I find it striking when a person highly trained in scientific ways of knowing has an experience that goes beyond what she had learned in her academic and research settings. Several years ago I read Stroke of Insight by Jill Bolte Taylor. Jill, a neuroscientist, experienced a stroke at the age of 37. As the stroke came on and manifested, she was aware of her experience in excruciating detail. Here she was an expert on the brain and its processes,  experiencing a dramatic brain event. She observed herself lose functioning in major significant areas– walking, talking, eating and much more.  Miraculously she was able to recall it and write this work. She details a fascinating account of a view from inside a stroke. Most important to me not only did she recover herself to behave and think like you and me, she understands what worked for her to accomplish this astounding feat.

Here I list her key points.  As you read, you will find as I did a tremendous parallel with the processes and attitudes advocated in these posts, starting with the number one on Bolte’s list– appreciating as much and as often as we can.

• Run appreciation and gratitude as much as possible.
• On the path of recovery, appreciate and applaud every positive step of progress.
• Surround yourself with supportive individuals whose presence soothe and nourish you.
• Get plenty of sleep and rest frequently and as you need it. Honor your flow of energy.
• Relish your senses. Enjoy and feel into the sensuous details of being in your body.
• Take charge of what thoughts you think and which emotions flow in your being.
  • This will take practice. In her state of damaged brain she felt acutely the effects of negative thinking of various stripes. She realized she could choose what ran in her brain and she used her will to steer toward uplifting thinking as a key strategy. He applied it both for recovery and then to increase enjoyment of life as a fully functioning being!

Isn’t it exciting that Jill came upon this deep wisdom directly from her own rich and challenging experience? From Dr Bolte I feel greater inspiration to pause and appreciate my sensual experiences with more depth and presence. These ways of being, healing and growing worked for her to promote what many agree is a remarkable, even miraculous recovery, a process that spanned more than a decade.  As you have read, I personally testify that these ways of being with oneself, ways of thinking and feeling, work for me too.  Want to read the list and see if one offers you something new with which to experiment?

Want  assistance using these suggestions in your life? Please contact me for some personal attention. Reach me at at jpearl@streamofyes.com. And please know I love hearing your comments on the posts!