Sometimes You Just Need Help

Day EIGHT

For the last two nights, I laid in bed coughing so much so that I would only find relief at 4am when I would finally fall asleep.  My cough didn't improve and I could feel my lungs, discomfort in my shoulder blades, ever time I took a breath.  I decided to see a doctor, who told me that I had a bacterial infection with a slight case of bronchitis.  She prescribed 5 days of antibiotics.  Drugs!  Hooray!  Relief is in sight.  I'm not one to reach for medication easily.  My preferred route of healing remedies is the "natural" way but when my body can't kick a bug after a prolonged period, I call in the big guns.  The last thing I need is full blown bronchitis or worse, pneumonia!

I got to the Doctor's office at 11:30 and didn't see her until 1:30!  Despite the immense frustration of waiting, I was grateful that she could squeeze me in without an appointment.  While waiting, I started getting anxious about getting to yoga.  The last class at my neighborhood studio was 4:30 and my regular studio at 5:00.  And even if I was done with the doctor, I was with my mom who helped me, and we were starving and had to eat.  As I was about to resign myself to skipping yoga, I realized, "Wait.  I live in New York City for goodness sakes.  There MUST be another studio that has evening classes on a Saturday night." 

Thankfully, BikramYogaNYC (the first to open a bikram studio in the city in 1999) with its 4 locations, had a 7 and 8pm class at its Upper East Side Location!  (I just checked:  there are 13 studios in Manhattan alone with another 8 studios in the other boroughs).  What a relief but man, it took effort and extra cash to get in this day of yoga!  I missed the 7pm class by minutes.  Argh!!!!  Annoyed but thankful that I wouldn't miss a day, I plopped down at a nearby Barnes & Noble to kill time.  

8pm with Connie had only 10 people.  I originally set up in the second row but I was wearing my eyeglasses and without them, I'm blind as a bat so I moved up to the first row.  Tonight's class was similar to last night's.  I couldn't get myself to inhale and exhale strongly in pranayama, which did not bode well for me.  By awkward, I was starting to feel weak and by eagle, I was spent.  I talked myself into staying strong and in standing forehead to knee, I nailed it on both sides but it took everything I had.  By standing bow, I had no more fight and no more stamina.  I sat out for the first set of triangle and a set of standing separate forehead to knee.  By this time, Connie handed me an Emergen C packet and I took some, almost chocking on the bubbling concoction in my mouth.  She encouraged me to get up for tree and I did it and toe stand by reaching deep within.  By the gas station, I was couldn't be still because I was coughing.  I managed to get through the floor series doing the best I could for today.  I felt soooo hot that my back tingled as I realized an egg could fry on it.  I was so grateful when Connie opened the window and the door.  My lungs felt clogged and my body and mind just felt drained and tired.  Despite the struggle, I am grateful I got to class.  I am grateful to be alive.  I am grateful that my body can heal itself.  Life is still and always will be beautiful.