedding.
Being healthy is not always about not getting sick. For it is sickness that we learn to re balance ourselves, give ourselves rest or to even take some time for self-care. On Monday, after the wedding weekend, I went to see my acupuncturist Janelle, at East West, she's amazing. With a little effort she released a sneeze fest in me that I had been waiting for for a week, and by the end of our session, I was almost completely free of stuffy sinuses. Taking care of yourself is the best way to tune into your body.
So many people wait until the are feeling REALLY, REALLY crappy before they do anything to try to make themselves feel better. They avoid resting, getting a massage, or even eating a healthy meal. They may take some meds, but will even procrastinate seeing a physician, using their busy schedule or lack of funds to justify why they can't take care of their health.
Let me tell you that your body IS THE ONLY THING IN THIS WORLD that you have complete control over. The sooner you understand how everything you think, eat, consume, watch, listen to, or observe becomes part of who you are, the sooner you will be able to begin to take control of this body, how it feels, how it moves and what goes in it. Once you can take control of what you consume into your body, (which also includes into your mind) the sooner you will begin to observe how your body and mind react to everything, and I mean EVERYTHING that you come in contact with.
Health, to me, is the greatest success in life. Without good health, one's life story becomes about how bad or ill they are feeling. Worse, some silently suffer with illness or disease without realizing how to turn it around, living without a clue, or help, or a belief in their ability to heal.
Without health, it becomes difficult to pursue one's dreams. How many people cannot visit their loved ones because they are too sick to get on a plane or travel long distances in a car? How many cannot go freely to the places they want in their daily life, because simply walking has become too painful? How many people have given up on their hopes to have a fully functioning body because they stopped believing in their own abilities?
DO NOT GIVE UP ON YOUR DREAMS BECAUSE YOU BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE TOO FAR AWAY TO ACCOMPLISH THEM! Focus on the step in front of you. It's the JOURNEY to whom you want to become, not arriving. Arriving means it's over. Make your journey now.
