Hi friends, for the next two weeks of episodes, the poet Shira Erlichman will be back in the

host chair, I'll return on October 30th.

I'm Major Jackson, and this is the slowdown.

My relationship to my body changed after I became ill during the pandemic.

I felt, more than ever, my mind functioning separate from my body,

as though in doubt with its own agency, vulnerable to the environment,

I sat in bed with my laptop, used tissues riding the wave of my comforter,

researching my symptoms.

Mentally, I processed every element in the clearest of scientific terms,

the chills and muscle aches down to my persistent cough,

but my body was the authority which experienced these symptoms,

and followed the curve of healing at its own pace.

That separation of mind and body made me consider pursuing holistic recovery.

Adding aspects of healing I had previously overlooked.

In addition to the medication that treated my physical symptoms,

I sought to take care of my mental and emotional elements too.

In between long bouts of sleep, I meditated on a favorite passage of poetry.

I made a slow walk around my backyard, and listened to music that instigated reflections

of my more vibrant self.

I spoke to my body, good morning lungs, how you doing today?

Since then, I have embarked on and, gratefully, sustained a deeper level of self-care and stewardship.

Today's poem speaks a truth about bodies.

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