In the early hours of a morning, during an extended hospital stay, a patient two beds along from me was crying and waiting for her next pain medication. I’d never seen her, me being flat and literally screwed to the bed. I was also so concentrated on healing myself, visualisation, repelling any infections and sending positive energy to my injury sites, I’d never engaged with the other patients. Deep full yoga breathing was working for me and I knew the Prana energy would help her too.
“Juleen? Are you okay?”
Crying, “No. It hurts.”
“Let’s breathe together. Can you put one hand on your tummy near your belly button and the other on the top of your chest near your collar bone?”
Crying.
“Let’s slow down our breathing and count the breath in and out to a count of eight or six maybe. Start by inhaling, filling the lower abdomen and feel the lower hand rise up, then fill the lower ribs and upper ribs. See the top hand rise. Hold the breathe in at the top for one or two counts, then exhale from the top to the lower abdomen, feeling the hands fall and lastly sinking the belly button to the spine. Again to a count of eight, inhale ..., hold ..., exhale... In your own time, inhale and exhale.”
Gradually her crying subsided and I heard her sleep breathing in the dark of the night. Some 45 minutes later, she roused much calmer.
“Juleen, how are you doing?”
Sniffling, “Okay.”
“You’ve been asleep.”
“Really?” Sniff, “Thanks.”
Remote yoga and the power of the mind! I still smile to myself and get goose-bumps recalling this teaching story.
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