My themostat is completely on the fritz. I honestly have no idea any more if it is hot or cold, or just my hormones messing with me again.
I sleep with a bath towel and an extra blanket by my bed. I keep the window open so the dry desert night air cools the room. I wake in a clammy sweat, grab the towel and mop down. Then I quickly get chilled, and wrap up in the extra blanket and down comforter. When I’m warmed up I strip off the blanket and go back to sleep. A couple hours later, same routine. This can happen several times during the night.
The sweats continue throughout the day, starting at the back of my neck and radiating outward. When I’m biking, sitting in the zendo, eating dinner, doing yoga, whatever…flash! Zip down, strip off the layers, build em up again.
The older women nod knowingly. Oh yeah, they say, that. Don’t worry, it’ll pass. Hang in there—in two to five years, everything will be fine.
Hot!
Zhi bai di huang wan!
Congrats on your way to Crone-errificness! I will look to you for support in about 5 years…
First of all, what did Michael say? Second, hormones. Gotta love ’em. As I recall, we made them up. Such is the nature of our ever-changing ego bodies. When something weird happens to my ego body I’ve learned to see it as something asking to be heard and to teach. You know about the “something” that arose in my ego body last November. Taught me a lot. Yes, hang in there!
Michael say: zhi bai di huang wan! to which i reply, “butsu yo!”
(a zennie in-joke)
Michael’s an acupuncturist and practitioner of traditional chinese medicine. He prescribed me this medicine for the hot flashes, but i’ll have to wait til i’m back in vancouver to get some and test it out.
When i do my morning yoga i end with the prayer: “om namo guru dev namo” – i bow to the teacher in my own body. My body always does have something to say.