Yoga and Sound Decisions

It felt like quite a gap from surgery on 3rd October until I could get the results on 18th. (Perhaps I needed that gap to learn that the word for the results was 'biopsy' and not 'autopsy' as I seemed to have slipped into calling it.) Would Lumpy finally be banished? Would I be able to now move on to the next stage of treatment? The truth is I'd been feeling a bit 'stuck' due to needing the second surgery. However, two weeks is a long time- too long a time to waste on negativity and worry. And what perfect distraction from negative health thoughts- our Autumn Yoga and Sound Retreat. And once again I found myself in exactly the right place with exactly the right company.

I love the Yoga and Sound Retreats. Jenny's teaching, knowledge, enthusiasm and grounded good sense are absolutely inspirational. The balance of theory, stillness and Yoga practice is just right. And these Retreats attract some rather special folks. The build up effect of the Retreat House meant it didn't take long for me to get back to the calm I'd felt the previous weekend on our Reiki 2 Retreat. And having the dogs there in the camper van for the second weekend in a row meant that Ella was more   
                                                     relaxed. The calmness and space were much   
                                                     appreciated as I had some thinking to do. It was  
starting to become clear that I needed to be more 
open about what I was calling 'the health stuff'. Early Saturday morning I took my coffee and sat on the bench up on the pagoda where the wisteria and honeysuckle merge and did me a bit of thinking. As I've written before, in my mind, I needed to get to the point where I could tell folks I'd had breast cancer,   had it removed and now needed a bit of further treatment to clean up any remaining dodgy cells. This was the point where I'd be comfortable to be open and tell people. The need for the second operation threw a spanner in the works somewhat and I needed to review my thoughts around all this. The safety of the Retreat House was the prefect place for this and I was aware of changes taking place in my thinking throughout the weekend. This started with that morning cuppa as I began to separate out the facts in the situation from my feelings about them. 

It was a joy to share the weekend with both Jenny and Chris. I'm not surprised that Chris's eyes are closed on this photo as she must have been tired as every spare moment on the Friday evening and throughout Saturday was spent finishing off the written elements in her Sound Therapy course. The down side of being so laid back is that Chris's urgency gene has withered away over the years and the deadline had crept up on her unawares. Significant nagging from me and a few others had galvanised her into action and she'd worked so hard over the previous few weeks. Not easy when you're also supporting a partner through health stuff. Meeting that deadline has elevated Chris to Saintdom in my reckoning. And her grounded, ego-free approach to Sound work is so refreshing and benefits so many people in so many ways.

The Saturday evening Yoga Nidra session was particularly poignant for me with Jenny's strong yet gentle Yoga relaxation followed by powerful Gongs from Chris taking me into a deep healing space. In truth I felt like I'd been hit over the dead with a shovel at the end of the session and it took a while for me to be able to move and get to bed. Overnight I gained some clarity with various discussions and comments coming back to me during my sleep. That Pluto Gong has never failed to give me a boot up the Root Chakra whenever I have needed one!

On many occasions during this weekend I heard words coming out of my mouth that were as relevant to myself as they were to whoever I was talking to. There was the Autumnal theme of letting go and releasing what no longer serves us. Preparing for the dormant time of winter which creates space for new life and projects to gestate. And the recurring teaching that whenever we make time for ourselves, the benefits of this radiate out to everyone we come into contact with. Richard Bach's words from 'Illusions' kept popping back into my mind- "You teach best what you most need to learn !". 

Chris led a Drumming and Chanting Circle on Sunday as I prepared lunch and this finished with the whole group drumming into the kitchen with the most powerful affirmation ever-
"Every little cell in my body is happy,
  Every little cell in my body is well.
  I can tell, every little cell,
  Every little cell in my body is well!"
  That says it all really!



One of the things I love most about working with Jenny is she really gets the importance of anchoring the Retreat experience with a significant and interactive closing session. And the Mandala we constructed from 'Autumn Treasures' was a perfect example of this. The group collected the treasures during their individual walks on Saturday. Free time in which some opted to walk up to the castle and do some Yoga whilst others chose a more local walk in nature to check out an apparent sanctuary for wonky sheep! As a group we silently constructed the Mandala whilst reflecting on the weekend and what we would individually take from it.

My own learning was about accepting the need to nurture myself with the 'winter' perspective that this wouldn't be forever and the hibernation time allows the possibility of new life, new ideas and new possibilities to quietly germinate within. 

 

 

Liz x