Just Love...

As most of you know I have the trifecta of the common autoimmune diseases. Asthma, eczema, and allergies. My skin has been teaching me some life lessons as of late. Today I share my most recent lesson with you. There are times when my eczema flares up because I pet an animal or ate something. There are times when it flares because it is eczema.

As I sit in the sand with the salt water coming up my legs it stings. The waves come and they go. Some Waves rush in with power just one after another, pounding. Sometimes they tickle up my legs gently like a small child trying to tickle. No matter the way the waves come they all sting. Through the sting, I am learning Santosha. Contentment in the moment. I’m learning to be without any judgement. To just be in the sunshine, in the rain, and in the sting. Sometimes I need the salt to clean the wounds of my skin. The ocean is teaching me to be okay with the sting.

When my skin flares up often others will ask well what did you do to cause this? What did you touch? What did you eat? When My answer is nothing… well, that is when the judgement is the worst. That is when I am ashamed of my body. Angry at my body. I envy the “normal person” I have deep sadness and embarrassment of and for my body.

As I sit in the sand with the salt water… it stings. I’m learning Santosha. Lately, life circumstances have had a sting. Just like waves, the situations continue relentlessly. Wave pounding in one after another; sting, sting, sting. I have been deeply hurt and saddened, bitter, angry, frustrated. I have felt betrayed and unloved. I know that you reading this know exactly what I mean. You have had your own waves, your own stings.

What I am learning from my skin is that it is like a rebellious teenager. My response should not be anger or shame. It should be unconditional love for my skin, my circumstances that are beyond my control. The answer is never the immediate emotion, the answer is in love. Unconditional love. Love the waves, love the sting. Love.

Bring your hands together now, rub them together to create heat. Then hold them over your ears, may you hear only love. Place them over your eyes, may you only see love. Place them over your mouth, may you only speak love. Over your heart now, may you give and receive love.

Namaste