I am beginning to round into month 3 of Bells Palsy.  Love, sympathy, prayers, drives to doctors, acupuncture, homeopathy and gifts of aroma therapy, crystals, nourishing smoothies and soups poured in from my community. . . As news made its way through to my colleagues, friends and family I received so much support and love—including many stories of others in our circle who had experienced Bell’s and completely recovered. The shortest recovery was 2 weeks. Most said their symptoms were gone after about a month.  So many suggestions, opinions, options, treatments and ways to heal from this condition. . .

Our condition evokes our conditioning, which becomes expectations—belief about how things are; and interpreting how things should be (now and in the future).  For example, in our society of instant access we have new expectations about how fast (or slow) things should happen. That is a trigger too. . .

When an expectation goes unmet, it  becomes a trigger.  Expectations that remain unconscious can create greater suffering. When triggered they can block us from experiencing a connection with our own true nature, which resides deep within us, beyond expectations, conditions and conditioning.

Triggers, once we become aware of them, invite us to reconnect to and embody our Self.  Then we are free to discover what the circumstances we face bring to us. Whether expectations come from within oneself, from friends, family, culture and social conditioning—it is possible to be free, to be and become even more ourselves– independent of our circumstances.   I will speak more about knowing your triggers in my May 10^th Facebook Chat—about some of the universal triggers that cut us off from being true to our Self and true to each other.

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As I round my way into month 3 it occurred to me yesterday that my journey is a marathon not a two week or 30 day sprint.  When we sprint, we put a bit of a push into it—to get to the finish line.  A marathon is about pacing.  This circumstance is asking me to practice deep listening- to listen to my body’s energy. My body is my guide, coaching me when to take space, when to reach out, when to engage with others and be active; its telling me to pace myself and to pay attention to what boosts and drains my body’s energy, and to follow my body’s lead.

Today, I am thinking, instead of a marathon. . .maybe it is a walk along the path of life. . .

Maybe unexpected circumstances like this one slow us down long enough to smell the roses—to take time to breathe in the subtle, sweet fragrance of our true nature and become inspired by an unseen potential that rests deep within every moment.  Taking time to be with it, discover and experience what is happening right now more deeply.  This can give us the juice to go forward—into the mystery of the unknown.