Remember no matter where you are or how you're feeling, the next step, the next breath is always possible. The future is open - right? Find a TINY ISLAND below...they her best friends and life savers! My path is rocky, more so the last few days. I know it will pass. It always does. So here I am. I'd love to master it all, telling myself: "come on, just finally get this. You know of her challenges like no other. You got the tools, the awareness, the knowledge, the wisdom." With that, I mean the ability to keep a distance to my daughter's limitations, her triggers or chains if you will all to quickly can become mine. They are strong, they are mirroring everything I'm still learning. Yet, she doesn't function like us. Her brain understands the world differently. She takes me by surprise with all; her brilliance and limitations. Like on the spot, she withdraws and time doesn't exist. Something that worked a minute ago is gone now. I feel like I'm never prepared what comes next. And, don't we all have a craving for security, knowing it doesn't exist? I never know will she show up or not. I'm always the space holder, walking behind her, next to her and in front of her. All at the same time while keeping my own rhythm, my own sacred space in tact. That's the tough job of a special mom with a high-functioning autism daughter. "I should master this," I hear the voice say. "Be centered. Don't react. Stay calm. Keep a distance. Don't bite the hook." I do. I fail. I try again. I do better. And try again. There is a pain in the failing. A heavy cloud darkens our life. There is disharmony in my family when the dark escalates into black. Insecurity and fear find easy entry. They are suckers who want to win. I go to my Tiny Islands for help. Many times a day I choose to p a u s e to find clarity in my humanness. Nature is one island. It heals. So I went to my hill. Stood in silence and let the sounds of nature soften my grip, my fear of not being able to handle what was given to me. I opened my eyes to be in awe. I didn't look or search. I relaxed my eyes; I let my eyes receive and speak to me. The sky, the moss underneath my feet, the trees, the fresh and moist air on my skin. Life, life is breathing everywhere and filled my tired heart with trust, forgiveness and understanding. No feeling is final. I got this. Will I never be triggered again? Or course. It's how life is meant to be lived. But I can use my awareness to be present, honest and raw. Not filtered - not covered up - not diluted. TINY ISLAND Pause. 20 seconds. Breathe in and breathe out with a sigh. Notice
Breathe in and breathe out with a sigh. Remember: we can always do the next breath, the next step. The future is open. With love, 🌳Manuela PS: Joy is the antidote to defeat... AuthorManuela Rohr is a writer and Yoga teacher/therapist BDY/EYU, C-IAYT. With roots in Germany she now lives with her husband and daughter in Santa Rosa, CA. She is the mother of a micro preemie girl and shares her healing journey in her blogs and teachings. She shares her transformational Yoga and Mindfulness lessons in workshops and private sessions.
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THERE ARE NO ORDINARY MOMENTS! I took this picture today of our daughter Sarina on her morning walk. She has struggled lately with a lot of things, not getting up and in turn not having time to walk is a big one for her. This was her first walk for a few weeks. Everyone benefits from walking. In Sarina’s life attention and present moment awareness go hand in hand with the rhythm of walking. And the deeper breath. One cannot walk up a hill with the head in the clouds. She has to pay attention to her steps. Easy? Not when you have severe attention deficit. But – and that’s a hard truth, if she’s not self-motivated, it’s not happening. Her life becomes an obstacle course against time. I have seen this truth but have to surrender to the fact that she is now 28 and I can’t win every battle. Believe me I try! I have no choice but to let go. It’s a difficult ride for me. I keep failing every day and I keep going. And keep learning. “Acceptance is a small, quiet room,” says Cheryl Strayed. So, this was heaven for me! One moment that has the power to erase a chain of frustrations in my life as a special needs parent. As I watched her hike up the hill, the sky and the trees were hugging her and I thought: There are no ordinary moments. * It's easy to agree in a situation like this. Not so when beauty is absent, and we are hitting a wall. Many people live with limitations. Some visible some not. The path of a special parent is humbling like for all care takers. Decline of health or depression to name a few also put the breaks on. Special needs parenting is a life sentence. It’s not going to go away. We can fall into victim mode or learn to ride our horse instead. This week I’ll pin this photo on my desk. Relax the grip, breathe, accept and honor the present moment. Want to join? Print the photo or write yourself a note. It works. 👣 No time for a walk? Here is a Tiny Island** about a one-minute practice you can do on the spot including sitting down. If you can’t move, visualize yourself doing it. CONNECTING BREATH WITH MOVEMENT
NO ORDINARY MOMENTS! You can do this also in gentle running. The key is… do it! Enjoy it! Be grateful to your body moving and breathing. 👣Love always, Manuela PS: *Dan Millmann wrote a book called "No Ordinary Moments". It's a peaceful warrior's guide to daily life. I love this book like all of the books he wrote. It teaches us to live a life that puts you in the driver's seat. PPS: **Tiny Islands is a project I’m working on. To create more breaks, or even micro breaks in my day to fill up my cup. Using the tools from my yoga practice and life with my special daughter I’m collecting THREE-HUNDRED AND SIXTY-FIVE, yes 365 of them! And share them in a book with you. 2019 hear me roar😇. PPPS: Remember... forgive yourself and everyone... Manuela Rohr is a writer and Yoga teacher/therapist BDY/EYU, C-IAYT. With roots in Germany she now lives with her husband and daughter in Santa Rosa, CA. She is the mother of a micro preemie girl and shares her healing journey in her blogs and teachings. She shares her transformational Yoga and Mindfulness lessons in workshops and private sessions.
December 3rd was an important day for my family. It was the International Day of Persons with Disability. I wrote a blog for this day titled: Different - Not less. http://bit.ly/2L10cfG People who have "hiccups" like my daughter Sarina says, need us to support them to reach a life of BELONGING not ISOLATION. Or like Helen Keller said... together we can do so much.... The blog was published by The Wellness Universe, a fabulous platform you have heard me mention offering everything we can learn about MInd-Body-Spirit-Planet. Through them, my message is available to over 100k visitors each month. I have been invited to be a core blogger for them and will do so starting in January with at least one blog or blog series published every months. Can you imagine how happy I am to have a platform like this sharing my writing and my story? Writing has become my second passion besides yoga and mindfulness on and off the mat. Both of them work hand in hand. Both of them fuel my wish to be well and resilient despite the challenges I face with raising and living with our special daughter Sarina. They both support my passion as a teacher as they let me share my tools with you... one breath, one word at a time! I'd be thrilled if you have a moment to read my blog for two reasons:
Thank you! And while you are there, check out what The Wellness Universe has to offer. I know you will be inspired! Manuela Rohr is a writer and Yoga teacher/therapist BDY/EYU, C-IAYT. With roots in Germany she now lives with her husband and daughter in Santa Rosa, CA. She is the mother of a micro preemie girl and shares her healing journey in her blogs and teachings. She shares her transformational Yoga and Mindfulness lessons in workshops and private sessions.
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