4 Tips for Taking Care of Illness & Injuries

Before embarking on my yoga and mindfulness practice, whenever I experienced an illness or injury, I used to think, "Why me?" "I can't get sick or injured now. It's going to throw off my yoga practice momentum." or "This isn't fair! How am I going to work now?" These thoughts then followed with feeling overwhelmed and anxious which made me suffer more, in addition to being sick or injured. My yoga and mindfulness practice has helped me over the years to see things as they are to accept, heal and recover.

One of the teachings of the Buddha and Thich Nhat Hanh are "The Five Remembrances" or five truths that the Buddha guided us to contemplate and accept: The second remembrance is:

I am of the nature to have ill health. There’s no way to escape ill health.

This remembrance might seem negative at first, especially when we want to focus on well-being in our daily life. I see it as a simple reminder that physical pain, illness and injury do happen sometimes and in many forms - aches and pains, a cut or wound, a bruise, cold and flu, headache, muscle sprain, and more serious illnesses. This remembrance is a reminder to embrace and truly enjoy our health when we are feeling well. And, when I do get sick or inured, I simply take really good care of my illness or injury so that the marvel of my body can heal with this loving and kind energy.

There are a few things that help me when I experience an illness or injury:

1. Gratitude

I learned from one of the nuns at Plum Village Monastery, Sister Dang Nghiem, that when I feel pain, to thank my body for its strength to handle the pain. I also practice gratitude for all the healthy parts of my body and that my body can heal when it gets sick or injured. Our mindfulness teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, also often reminds us to feel grateful for the pain because only an alive person can feel pain or suffering. 

2. Seeing the Illness or Injury as My Teacher

I now see that the illness or injury often teaches me so many things that I did not know before. For example, it has taught me to slow down and to take better care of myself and my body. Perhaps I was working too hard or practicing incorrectly and I needed this reminder to be compassionate and kind with myself. Naturally, this has led me to have more understanding and compassion for others with pain or illness.

3. Wonders of Life

I keep coming back to the wonders of life within me - my breath that is keeping me alive, the organs that are always working together in harmony, the well parts of my body; and the wonders of life around me - the blue sky, fresh air, trees, hot cups of tea, good food, loved ones, a comfortable bed to sleep in at night, etc. to help nourish my peace and happiness during recovery or when I’m feeling like it's all too much.

4. Nourishing my Body & Mind

When feeling unwell, I try to take care of myself in the best way I can with lots of rest, healthy food, lots of fruit and vegetables, drink plenty of water, spend time with positive people or watching happy TV shows and movies, and doing activities that make me feel good like reading a book by our mindfulness teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, restorative yoga or gentle walks in nature.

How do you take care of your illness and injuries? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

With a joyful smile to your health and well-being,
Sarah