This repeat podcast is from January 2017, and it’s one of the most downloaded ever in our 11-year history. The intro tells the story of how an MRI found an unexpected tumor in my spine and my mental process of dealing with the fear & preparing for the spinal surgery. There are lots of healing chants in the set, I hope you find them useful. It’s also timely for me to repeat this particular podcast, as I’ve recently found out I may need a hip replacement, a result of the way I had to walk when I had the tumor. I’ll tell you more about the timeline for that soon.
Next up we’ll have an interview with Miten where he tells us about his healing process after the open-heart surgery and how it affected the music on his new CD ‘Devotee’ — then we’ll have the start of the International Kirtan series with the podcast about Kirtan in China!
I hope you’re enjoying the beautiful days of autumn, my friends. Please enjoy the blast from the past. Namaste.
From the NWK Podcast post from January 20, 2017
In the essay “Be the Bison” from Gopi Kallayil’s wonderful book ‘From the Internet to the Inner-net‘ he writes that “when the swift & brutal winter storms strike in the valleys & mountains of Montana, the wind starts howling & heavy snow covers the ground. All the wild animals flee before the storm — except the bison. The bison is the only animal that will turn toward the storm, lean into it, and walk to meet it. It knows instinctively that if it does this, it will be out of the storm sooner. This is why Native Americans call the bison ‘Faces the Storm’.”
Isn’t that a great story? You may wonder what is has to do with this week’s podcast.
Last month an MRI found a mass in my spine, probably benign, that has been growing slowly for years and causing a lot of problems. The tumor is now blocking 90% of my spinal canal with severe compression of the nerves below it. Finding this was a complete surprise, but explains so many things. This type of tumor is rare but the prognosis is good, and my hope is its removal will relieve a lot of the pain I’ve been experiencing. Surgery is scheduled for January 25 — hence the need to be a bison, leaning into my fear & walking to meet it. I’ll tell you more in the introduction to the podcast.
The pain caused by this tumor has been limiting my life in so many ways. I’m grateful that it was found, that it can be removed and there’s a good chance of a successful outcome. I’m now focused on preparing for the surgery and the life that is possible afterwards, and I ask you to please send LOVE & healing energy on the morning of Wednesday January 25.
My intention has been to create a life of radiant health & beauty. If this surgery is the next step, then let’s get it done. The podcast will be on hiatus for a while while I’m recovering, but we’ll be back soon. Until then my friends — Namaste.