Where the Rubber Meets the Road
Friends,
On Saturday, I was in a car accident.I was heading up to see and celebrate my daughter, who was performing in Berkshire Theatre Group's production of Footloose, and another car pulled out right in front of me onto the main road as I was traveling at 35 mph.
When people talk about instances where "your whole life flashes before your eyes…" they aren't kidding. In less than 2 seconds of seeing the white car right in front of me, realizing that there was no way out, hearing the sonic crunch of metal, and the pop of airbags inflating all around me, time both sped up and stood still. I remember thinking; 1. what is she doing? 2. Oh my God, I am about to get into an accident; and 3. Is this how it ends?
Going from 35 to 0 in no time flat is shocking. After the crash, I immediately and instinctively checked myself. No cuts. Can I move my head and limbs? I'm conscious and ALIVE. Then the car started filling with noxious smoke, and I was worried there was a fire in one or both of our vehicles. I had to get out, but the door was jammed. Thank goodness for adrenaline as I pivoted on my seat and kicked the door open enough to crawl out where bystanders had pulled over and were on the scene to help.
In true mama form, my next thought was, "Dammit, I'm going to miss Lotus's matinee."
I believe so thoroughly in the practices of yoga and Ayurveda. If you are reading this, you know that I teach them and live them.On the side of the road, waiting for the first responders, the pain growing in my left hand and my teeth starting to chatter from the shock of the accident, I stayed calm and lucid. I literally said to myself, "Okay, Kari. This moment is what you've been practicing for. You got this. Breathe. Press your feet to the ground. Meditate on the pain. Find its source so you can tell the EMTs when they arrive."
I was taken by ambulance and checked out by the ER doctors and nurses; I was released with a splint and a sling for a thumb sprain with a possible wrist fracture. Definitely feeling some whiplash now, too, two days post. But I am FINE.I am RESILIENT.And so profoundly GRATEFUL.
Grateful for this life. Grateful for all of my loved ones. Grateful for my solid car with all the safety features. (It's totaled now.) And grateful for my years of practice, which kept me calm amidst the chaos.Perhaps you have had a similar experience where life throws something at you, and you know that you handled it better because you practice yoga, meditation, and breathing.These tools are for life. Because life is like that. And it can all change in an instant.
What are you grateful for right now?
With so much love,
Kari