Patience. If not for patience, then I probably would not have made as much progress in my recovery journey. I had never been this ill and always bounced back from all previous ailments (mostly colds and one incident of gastroenteritis). I feel better overall, but my stamina and endurance have taken a hit.
I’ve lost a lot of abdominal strength and stability, which I feel in my lower back, so I am doing exercises to activate and strengthen those muscles. I’ve been moving around the house, but I may add a walking regimen next week. I’m not going for distance or speed but simply moving.
I’ve been meditating with the Waking Up app and doing breathing exercises with the spirometer, but my lungs feel healthy enough now to do Pranayama. As for proper yoga, I have done about one restorative class per week through Inner DimensionTV, using additional props to accommodate the limited range of my body these days.
Something this experience has re-sparked is my love of stationery. Almost daily I write in my brain dump journal and have set up my notebooks for the upcoming year. I have also brought out my pens and inks to play with. Initially, I wrote to get my thoughts down and out of my head, but I realized how much I miss the act of writing and… words.
I remember glancing around the room when my eyes fixated on my boxed set of Proust’s In Search of Lost Time. I’ve had it for nearly ten years and never read it beyond the first two pages. Well, I know enough about Proust to know that he’s wordy, and the idea struck me to read this novel in earnest. I have a couple of guides and a dedicated notebook to accompany this endeavor. We’ll see how it goes. Perhaps reading Proust will improve my writing a bit.
I used to feel guilty for taking naps, but not anymore. My body needs that rest. Besides, it’s comforting to see myself surrounded by snoozing cats on the bed. How’s that for therapy? I think they’ve developed a fondness for stationery, too!
