Tending my secret garden

On the eve of my birthday a friend asked, "What do you want to have happen this year?" I had just blown out the candles on my birthday apple pie, lovingly made by my housemates, who were all gathered around our butcher block table. The light of the nearly full moon was pouring in through the kitchen window.

My answer was immediate: I'd like to experience more joy and contentment. I want to experience joy and contentment in both passive and active ways. To realize and feel that what I have is enough. I have everything I need. I can tap into the flow of abundance at anytime because it is ever present. Abundance of love, happiness, peace, self-fulfillment, and even money are all right here. From this place I can feel content. I am joyful, grateful for all that I have, all that I experience, all that I share, give, receive, feel, think, believe, and imagine.

The active part of this wish to experience more joy and contentment is about making conscious choices that align with my own happiness, belief in myself, and truth. Through my actions I will achieve greater joy, contentment and ultimately, fulfillment in my life. Part of actively creating more joy and contentment includes the following: acknowledging myself, accepting myself, affirming myself, allowing myself, and showing affection toward myself (self-love).

For me, a real sense of joy and contentment comes from within. It is not something that is created externally and then absorbed or swallowed like a little yellow pill. The joy and contentment are about connecting with and expressing my truth. It's about honoring and acknowledging "little Erin", the child inside. It is about being in "the flow". Noticing when stress arises and taking that as a sign that there is some part of me that is not being expressed, a need that is unmet, alignment is off. Joy and contentment come from being courageous enough to figure out what that is and face it. To be my own friend first. 

My ultimate wish is that from this place of joy and contentment for love and compassion to flow through me in abundance. To realize that my well is overflowing at all times, not getting depleted or low on resources. This place in me, this utopia, is like a secret garden - one that I tend to, create, beautify, and master. It is my sanctuary, my paradise, my place of giving and receiving, a place from which to respond authentically, a place to truly be alive!

Watch out Forrest Gump...

 Forrest Gump embarks upon a new path in his life: running... deepening his understanding and connection to himself and his place on Earth..

I'm running! Once last Tuesday and once yesterday, I jumped on the treadmill at the gym for 30 seconds of jogging with 1 minute intervals of walking for a total of 8 minutes. I was excited! I cried after the first attempt last week. And I shouted "woohoo!" yesterday, then looking around like "who was that?". I just couldn't contain my excitement. 

I've been cleared to introduce running into my workouts like this for about 4 weeks and just hadn't felt ready until now. I was either too tired or just mentally not feeling it or was more excited to do other workouts. It was important to me that I wait and truly feel excited and ready to start running. The wait was worth it!

Mostly, my reaction was bliss. I truly felt like my form was the best it had ever been. And I know very little about proper running form. I just felt so solid; not a whisper of a limp and didn't miss a beat. I felt more like a runner than I'd ever felt before in my life and got a brief glimpse of why some people love it so much. The body feels like a strong, capable, working machine! What a change in perspective! I was fully accepting of my new ability and fairly shocked by it. I was relieved and proud of myself for getting to this point. In a very small way, I wanted to run more than those 5-30 seconds intervals, and knew I should not and had to stop myself from pushing it too hard (which would have caused problems). The physical sensation was never pain, but a warm tingling sensation around the area of the plate and shin, which felt a little weird but okay. I imagined that to be just blood rushing into the area with increased circulation. 

To curb some of the anticipated pain and soreness after running I am icing my knee 2-3 times per day for 20 minutes for the 48 hours following, and also putting on some topical analgesic and arnica, as well as taking 250mg of ibuprofen 2 times per day to help with the anticipated swelling. I did add 1 or 2 doses of 250mg Tylenol the day after. I felt a little bit of a sharp or tight sensation along the lateral side of my knee, very localized, at a ligament that passes near the connection point of the fibula. Based on my personal experience, my relationship with my body, with pain, and with my physical therapist I know this sensation not to be a danger or warning sign of re-injury. I was right. The sensation dissipated after a couple days and did not inhibit my other activities at all. I did Pilates and another workout over the next few days following last week's initial running.

Through this particular experience I feel I have deepened my knowledge, wisdom, and sense of trust about myself and my body. The awareness and truth that was revealed to me felt like a "leveling up" with a deep sense of peace and joyfulness! Overall, the experience was very empowering and beautiful. I felt beautiful.

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