Tropical evidence of injury recovery
A year ago, with knee hardware still in place (thankfully removed subsequently), I experienced many frustrating limitations in mobility while visiting our beloved Kauai. At that time, I could not swim, walk on the soft sand, or ride a horse due to lack of function in my knee and painful inflammation.
Much has changed since then, thankfully. Although the long flight to Kauai with cabin pressure and imposed hours of sitting are not in any way comfortable for my knee, the discomfort is manageable now after hardware removal.
On my first pre-dawn barefoot walk on the beach in Kauai, with incredible stars overhead, I accelerated into a run, just to explore possibilities. Nearly two years after injury, I not only ran but sprinted full out on the wet sand with dawn tinged surf chasing my heels! Oh, delight, joy, relief and happy fulfillment of desire! I ran with ease and total absence of pain every morning for several miles!
I was also able to swim in the warm rhythmic ocean waters, and to ride my equine friend, Paddy, without any structural difficulty. Of course, riding a horse with even a minimum of skill requires many challenges to use of the self! My excellent riding instructor, Eileen, directed me with skill to attend to a larger view and to send my legs away from my torso. The guarding of my knee after injury, in addition to life long habits of use, potentially diminishes contact with the horse and the unified field of awareness that good riding requires. Still, there I was, happily on a smart and sensitive horse, viewing the tropical world from a different perspective and awareness. There were brief moments of unity with Paddy that yielded tremendous joy.
But back to running on the beach on my own two feet: I noticed a new coordination in running due to all of the work I have done since injury. There is a spiral relationship between pelvis and legs that feeds from the ground impact, up through my legs and torso in a manner that I have not previously experienced.
Recovery from injury has actually improved my use in running. Gifts arrive through unexpected (and not always welcome!) means!
