I’ve been changing channels over recent months.
Still relishing the choice not to drink alcohol and all the gifts that that brings; still focusing on whole foods/few carbs, improved sleep, exercise that delights & renews body and spirit, still coaching ~ studying, reading, sharing ….and lately, doing more teaching.
Teaching is deeply ingrained in me. it was programmed into me by my dad when I was a kid and I went all the way with it, Masters Degree in Education, some years of classroom teaching before moving to Geneva – it felt so natural. And yet I welcomed a new profession when I began at UNICEF, in spite of the difficulty of a new path.. And there also came a time when I resented not having ever deeply considered what I’d really wanted to bring into the world, i.e. alternatives to teaching. I walked through lots of old resentments in my middle years. Then lately, I began to miss teaching.
Suddenly a few opportunities came my way to teach and I said yes.
Besides the Conversational English class at the University of Geneva’s UNI3 programme, an idea I’d set into motion in mid-July 2018 came to fruition: rolling out a class in my town on Writing Your Memoirs. It seemed like an alternate way of gathering a group interested in self-introspection and tools to continue to grow. That course, for which I developed a solid curriculum, took place on Thursdays in the Maison des Familles. Seven women had enrolled, in spite of hiccups with publicity for it.
Then a couple of weeks ago, I was asked by a friend who teaches Health Psychology at Webster University to teach the class on Mind-Body and Eating Behaviors. I expanded it to: Mind-Body-Spirit and Eating Behaviors/Body Weight. I bent over backwards to imagine what a class full of 20-year olds might find useful and which of the umpteen arrows in my quiver I could offer. Finally it came together, combining knowledge I’ve gleaned, foundational pieces from stars/mentors like Brooke Castillo and Dave Asprey, and a spiritual component all my own.
Following my own intuition, my own compass feels like True North to me right now.
And then my True North went due South.
On April 12th I went to the hairdresser for my semi-annual cut + highlights, then came home to a severe case of vertigo. Could not easily function in the world. Worried as I wobbled from bed to the bathroom at night. Needed to hold Brian’s hand when going to Geneva for medical visits. Tried using my nordic poles for stability when walking all the while feeling like my brain was swishing in my skull and my legs were walking on the moon. Then an ear blocked up. Then my eyes joined in with double-vision.
Turns out that ‘hyperextension of the neck’ (e.g. tilting the head backward for a length of time, such as at the hairdresser’s shampoo basin for about 40 min.) was a likely trigger. Who knew?
The osteopath I saw said that the neck position probably created ‘a perfect storm’ of cervical, vascular, cerebral/ear/eye issues. The ENT specialist ruled out some of the basic stuff and promptly sent me for an MRI that thankfully ruled out anything crazy-serious in the brain.
Finally, after 2 weeks of this, I’m improving. Not quite 100% just yet but getting closer.
Feels like a new twist on:
“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.” ~Joseph Campbell
As ever, it’s all about choice — how do I want to experience this? In spite of moments of not-knowing, times of discouragement and ‘why this-why me?’, I point myself to acceptance, looking for the gifts, celebrating the gifts of life in a body.