Yoga and Addiction is such a grim dark subject (NOT!), I had to counter it by upping my happiness quotient through good deeds – meaningful actions. Got the above for a teen who accompanied me to assist an Adaptive Yoga class at UC Berkeley Friday.
So a little reward for spending 2+ hours on campus just observing yoga teachers aiding an Adaptive Yoga class. To assist one must be min 18 years old so – unfortunately he could not help. I worked with 30-something young lady and her caretaker – This thirty-something, why don’t we call her “Anna” is normally wheelchair bound and has a conputer monitor to convey her words as Anna cannot speak. Yet she squeals in joy when some movement or touch feels good to her – I learned a lot from Anna.Thank you Anna for allowing me to figure things out about our body and mind; what’s normal, what’s the new normal … what is it like to not have freedom and control over one’s motor functions.
After the class – went to North Berkeley and stumbled into a French bakery. Treated this well-meaning teen to a Raspberry Dark Chocolate Cake – ahhh could not resist taking a little bite – ouuuuu – so sweet. Anyone addicted to sugar? That’s an addiction – food addiction, alcohol addiction, screen-addiction, hedonistic addictions, prescription drugs addictions … there are many kinds of addictions us weak mortals exhibit destructive behaviors with – why is that? How would a yoga practice help ? It’s an interesting module full of surprises. How does a mindfulness practice inherent in a yoga practice help heal?
*** Next months’s module is “Adaptive Yoga” and here we are, doing our homework before that actual intensive …
When Cal students come back, then these yoga students are in for a real treat as there will be such high ratio of assistants. Yeah hooray they get to get out of that wheelchair and move their limbs! You will be lifted out of immobility !!!
Experience that freedom to feel alive ! That we all take for granted.
Thank you for a valuable experience.
