Today
Courage
by Lynn A. Anderson
Posted June 2, 2008 11:33 AM
Posted June 2, 2008 11:33 AM
Posted in
To accept whatever comes, regardless of the consequences, is to be afraid. – John Cage
As I sit here to write I realize that next week at this time I will be coming out of surgery. No more mysteries or questions or anticipations. The job will be done and the results will be cast. I have cancer. I must have surgery. I must recover. Therefore I must accept whatever comes my way with dignity and courage. To say that I am not afraid would be a lie. But as you approach the moment of the battle fear gives way to courage and an inner strength propels you forward. It’s like something rises up from your soul and you get strong, focused, and almost giddy. It is all out of your control so you must surrender and let the universe take over.
There is a quiet kind of peacefulness that comes over your body, mind, and soul as you surrender. My body and mind have been taken away from me. They are consumed with the cancer and I am unable to keep myself connected. The volatility and vulnerability of the body-mind is ever present. The soul is the provider and the station of balance. The soul is always there waiting with infinite serenity. Because the soul is eternal it is important to connect with this energy and then surrender the body-mind.
The spirit is the mighty force that pulls us through all of life’s experiences. We get lost in the physical and the mental and think we can control the outcomes of life. This is not true. The spirit and the spirit alone is the place of courage because the spirit is our strength and it endures long after the body-mind fails. Once we accept the temporary (the body-mind) aspect of life and embrace the eternal (spiritual) aspect of life we are able to appreciate what is temporary and at the same time be able to let it go. I believe this is what it means to come to peace with yourself and your life.
Up until now I have never really understood what it means to live in a temporary world. We all know that at some time we will die but for most of us we live in a false sense of eternity. That is partly why aging can be so difficult for most of us. We want to stay young and energetic forever. Yoga teaches the path of acceptance. Yoga teaches us that everything is temporary accept for the soul.
The physical practice of yoga (the asana) is the discipline. Asanas teach us to discipline the body-mind. Each pose demands concentration and strength. We must be focused and strong. Without the practice the body-mind can run muck. I have taught and practiced yoga for many years. I never truly understood the body-mind connection until now.
Each day my body feels weaker and I feel the ache of the cancer. My mind races about and all it can think about is the cancer. The body-mind is lost and unable to be me. I am no longer myself. I am transforming. After all of this my body-mind will never be the same. Perhaps this is good for there are many things about me that I need to leave behind. Life looks so different when you are on the side of a disease and facing surgery to save your life.
Courage comes from within. It is not dependent upon the body-mind. I will go and teach my yoga classes this week. I will teach with a different perspective. I will work my body and my mind to surrender and let go. I will try to find that one quiet moment when body-mind meets soul and I feel the deep surrender of peace and serenity. That is courage. The ability to let go of what we can no longer control and have a quiet faith in the nature of things. Yoga is the path of life experiences that cumulates into a wealth of wisdom if one has the courage to simply let go and become conscious of the ever changing nature of life.
It is the spirit that guides us and protects us. It takes courage to search within and connect at the deepest level of your being. Yoga has one basic lesson for us: when we leave this physical world we take with us the wisdom we have gained and the love we have given and received. This wisdom-love brings the realization that at any moment in time you can access the energy of your soul and there you will find the courage to over come any obstacle. It’s alright to be afraid for it is a human emotion. Once you connect that fear with your soul you understand that life is fragile and it takes great courage to live fully and completely through all of life’s experiences.
Doctor Lynn
www.doctorlynn.com
Comments
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Posted June 2, 2008 9:58 PM
Dr. Lynn, courage indeed comes from within. We need to realize that what we go through personally is cared about by others in our life, for sure, but ultimately we need to be strong for ourselves for we alone are going through it. I was just diagnosed with Squamous Cell Carcinoma in situ. It's only my forehead and it needs to be frozen and scraped. Now who knew back in the day when this Jersey girl sat day after day on the beach frying herself, that a day would come that I would have this problem to deal with? I have already had one removed on my lip several years ago. The good thing is that it is just on the site and doesn't spread, but let me tell you, the word Cancer is a wakeup call to all of us.
Frank, hope all is well with your wife. May God bless all of us who suffer in one way or another. May we all have the peace that surpasses all understanding.
Posted June 2, 2008 10:18 PM
Joan, best of luck with your procedure. Dr. Lynn, having had health problems since childhood and losing a daughter to a genetic disease I understand, and live with the realization of how temporary our existence is and how little of it we have the power to control. I have posted here and elsewhere that we live with many illusions such as security, health and relationship. These illusions make life bearable and when they are removed such as in the case of cancer we are forced to deal with the reality of our frailty, and our limited time on earth. Time eases the pain and fear that these events bring into our lives. I am hopeful that you will recover from your surgery, undergo whatever course of treatment your oncologist suggests and live on to regain that spiritual calm that you so well extend to us all. My wife will have her second course of chemo this wednesday and be that much closer to seeing this chapter in her life end. She has a pretty wig for when her hair falls out and even after it grows back months from now she will have this addition to her wardrobe to enjoy, and to remind her of difficult times past. Dr. Lynn be strong for the moment you are in, be proud of your discipline and teachings, and anticipate a good outcome.
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