I’m proud of myself.  I’ve managed to face one of my biggest fears this week. Being a total health freak I avoid anything to do with doctors, hospitals or medication. It’s one of the reasons I avoided insulin, but my ideals couldn’t prevent the inevitable. I’ve been struggling with a kidney stone for over a month and had to have it surgically removed.

I decided, that like childbirth, I was going to go through the procedure au natural ( no pre or post medication) I even went so far as to ask the doctor if he could remove the stone with local anaesthetic but he assured me that I wouldn’t want him poking around while being fully conscious.

My last hospitalisation was at the age of four. I remember breathing in a foul smelling substance, dreaming that piglet came to visit me and waking at 3 am with a full bladder, screaming for a nurse who never came. It was a highly traumatic memory and added to my distaste of the medical establishment.

Luckily my experience here in South Africa was quite the opposite. It was a relief to be greeted by smiling nurses, led to a swish room called under milk wood and eventually wheeled into the operating theatre. I had imagined a place of quiet, decorated with dark hues and faint classical music playing over loud speakers.

In stark contrast, the theatre was cold, bright and teeming with people. I was lumped onto a thin table, covered in a space blanket while a nurse assured me that anybody who messed with me had her to contend with. The next thing I knew the anaesthetist was telling me I would have nice sleep,

I awoke to an orderly handing me my 8mm stone in a specimen jar.

So that was it! No biggie, a few hours later I’m in my bed wondering what all the fuss was about.

I’m talking about the fuss in my head. I mean people have routine procedures everyday, people get kidney stones everyday. Doctors do this EVERYDAY!

As I lie here post surgery, dealing with the discomfort of healing, I have to admit, the body is a miracle. It can take so much more then we think. I’ve pummelled it with drugs, stents, tubes, minute camera’s and more in the last 78 hours and I’m still alive and kicking. This body is designed to survive and thrive.

It took quite a bit of courage on my part to get out of my own way, and it’s taught me an invaluable lesson. In spite of what I think might happen, or what I project, life has its own plans. When something happens don’t resist. Just say YES! It might not be comfortable but you’ll survive.

This week I offer you a different kind of Yoga practice

Practice saying YES…

With great respect…Rachel