Heart Broken and Scarred

18 years ago today I had surgery to fix my broken heart. It was a terrifying time, I went in for tests for something completely unrelated and within a day my chest was being sawed open. When I woke up from that surgery, even before they had pulled the breathing tube out I knew instinctively my life would never be the same. It was the birth of a new kind of yoga for me.

Yoga means union or connection. Here in the 21st century that means coming into greater intimacy or union with yourself, and your world. We all exist in a sweet ebb and flow called life. There are times of great joy and expansion, and times of strong, sometimes painful contraction. Yoga is cultivating the skill of being present for whatever is happening in any given moment.

On the yoga mat when we work with sensitivity and finesse rather than force, we learn to practice presence and fullness even within the most contracted positions. Off the mat, as we continue this practice of inner spaciousness we find that the nectar in living comes from staying available, alive and connected. That way even during challenging times we can experience the fullness of whatever moment we’re in, all the while knowing that this too shall pass.

My friend, photoguru Pete Longworth once said to me, “Let’s capture your scar, it’s important”. He was so right. The photo above is his work. And mine.

Photo: Pete Longworth