no yoga. doctor's orders.

Apparently practicing while experiencing spells of vertigo isn't such a good idea. Imagine that.

As loathe as I am to admit it, I am pretty type A when it comes to my physical fitness. (I was gonna say I'm a typical American, then I realized most of us 'merikans think fitness is part of the following phrase: "How'm I gonna fit'n this?") I tend to muscle through aches and pains, minor illnesses and headaches, and bouts of depression and anxiety.

Last week I gave myself the Friday after Thanksgiving off (my first day off in I don't know how long, after teaching a full 30-student class on Thanksgiving morning), so I opted to enjoy some free time with my better half instead of practicing. I felt obligated to practice Saturday morning to make up for that day off, even though I felt a little under the weather. Usually a practice makes me feel better.

Not this time.

Every time I transitioned from the floor to standing I thought I was going to fall over. Once we made our way to the floor series every sit-up made things worse. I went home after class wanting nothing more than to stay in bed for the rest of the day. I didn't, though. The fellow and I went to a train show, then had an amazing Mexican lunch. Then I rested.

I wake up each morning still feeling these dizzy spells. I went to my doc's office yesterday and she ruled out an ear infection, but she couldn't pinpoint anything else that could cause the vertigo. She's treating me for a cold, in hopes the vertigo is tied into the under-the-weather feeling. Now it's wait and see. And no yoga until the dizzy spells pass.

I keep telling people yoga is so great for your immune system and overall physical function. Now look at me. Doc says yoga is great as a preventative measure, but sometimes you have to listen to your body and take a break.

What?

I reckon this is one of those teaching moments. Can I learn to let go and accept that I need to rest, that my body needs to rest? Can I find other ways to calm my mind? As I walked my dog this morning I realized I could use this as a perfect opportunity to deepen my meditation. It also doesn't hurt that walking the dog feels good, and today the weather is spectacular.