Having Cystic Fibrosis can often be isolating. It’s hard to schedule and follow through with plans when you never know what your symptoms will be. But it’s so important to try, you have to put yourself out there and hope for the best. Life is too short to live in fear of the unknown. Take a chance, even if you have to cancel! Don’t let your chronic illness define you. You are so much more than a broken link in the genetic code.

I recently spent three weeks at a yoga training in Big Sur, California. We were doing about 10 hours of yoga daily, waking up at 5 am, I had 5 roommates, and I was absolutely terrified about how I was going to manage my healthcare and energy levels during the immersion. I had moments of thinking that I shouldn’t risk my health and attend the training, but I’m SO glad I went. I had 30+ people in my training from all over the world with the most diverse backgrounds possible. We all joined this 300-hour training because of our love for yoga and it was an honor to experience the course with such an amazing group of individuals.

After spending a big part of my life in hospital rooms, alone sick in bed, in complete isolation I stepped into a place where I was NEVER alone. I had to face my fears and truly let go of the notion that I can’t do something because of my health. The training wasn’t easy, I had days where I had to sleep for 20 hours just to let my body recover, I had to deal with a cold humid climate when I’m used to a dry HOT climate (humidity is weird! How does everyone breathe that thick air!?), and I had to ask for help when I didn’t want to. 

The key to my success was to be as present as possible AND to know when I needed rest. I would try to attend all of the lessons and talks… but it wasn’t realistic to do everything. I learned that it’s okay to ask for help from your community. Those 30+ people held space for me, even when I had to rest and take care of myself. A couple of the days my lungs decided that they didn’t want to work correctly, and I had people literally help me breathe by holding my rib cage. My training was a HUGE lesson on prioritizing my energy for the weeks ahead. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the support of my community. 

If I had let my fear stop me from attending this training I wouldn’t have met all of those amazing people and I wouldn’t have experienced the best three weeks possible. Although I did get sick and had to leave a day early to take care of myself, I learned that I am capable of SO much more than I once thought. It takes a great amount of strength to know when you CAN do something, and when you have to rest. Stop letting fear control you, listen to your body and intuition and get out there. Go live your life and know that you CAN do anything. But also know, it’s totally cool to sleep for 20 hours and rest. It’s all about balance. Get out there and L I V E <3

 credit: Ellen Strzalkowski

 

 

 

Ashlee is 28 years old and lives in Reno, Nevada and is a past Grant Recipient of multiple CFLF Recreation Grants. She is a yoga teacher and enjoys spreading knowledge on health and wellness. If you have any questions please don't hesitate to reach out to her at ashleecmcdougall@gmail.com

 

 

 

 

                                       Help Others Live STRONGER and LONGER-