About me and my life so far
I am 70 and sitting here trying to think what are the most significant factors in keeping me and the multiple sclerosis free of pain killers and still living in my own home. In the mean time here are some of the possible explanations:
Yoga as a way of dealing with pain
38 and a half years of yoga, apart from the obvious things like stretching, balance, circulation, flexibility of joints, have given me two ways of being that will have helped me deal with the pain.
- If a body movement hurts while you are doing it but doesn't hurt afterwards you haven't done yourself any damage. So it's alright to push yourself in other words.
- You take yourself to your limit of pain or stretching, take three deep breaths and try again. You invariably find that you can go further.
Turning events into experiences
The years of yoga and meditation have taught me to stand aside from what my body or mind are doing. This has given me a more charged awareness of what is happeneing around me so, although I am house/and wheel chair/ bound, I am able to derive great joy in the little things of life. For example, just sitting under the walnut tree with the rabbit and both of us watching a light sprinkling of rain fall.
Diana's beautiful secret garden, starring the walnut tree.
A passion for beauty
This passion has gone in three directions.
- Words, literature, especially live theatre and writing.
- Classical music, and although I can no longer play the piano or sing, I can at least listen.
- A great love of the natural world, and especially the sky
Diana's cherry tree in spring
Problem solving and a sense of achievement
I have been blessed with the ability to solve problems and multiple sclerosis offers lots of them. When ever I find my way round yet another hurdle, I have a sense of achievement. Whether the problem relates to getting me on and off the bed or turning pages when I am reading, which we solved with the help of magnets and paper clips.
A life rich in human contact
I either copied or inherited from my parent a capacity for deep and genuine friendship, some of which go back 50 or 60 years.I still have heaps of visitors who share their life stories with me. Now that I need carers, I have met a much wider range of people from different ages groups, nationalities and ways of life, so my head is layered with stories.
Diana Neutze with friends on her birthday, March 2009
Fierce, independent, disciplined
I was lucky enough to have inherited, from my mother's father I think, a particular way of being. Fierce: I am stubborn and do not give up easily. Independent: I enjoy my own company and any autonomy I can still achieve. Disciplined: I am good at maintaining a structured routine and would probably be lost without it.