Part of my Yogic training, a great deal of it, is centered on the power of the mind. I can choose how to move through any situation. I create my experiences of life by what I think. Strong body, strong mind. Think strong, be strong. I am capable of all things through the power of the mind. I have power over my mind.
But what happens when the mind isn’t functioning properly? I drove down to see my family for Thanksgiving, excited to see everyone and happily singing in my car most of the way down. I arrived around 12:30 to visit with a friend and while listening to her I lost the vision in my left eye, had numbness, weakness, and tingling in my face, neck and jaw, then my arms, my eyes were out of focus and then I almost passed out. Needless to say I ended up in the ER and was diagnosed with a possible TIA, mini-stroke and remained in the hospital for a couple of days…even Thanksgiving Day. I could not think clearly and spent all of Friday having one test after another. The tests ruled out the mini-stroke and I was then diagnosed with a Migraine Equivalent.
The following days after my release were surreal. I was functioning but my mind was not present. My brain was on delay, I struggled for words in conversation and had vision and speech difficulty that accompanied fatigue.
The power of the mind. How did I move through it? I just did. The whole experience was beyond my control. I kept affirming my radiant health, I tried to imagine the blood flowing freely through my veins, but the fog was thick. So I surrendered to whatever it was. I surrendered to the process, to the lessons, to the moment. I’m learning that sometimes I am without power…and then the greatest power is in surrender, relinquishing any power I think I have and rest in the Hands of God. Before drifting off to sleep I remembered one of my favorite poems and pictures…Footprints In The Sand. At the time I thought God was not present…He carried me.
I surrendered to the love of family and my dearest friends and I surrendered to my Spirit. I have learned to Trust and have Faith wherever and through whatever my Soul and glorious God lead me. There is great power in surrender…the power to learn and experience the blessings and gifts of Love and Life.
What an experience! And you transformed it into an opportunity. I will try to learn from your example. Also, you might be interested in a 20 minute video on YouTube in which a woman describes her experience when she had a stroke. It goes in a surprising direction so watch until the end. Here’s the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyyjU8fzEYU
[...] the blog of a fellow Adirondacker who is a seeker of wisdom and truth. Her most recent post, Power of the Mind, tells the story of her recent experience when she came down with symptoms of a stroke which I [...]