Back in the Game

Becoming More Mindful

Not that I needed any sort of affirmation, but it sure is a good sign that I truly couldn't wait to get to school this past Monday morning and dive into preparing for the upcoming school year.  I know that not many people have the pleasure of actually looking forward to going to work, and that is not lost on me whatsoever.  I am so fortunate to be leading a school I love and doing the kind of work I know I was meant to do.

One topic I am passionate about bringing into my school moving forward is the idea of mindfulness in education.  I've been reading a a lot about mindfulness in general, because that really is the first step, but as I am taking the time to wrap my brain around it, I am starting to see why this is becoming a more prominent theme in schools.  I think it's essential that I practice being mindful in my own life first and experience the benefits before introducing it to my staff in the fall.  I want to be able to share with them how embracing mindfulness has improved my life, so I've got to make the change and reflect on the impact in the next couple of months.

What I've gleaned from my reading so far is that a mindful person works to be deliberately present, particularly during moments when emotions are highly involved.  Mindfulness allows for one to manage emotions in a way that helps maintain proper perspective and appropriate response in the heat of the moment.  I'm still working through which strategies work for me, but I've started practicing being mindful with my running, during times when I'm tired, achy, or even bored toward the middle/end of longer runs.  In these moments, it makes total sense to focus on my breathing, which is a huge part of being mindful.  I work to regulate my rhythm, envision taking in energy with every inhale, and getting rid of aches and pains with every exhale.  I run through a few different mantras that remind me why I'm out working so hard and what my ultimate goals are, and I think about some of my own personal mentors and inspirations.  I'm as skeptical as anyone when it comes to this sort of thing, but having put this into practice, even just minimally at this point, I know it works.  I'm getting over tough points with much more ease, making running even more rewarding than it was before, and as I get better at it, I'm sure the benefits will become that much more evident.

Great News!

In my last post, I'd pushed the pause button on training after a terribly painful shoulder issue had me at the doctor, looking at possible surgery.  It was stressful, waiting to get the MRI results, knowing that surgery would for certain prevent me from running my marathon in September.  Well, a week after the MRI, I met with the surgeon, and he concluded that I do not need surgery!

I was hoping for that outcome for obvious reason, but particularly leading up to the appointment, because the pain had completely subsided following the cortisone shot, exempt for one tiny tender spot, which is the exact spot that showed inflammation on the MRI.  He diagnosed me with Parsonage-Turner Syndrome, which is essentially a condition that can cause sudden, intense pain in the shoulder, extending down the arm.  There is nothing that can be done to prevent it from flaring up, but there is also nothing I can do to cause a flare-up, so as long as it feels good, training is on!  He said it was a very good sign that I responded to the cortisone, because that'll be the course of treatment if it happens again, which I hope is never again!


Game on, Suffolk Marathon!