Thoughts about Mindfulness and Multiple Sclerosis

Thinking about the things that ail you can be a good thing or it can be a bad thing. Or, of course, it can be a ho hum neutral thing.

If a person thinks about things that go wrong with their health, and don't ever come to a resting point where they can think, OK, that's sorted out, on to the next thing, that can be very bad. If that occurs, a person may go over and over the same thing, never leaving it alone, and constantly adding terrible new things to the burden that weighs them down.

I have met and read of people who have Multiple Sclerosis like this. They almost wear their disease as a badge of some morbid kind of honour that says - 'I have MS, my life is worse than anyone else's life, woe is me!'

I could have taken this path when I became ill and was diagnosed with MS a year ago. I could have, but I chose not to. I wrote about my illness, shared it with others, wrote poems about it, studied it and thought about it.

My thinking about it wasn't round and round in circles thinking. My thinking was more 'OK, this is what I have, what comes next?' I left myself open to new ideas, and new ways of dealing with what I have. The old 'Use it or Lose it' adage was said to me often enough and by people I respected, that I had to pay attention to it.

Late last year, this adage led me to an exercise program that suited me and my circumstances. I began doing exercises with my Wii Fit Plus machine. This had lots of things that help with balance and one of the things that affects most people with MS is their lack of good balance.

I posted details about my Wii Fit program on my Facebook page and have received lots of positive feedback from my Facebook Friends. I have also inspired other people to get out their own Wii Fit disks and balance board and have another go at it.

I love hearing these kinds of stories, and it has helped me stay focused. Thinking about all of this and being at peace with my body as I help to keep it moving have helped me to. I pay attention to what my body says, resting if I have to, extending what I do if I can.

Listening to my own body, watching Nature as I sit outside and making connections and listening and responding to other people are all parts of my journey in this stage of my life. I hope my life will continue to get better and better as my journey continues. Please join with me as I travel!