Monday, August 20, 2012

Look Left

Have you ever been given advice and you realize it fits in every area of your life?  I went to my physical therapist last week for my back.  I mentioned I'm having a lot of pain on the right side of my neck.  She worked on it, gave me some exercises to do but ended the session with a question.  She asked how I hold my head when I'm riding my bike.  I had no idea how to answer the question because I didn't know.  She told me to pay attention on the next ride.  Easy enough.

It has been a week and I realized I look right all the time.  When I run, I look right.  When I bike, I look right.  When I shop, I look right.  When I teach yoga, I look right.  When I talk on the phone, I hold it under my right ear as I do other things.  I couldn't believe it when I started to pay attention.

The simple solution would be to just start looking left.  It isn't as easy as it sounds.  Not only do I have to change where I look but I have to be aware of everything that leads up to looking right...where I sit, stand, run, etc.  It is uncomfortable to look left.  I don't like it but I know it will make the pain in my neck get better.

This brings me to the idea of change.  Life is full of habits.  Each day we go through our routines without even thinking.  We pick the same spot to stand in an aerobics class.  We have the same breakfast every morning.  It can feel uncomfortable to make changes to our routines.

Why is that?  Why do we get into a groove and stick with a routine?  What if it is hurting us?  I think about my neck and how now that I'm thinking about it and am looking the other way, it is refreshing.  I've started to notice what's on the other side of the street.  I'm starting to enjoy the change though I have to stay vigilant.  The old habits are lurking in the background.

And here is the work, the homework we'll say.  Think about what you do each day and find that moment when instead of looking right you can look left.

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