It's been a week, It's been a year!
On Monday I celebrated 55 years of occupying this earthly body. I woke a bit tired and sore on Monday, but not because the years are getting the best of me; rather I'm getting the best out of my years.
It's been a year! As a 54th birthday present I was hit with Shingles so bad It landed me in the ER with pain that brought me to tears daily for three months. I was feeling the strongest I had in years then Boom! I often wanted to just curl up, it was hard. Through it I continued to move my body as much as possible. I bandaged myself, slapped on a backpack and hiked 1270 ft up Dorr Mountain, I cycled, ran and tried to keep up my fitness but, I'm not going to lie It was hard and took a toll on me. I knew it was not life threatening; however, I needed to dig deep mentally so it didn't get the best of me. I relied heavily on my meditation practice, and my husband, for support and still do. A year later I'm living with postherpetic neuralgia. This is now possibly a permanent part of the body I occupy so best I learn not to resist, as Carl Jung states, “What you resist, persists”. Accepting the discomfort is not going to make it go away but, as I learn to respond with acceptance, it loosens the grip of suffering. During my meditation, my thoughts often went to the story I've been told repeatedly. "You’re getting old, you need to slow down, It's all downhill from here...." and so much more. But that is just a story, it is not the truth. Yes, I am a year older but I'm not slowing down and the only hill I'm going down is the decent from the peak I just bagged!
The year has not been all gloom and doom. It was amazing! I set out to accomplish many things and although some racing goals got sidelined, I was able to double down on some personal and professional development goals. I received my ACE Heath Coach Certification, my Kripalu Certification as a Mindful Outdoor Guide, and completed 200hr Yoga teacher training. I was accepted into and began a 2yr Mindfulness & Meditation Teacher Training with Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield. And, I have met some of the most wonderful and inspiring like-minded people.
As I head into this year I am filled with excitement as I plan my next adventure, dive further into my Meditation Teacher Training, and begin my studies as a post-menopausal well-being specialist.
Why am I sharing all of this? If you know me, you know I'm not usually so open and are probably thinking "What's gotten into Jenny?" Well, all of the studying and meditation teacher training won't do much good if I keep myself behind the curtain. It's been said growth happens when you take a step outside of your comfort zone. I'm not sure agree. I have grown quite nicely within my comfort zone for 55 years. But, here I am wrapping myself in a new dress and stepping out. If you've read this far you’ve probably surmised my goal is to support women as they navigate the post-menopausal years of life. Here I am, 55 years old growing and becoming every day! As said by Diane von Furstenberg, "Aging is out of your control. How you handle it, though, is in your hands."