A yogi with implants December 18, 2008
Posted by admin in : Health Tags:8 Limbs, awareness, breast augmentation, breast implants, ethical guidelines, insecure, integrity, judgments, non-injury, Pantanjali, self-conscious, yoga philosophy, yoga teacher , 3commentsIf you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
There seems to be a lot of controversy in the yoga community as to whether or not a yogi should undergo breast augmentation, but who is to say what is right or wrong when it comes to someone else’s body? We all have the freedom to do as we choose, but yogis tend to be judged more harshly because having something artificial surgically implanted in the body does not fall in line with the basic core principals of the traditional yogic lifestyle, as described in the Yoga Sutra of Pantanjali.
I found myself at a crossroad about a year ago when I went in for a consultation to speak to a plastic surgeon about getting implants. I spent hours on the internet researching everything there was to know and there was a ton of comprehensive information on what type of implants to get, what size, risks, costs, sensitivity, side effects, types of incisions, saline vs. silicone, complications, testimonials, and how to choose the right plastic surgeon, but nothing made mention to the fact that my body would spend the rest of its life trying to break down the silicone-rubber shells because the body’s ego-system would never accept the implants as part of the natural order of life within the body.
No matter which way I looked at it or how I tried to rationalize it in my mind, the bottom line was I was going to pay thousands of dollars for something I wasn’t even sure my body would accept. Had it been a year sooner, I probably would have done it, but I was being pulled towards a more holistic way of living and my conscience would no longer allow me to go through with it. It seemed hypocritical for me to preach about how bad partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and paraben chemicals were for the body and then turn around and have artificial breasts implanted in mine. It seemed to go against everything I believed in as a yogi so I had to consider my reasoning for wanting to get it done and what the implications would be if I went through with it.
Yoga wasn’t just about the physical asana practice…it was about every aspect of my being. It was about making an effort to live up to a certain standard that supported an overall healthy disposition because yoga wasn’t just an age-old sacred practice, but a healing art and highly respected philosophy. The Eight Limbs of Yoga, as described by Pantanjali, seemed to endorse an overall healthy lifestyle and a more fulfilling and meaningful life so I could easily see how following the 10 steps could lead to virtuous transformation and self-realization. I wanted to uphold the core values as closely as possible and getting implants didn’t seem to be in integrity with the values I was trying to uphold as a yogi.
I really wanted to go through with the surgery, but I also wanted to embody the art of right living and the sacred union between the mind, body, and spirit as much as possible so I realized I needed to look at the root of why I was feeling self-conscious and heal whatever insecurities I had before making the decision to move forward.
Through a committed yoga practice, I got more in touch with my body and in the process, I learned how to love myself and build confidence I never had growing up. I finally felt good in my body for the first time in years and although I still wanted the surgery, I made the decision not to go through with it, but that’s not to say others should do the same, as we are all walking along different spiritual paths. We need to make decisions based on what’s best for our own bodies and it’s not for anyone else to judge.
We live in a world where beautiful models and porn stars are idolized, but even they are not perfect. We all have insecurities or hang-ups and we can’t compare ourselves to the celebrities we see on television. Our world is so judgmental; it’s no wonder we never feel good enough. It was important for me to be able to love myself and be happy in my own body so I had to let go of the self-defeating thought patterns I had grown accustomed to as a child.
Everybody has the right to feel beautiful and if that means undergoing surgery than so be it. It’s just important to think long and hard about what’s right for you because breast augmentation is a big decision and you might be judged as a yogi, but it’s your body so it’s your decision…just make sure you’re making an informed decision so there are no regrets later.
A not-so-well Yogi November 16, 2008
Posted by admin in : Health Tags:Back to Nature, Guna, homeopathic, organic, organic chicken soup, organic saltines, remedies, sinus infection, sinus spray, sinuses, Wolfgang Puck , add a comment
The only thing worse than being sick is being sick without someone to take care of you. This week was miserable. I woke up at 5am on Tuesday morning with a migraine and sinus infection. It seems as if once a person has a sinus infection, she is prone to sinus issues the rest of her life. Of course I couldn’t go to the doctor because I didn’t have health insurance so I had to suffer through.
