Oh Very Young by Cat Stevens
Oh very young what will you leave us this time
There'll never be a better chance to change your mind
And if you want this world to see a better day
Will you carry the words of love with you
Will you ride the great white bird into heaven
And though you want to last forever
You know you never will…
Saying goodbye is hard.
Do you have a hard time saying goodbye? I do. Sometimes I almost would rather not even say goodbye but just move along and know that we will meet again sometime in the future.
Recently, my friend Steve’s dog of 14 years had more and more trouble with breathing and hip problems that caused her pain. It was so hard to see Callie in such distress. She has been such a sweet and zen natured dog. It was with great thought, respect for her quality of life and love that the decision was made to put her down. It is the hardest choice a pet owner has to make. How do you willingly let a member of the family go? With compassion and love. That is how. You evaluate the options and look at how happy and comfortable your furry family member is and then you have to sometimes make the tough decision to help them out of their pain.
Why am I talking about this on my yoga Lovenotes?
Because in hard times, being mindful, moving our body, writing thoughts down and discussing these hard to talk about topics are the most important thing you can do to help you through the tough transitions of life and death. It will help you to process the pain and relieve some of the stress it entails.
When you are feeling a loss some helpful yoga poses to do are twists. They move your spine and help get the fluids moving through your body. They twist your muscles and ligaments and open channels that may be tight or closed. They also squeeze your organs and get the blood circulating in spots that are stagnant.
Some of the best twists that I like to do are:
Lying spinal twist
Seated spinal twist
Try these twists on each side, holding the pose for 5 - 10 breathes on each side.