Go With The Flow

"I went for a hike yesterday!"

"Whatchu talkin' about Willis?!"  (In light of his recent passing, I'd like to give props to Gary Coleman) "Seriously, you did what??"


Yep, I went for a small hike yesterday at Pedernalas Falls 40 miles outside of Austin. Granted, it wasn't a strenuous hike by any stretch of the imagination, but it was a wonderful treat to get outside and take part in a "Hike and Heal Retreat" hosted by Wendy De Rosa.

Ironically, the hiking was secondary to the healing portion of the day. We walked down (or, in my case, hobbled down) a path of rocks to the banks of Pedernales Falls. We found a wonderful shaded tree in the sand near the banks of the river, sat down and just listened...Wendy led us on a guided meditation to clear our minds and focus on the flowing water. She talked about the energy healing we can do within our body. Sounds pretty hippy trippy doesn't it?!  It totally was!! But, it was so peaceful and relaxing as well. It's all about letting go and "going with the flow"...figuratively and literally.

First of all, how many times do we allow ourselves to just lie down and literally "go with the flow?" Um...if you're like me, the answer is "never." We're too obsessed with doing something, changing something, creating something, or judging something that we can't just sit in non-judgemental stillness and "be." Or, at the very least, slow our lives down even for a minute.

My surgery and subsequent rehab over the last few weeks has been a lesson in humility, patience, slowing down and "going with the flow." I physically am not able rush through my day. Every step is a conscious decision. Even my physical therapy is slow and methodical as I essentially build a new foundation for my body. I can't go out and run 26.2 miles (like I did three weeks ago--hee hee). I can barely walk properly. In essence, I'm "going with the flow" and once I surrendered to that, life got a heck of a lot easier.

Ironically, when I got home yesterday, I was inspired to read the book. "My Stroke of Insight" by Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D.  . I first heard of this book about a year ago while listening to an Oprah Radio podcast with the author. Dr. Taylor was a Harvard schooled brain scientist when, at the age of 37 (my age now), had a stroke that affected her left hemisphere. The book is about her description of what happened that morning as her body and mind started to deteriorate without her control. Because she is a brain scientist, she instinctively knew what was happening, but couldn't stop the effects of the hemorrhage. It chronicles the steps she took to get help, as well as the long process of physical and mental recovery. It's her description of "going with the flow" with an impaired existence.

In any event, my Mother-in-Law had brought this book last week and I picked it up yesterday and started reading it. I read it in a few hours. Needless to say, I was drawn by the parallel themes of this book, my rehab, and the morning's relaxation by the water. "Going with the flow" means to slow down, stop judging, and realize that we are all connected to nature and each other. Essentially, it means to shut the left side of our brain down for a while that analyzes and critiques everything,  and focus on the right side that simply feels.

Easier said than done, right?? Hell, yes it is. But, that's precisely why we need to grant ourselves permission every now and then to get a little hippy trippy and simply "Go With the Flow."