Illness can be our greatest teacher

Let’s be honest, being sick SUCKS! We have all been there. But why does it usually come at the WORST time? And what can we learn from it?

For me, this was the biggest week of my year so far, with the longest to-do list and the most energy required. My best friend was coming to town, we had plans every day, I was 6 days out from leaving to lead my retreat in Greece, with of course countless things I had to handle beforehand, and oh yeah, I was running a half marathon in 3 days… perfect timing for a flu, not just a cold but a fever ridden nasty flu bug.

Now I pride myself on being resilient and preach that everything happens for a reason, but this bug just about broke me. Why did this have to happen to me? Why this week? Why did my body betray me?

I had to cover all my classes (no sick pay in the yoga teaching world, by the way), which put me in a detrimental mindset before my big trip.

I had to cancel plans with my best friend, who is only in town for a couple of days, and who I miss so dearly.

And I decided to drop out of a race I have been training for and waiting for for 6 months.

So, where is the bright side?

Well, if there is one thing being sick teaches us, it is the importance of surrender. Something I preach to my students constantly in my classes, but have a hard time practicing on my own sometimes. When we are sick or injured, or things don’t work out like we hoped. There is nothing else we can do but surrender to what is and trust that the universe is still looking out for us.

…and that’s exactly where my mind began to shift.

When I reached a place of surrender, after canceling my plans, emailing the Rock & Roll Marathon coordinator, and ensuring all my classes were covered (and had a couple of good cries), I slept for probably 18 hours. I had to think my body certainly needed that.

There is nothing more powerful than surrendering to what is, because after you reach this state of acceptance, there is no where else to go but up.

For those unfamiliar with David Hawkins’ Scale of Consciousness, I recommend reading about it, as it can be a valuable resource in times of crisis, serving as a reminder of your vibrational state and its impact on your reality.

How you show up when you’re sick matters. When I was stressed, anxious, and upset over all the things I didn’t get to accomplish, the people I didn’t get to see, and the things I might not get done, I was only driving myself to feel worse. But once I found acceptance, I realized things could be worse.

My friend waited for me to get better and still made time to see me. My friends helped me with my to-do lists for Greece, and I was able to complete all my work. I also saved my body from the half marathon that might have injured it before Greece. After accepting my reality and help from my loved ones, I was left with only gratitude at the end of my cold that I was healthy enough to travel, hug my loved ones, and to have my body back.

Maybe I needed to take a couple of days off from teaching so I could make the most of all the classes I have to teach in Greece (ones I couldn’t just substitute), or maybe my body had to shut down for a week to work at full capacity the next. Maybe all of this really did work out for a reason… at least that’s what I tell myself, and it feels a whole lot better than drowning in FOMO and stress over what I missed.

So next time you're sick or injured or stuck in a state of wishing you were somewhere else, try your best to surrender and trust that there is always a plan. Once you can accept it, you can feel gratitude again, love again, pure bliss again, working your way back up to your highest vibrational self.

With love and light,

The Curious Yogi