Do you believe that everything happens for a reason?  If we choose to have this faith, then even an accident is no longer just an accident.  It can be seen as a warning sign that we're not paying attention to something important.  I never thought I'd be thankful for an injury.  But surprisingly, having a sprained ankle the size of a grapefruit has helped me to appreciate the power of slowing down. 

Running on Adrenaline

According to Ayurveda, my own genetic constitution is predominantly Vata, otherwise known as Wind.  By nature I tend to be active, verging on hyper if I don't take care to stay grounded.  As I discussed in "The Yoga of (Un) Multi-Tasking", I usually operate by doing several things at once, especially with my kids.  Like many people in our fast-paced society, I can thrive on an energy level that is akin to an adrenaline rush.  There's an illusion in this way of life that we need to be super busy and fast in order to be productive.  This can be described in Ayurvedic terms as a systemic Vata imbalance in Western society.  Everyone is rushing around like the wind, doing too many things at the same time and often missing the joyful subtleties that only stillness can reveal.  Especially in the dry, high-altitude climate here in Santa Fe, it's easy for the wind element to become aggravated.

Silver Linings In Injuries

One of the highlights of each year for me is the National Ayurvedic Medical Association conference.  To spend several days amongst the most open-hearted, brilliant healers in the world rejuvenates me and inspires my work.  Last week, precisely one hour before the conference began, I sprained my ankle.  While I got lots of amazing healing attention, it is uncomfortable for me to be vulnerable and in need.  So I sought to understand what lesson life was trying to teach me with this accident.  The obvious one was the need to slow down.  When I came to terms with that, I found a peace and calm that I had been missing lately.  I felt my entire nervous system come down a few notches, to a more grounded place where my heart could be open and my mind could be still.  By forcing me to focus on the simple act of walking carefully, my sprained ankle has brought me more presence of awareness in everything I do.

Slowing Down Before It's Too Late

During the NAMA conference, I heard more than one speaker share how it was only when they were crippled by an illness or a bad accident that they were forced to slow down and see how their previous lifestyle was self-destructive.  These are people who currently do incredible work in the world of healing and Ayurveda, and who may never have found themselves where they are today if those life-altering circumstances hadn't happened. 

One thing I realized is that I don't want something so extreme to have to happen to me to get me to slow down.  I will thankfully take a sprained ankle over cancer any day, if I can will that to happen. Hopefully, if I really take heed and practice more of a Vata-calming lifestyle, and not check my messages on my phone while stepping off a steep curb, grace will continue to bless my life with good health, happiness, and my beautiful family.

I share this experience with you because I hope to inspire everyone to also take a step back from life and see what lessons life is trying to teach you on a subtle level, so you don't necessarily have to experience a trauma or illness in order to wake up to what you can change or improve.  Still these things may happen, and even in that there is always something useful to learn.  Actually, nothing that happens is, in itself, good or bad.  It is only when interpreted and internalized that an event is considered good or bad.  So keep this perspective when something happens that strikes you as negative, and perhaps you will see that it is actually a blessing in disguise.