The pressure in my sinus cavities was debilitating. I couldn’t see straight and my head throbbed as if the infection had a life of its own. My eyes hurt…my teeth hurt…my face hurt. The migraines were so bad I wanted to vomit. All I wanted to do was lay still until the infection ran its course, but I didn’t have the luxury of being able to stay at home and get paid like I once did as a corporate employee so I had to find the strength to pull myself out of bed and teach my classes. Its truly amazing what our bodies are capable of because I don’t even know how I managed to get there, let alone, teach. Before each class I would sit in the parking lot and pray for the strength to survive and by the will of God I was able to find the energy to get through each class.
The drive home was unbearable, but Wednesday was the worst, as I was stuck in traffic and it was raining and my head was ready to explode. I felt like I was in a pressure cooker and at full capacity. I had reached the threshold and was at my absolute limit. I came close to pulling over, but I desperately wanted to be home and in my own bed so I pressed my fingers in to the pressure points surrounding the sinus cavities to relieve as much pressure as I could, but the pain was pulsating through every cell in my body. I started to cry, which only made it worse, but I didn’t know what else to do. I felt like I was dying a slow painful death.
I wanted to die. It had to be better than living in such agony, but instead I found myself in an argument with my alter-ego. I just sat there and observed the ridiculous conversation going back in fourth in my head. One voice was saying, “Get over it…what are you crying about…crying isn’t going to make it any better…get a hold of yourself…you’re a wreck.” The other voice was sobbing and screaming out in pain. “Dear God…please help me…make this go away…I can’t take it…its unbearable…I’m begging…please.” There I sat as these two voices bickered back and fourth like two little kids. I was irritated and wanted them to both shut up, but it distracted me until I pulled in to my driveway so the insanity actually got me home.
I went on-line to look up homeopathic remedies for sinus infections and I found some crazy sites. One of the pages I pulled up had 600mg of ibuprofen as the first cure in a litany of remedies. IPUPROFEN??? Homeopathic??? Are you kidding me??? Another site I pulled up said to squeeze fresh garlic and then drop the juice in my nose with a ear dropper. Right! Fresh garlic juice in my nose…that sounds pleasant. Oh, and another site said to sniff ginger powder up my nose. Yes, even better. There was even a disclaimer that said, “These suggestions are extremely unpleasant, but effective.” I was already unpleasant. I didn’t need to know another level of unpleasant. I would much rather suffer through the pain than sniff garlic or ginger up my nose…yikes!
I just happened to have a chiropractic appointment for my neck the following day and my doctor knew just enough Chinese Medicine to relieve some of the pressure and then he gave me a bottle of this homeopathic sinus nose spray by Guna. He said it was the most effective stuff he’s ever used so I was willing to give it a try even though I didn’t think anything homeopathic was going to win the battle of this one, but it proved to be just short of a miracle. I have never seen something work so quickly and effectively in my entire life. Now getting the thing to work was a whole other story.
My doctor just sprayed it in the air and said, “See…just like that…a couple sprays in each nostril and you’ll be cleared up in no time.” Well when I tried to spray it in my nose it wouldn’t work. It just leaked out the top and then ran down my nose. It was an absolute mess. I tried spraying it without the nozzle being in my nostril to see if I could get it to work and not only did I get it to work, I shot myself in the eye. Yes, that felt great. I was already close to having a melt down and then there I was screaming out in agony as my eye burned through the pain of whatever was in the bottle I just sprayed.
It was not a good afternoon, but I slowly started to feel better each and every day and now it’s Sunday and I’m just about 100%. I’m still a bit congested and feel a little run down, but I’m hoping another good night’s sleep will be just the antidote. It’s no fun having to take care of yourself and make yourself chicken soup, but thankfully Wolfgang Puck makes an organic old fashioned chicken noodle soup AND Back to Nature makes organic saltines. God bless both of them!!! They were my saving grace.