Healing me from the inside out
Giving my corneal graft the best chance it has and just learning to cope with this scary situation is going to mean more than just eating good food. I'm really anxious about my eye, I can feel the stitches scratching against my eye lid almost all the time, my eye lid burns and I'm just so tired. I often wonder what the immediate future will be like, can I go back to work on Monday and handle working full time in front of the computer? I already have accessibility software set up for my vision impairement, so it's more about whether I'll have the energy to get through the day. Can I drive at night again? With my contact I get good vision, but if I'm wearing it during the day I run out of 'wearing time' at night and I can't be somewhere and have it fog up, otherwise I won't get home.
So all of these thoughts and stressors mean that I need to heal me as a whole, the anxiety can't be good for my eye and I'm a believer in the theory that our thoughts can create our illnesses and I don't want to let my fear cause my cornea to reject, or this to happen to my other eye. I am a long-time supporter of Louise Hay and her books on Heal Your Life and I have a wonderful library of healing and spiritual books so I knew exactly where I needed to turn. Plus my study as a Health and Wellbeing Coach has taught me heaps of great tools.
Affirmations
Step 1 is to change this negativity and fear into positivity with affirmations. Louise Hay, Wayne Dyer, Tony Robbins and other famous influential figures all talk about the importance of affirmations. They help us focus on goals and if we repeat them with integrity, they can replace our negative thoughts.
There are a few I started with:
I am at peace with what is
I see the world with love and joy
I am safe, I am loved
Good practice is to repeat these 5 times each, 3 times a day in front of a mirror, looking straight into your own eyes. But I'm not that disciplined at the moment and am mostly saying them when I feel the anxiety kicking in, it still works just as well so I encourage you to do what you can. Check out my Affirmations page for more affirmations to help with your healing journey.
Meditations
Step 2 is to incorporate daily meditations into my life. The easiest way to do this is to go to YouTube and search for 'guided healing meditations'. You can select a meditation for the amount of time you have and a voice that resonates with you.
The week before my cornea perforated I started a 10 minute morning meditation where I would sit down, put on some relaxation music or sounds and I would meditate on the mantra 'I am at peace with what is...'. To do that all you need to do is to put on your chosen music and set your phone timer for 5, 10 or 15 minutes. Then get in a comfy seated or lying down position, close your eyes and focus on your breathing, breathe in and breathe out. Once you are comfortable with your breathing then start saying in your mind 'I am at peace with what is.' Thoughts will pop in and out, that's ok, just acknowlege them, let them go and concentrate back on your breathing and saying 'I am at peace with what is'. Before you know it your timer will go off and you feel relaxed and reengergised. Your body and mind will thank you for taking the time to nurture it.
I will be writing my own meditations that I've used over the last few years to help me through my eye healing and relaxation. They'll be on my Heal Yourself Page soon.
Nutritious food
Step 3 is to eat nutritious food. In my first few days at home I noticed I was going to the pantry for chocolate, biscuits and hot cross buns (it is Easter after all), so I realised that I was going to have to make my own healthy snacks. I've always loved cooking and inventing recipes so it was easy for me to get in the kitchen and come up with some tasty nutritious treats. Check out my recipes page for some healthy recipes or read my earlier post on Food for Sight (23 April) to see what nutritious food is recommended for healing our eyes.
Physical activity
Step 4 is to keep moving. We have all been told how important physical activity is for the body and the mind, and even though I am unable to do my favourite activities at the moment - jogging, yoga and weights, I do need to keep my body moving. I started easy with a 20 minute walk and as my strength builds up I hope to do my 45 minute walk that includes a bit of a hill. I'm a bit nervous about stretching as yoga is a no no, so I'll just stick to walking for now. Although, I should probably do sit ups because my belly is noticing the lack of activity ...
I can do this!
I am at peace with what is.
Miss Nat xoxo