Authors
Gloria Drayer
My mother died of a brain tumor in 2006. When I look back, I know that the grieving began at the time of her diagnosis, more than a year prior to her death. During her illness my siblings and I were able to participate a lot in her care giving. We bathed her, fixed her meals, and rubbed her feet – anything to make her feel comfortable. It was natural for me then to turn to my yoga practice to find calm and inner strength. It helped me be centered and connected to my mother’s final needs. I meditated in the morning before she woke up; but often there was not enough time to do a full yoga series, so my practice was simple and restorative. Many days I never got off the floor. I have always adhered to the advice, “Believe in what comforts you.” Yoga kept me calm and healthy. I could just be with my mother and not try to fix or change the situation.
Kathleen Doherty
Ironically, toward the end of our collaboration on this book, I found myself dealing with a catastrophic medical event. I did not have Gloria’s years of experience and discipline to help me face this sudden loss. In basic terms what I needed first was to “just calm down.” I am grateful for the support of family and friends but it was the alone moments, the times when fears loom large and the mind is full of questions for which there are no good answers, that I knew the work on this book was an unexpected gift. I relied mainly on meditation and journaling during my treatment and recovery, and listening to chant is what helped me to sleep at night. As I got stronger I was able to resume yoga and still rely on the gentle practices found in this book.