Story wars within, how they impact our healing.
Have you ever noticed how the mind loves to tell you stories ? Some renew us, some truly do drain our energy. This keeps the stress response on, so the body has problems in healing itself.
A few weeks ago it was a beautiful sunny warm day. It had been rainy and cold for many weeks, even though it was Spring and heading into summer. I had the time so I chose to go on the longest bike ride for the season. I absolutely love to ride my bike.
This time as I rode I realized that this was the last season I would be riding my bike in Indiana. I was in so much gratitude as I rode through neighborhoods, farm land and even onto a major thoroughfare. It was luscious.
As I came on the last leg of my ride, I found myself overwhelmed with the feelings of gratitude. Gratitude for such a beautiful day, for a newly paved road, the sun on my face, the breeze on my entire body. I closed my eyes to deeply feel.
Next thing I knew, I was on the road. I felt my head hit the pavement, my shoulder hit the ground, then my knee. Crap!!!! As I pulled my body and bike to the side of the road. I sat. I have been with trauma and know how to let it sequence through. I sat for 20 minutes to allow the shaking and trembling to happen. Once it stopped I got up
Then, the mind kicked in! OMG, you hit your head, and you know how many whiplashes you have had! OMG this is the shoulder you hurt two years ago that took so long to heal! OMG my pelvis is twisted again!!
Once I became aware of those story wars, I put a tourniquet on it. I stopped each thought in its track. I affirmed my body has been through this before, it has the power to heal. I even got back on my bike singing “I am still standing” (Elton John)
Yes, that evening my husband asked me how I was. I simply told him “it felt like I got hit by a mack truck” and that I would stay as loving and neutral as I could towards it. Every time the mind wanted to take me to the worry, I once again put a tourniquet on it. I smiled each time.
Five days later my husband said he was impressed at how fast I healed! Yes, I still had the huge bruise on my hip, the road rash on my knee and elbow. I told him this time I was unwilling to wrap a story around this one! So, I was not downloading any draining emotional content, and my body healed fast!!!
What stories are you telling yourself these days about things?(family life, jobs, finances, health) If it is one the drains your energy I invite you to put a tourniquet around it. Loving kindness is the salve.
