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Miracles are things that we think CAN'T happen, things that contradict our logic, our rational minds. When these impossible things happen, our rational minds short out and fail us for an explanation. The default mode calls it a miracle. Practitioners of yoga continually experience miracles, things they knew they couldn't do or be. Brenda's story takes miracles to the nth degree, beyond anyone's, particularly medical science's, wildest imagination. Brenda, who was apparently completely physically limited by a tragic accident, used her yoga training to soar to mental heights most of us don't even dream of. Here is Brenda's story: Miracles with Thought by Bharata
Gail Evans is on the left and Brenda Cole is on the right. We have all heard teachers, coaches, and motivational speakers discuss the power of positive thinking. Thought power is a very strong force, because it is form that follows thought. We have all seen examples of how an individual’s thoughts and attitudes affect their lives. The results of daily challenges or opportunities greatly depend on a positive or negative mindset. Whether you think you can, or you can’t, you are probably right. In this issue’s column I would like to share with you the strongest, most positive example of positive thinking that I have ever seen-- the story of a woman, whose obstacles would make almost anyone give up and submit to life’s difficulties. Before Brenda Cole was accidentally shot in the neck in 1982, she was a very active, multi-faceted person. She worked full time as an executive secretary for a vice president with AT & T. In her spare time she taught yoga, was a Reikki healer, an herbalist , and a pilot who flew her own plane. She also volunteered as a paramedic with fire rescue, and drove her own Harley. At age 12, she learned to drive by racing cars on the track next to her mother’s restaurant. Brenda had everything going for her. After the accident, Brenda was a quadriplegic. She had no movement or feeling whatsoever from the neck down. Since her larynx was damaged from the bullet, Brenda could only whisper. Attendants had to literally do everything for her. Her doctor told her that because of the severity of her spinal cord injury she would never have any movement or sensation below the neck, and that she would not be able to sit up and function. Then, in addition to such shocking news, her doctor told her that she would probably not live longer than 5 years! Brenda told the doctor, "You don’t understand; I’ll do what I want to do." The doctor just shook his head and walked out of the room. Before the accident, Brenda had for many years been in the habit of rising at 3:00 a.m., and practicing yoga every morning. Now, lying in the hospital bed, her body’s alarm clock continued to ring at this time. Although completely immobile, filled with tubes and surrounded by monitors, Brenda’s body still screamed out at 3:00 each morning, ‘Wake up; it’s time to practice yoga.’ As we will see, beneath Brenda’s sweet , gentle exterior is a woman with incredible courage and tenacity. Every morning at 3:00 a.m., Brenda asked an attendant to play a cassette tape of a yoga class. Each morning, as disciplined as she had been when she had full body function, Brenda flowed through the postures - mentally. In real time, she visualized each stretch, bend, twist and balance, making the same movements mentally as she had once done physically. She visualized that she could feel her body as she did the postures. Since Brenda was not the kind of person to watch television, she continued this practice throughout the day, mentally doing the postures over and over. Between her "classes" she practiced yoga breathing exercises and listened to chanting and meditation tapes. Even in her hospital bed, her life was filled with yoga. One morning, about two weeks after following this daily routine, in the midst of doing the postures mentally, she felt a light on the left side of her ribs. It felt very warm. She felt like she could see and feel her ribs. A few weeks later she could feel some twitching in her toes. Six or eight weeks after the accident she started getting feelings back on the whole left side of her body-- from the toes to her head. But the right side was still totally numb. Even though the doctor had said she would never be able to sit up again, after a few months, Brenda was put into a wheel chair. She was not able to move, much less push herself, but she was sitting up, contrary to the doctor’s predictions. Brenda found a new challenge now that she was able to sit up. Whenever she was in the chair, Brenda visualized herself pushing the wheel chair. Although her body still remained motionless, her mind was continually in movement, visualizing her body’s recovery. The next big breakthrough came during a physical therapy session. When the therapist was moving Brenda’s hand that had a spoon strapped to it, suddenly Brenda’s arm moved by itself. Brenda recalled that it was after this point she always felt if she could do something just once, she could continue doing it and that eventually she would do it perfectly. She practiced this motion over and over again until she was able to do it smoothly and correctly. It was this first little movement that gave Brenda hope that one day she would become independent again. Even at this early stage she said she was able to see light at the end of the tunnel. Brenda’s spirit became unstoppable. With prolonged physical therapy, the support of family and friends and continual mental visualization practices, Brenda was able to regenerate sensation throughout most of her body. She eventually was able to push herself in a wheel chair. As she continued to improve Brenda added other disciplines to her recuperation. She started taking Chinese herbs to help fight off infections and strengthen her muscles. She regularly received acupressure and acupuncture treatments to balance the sensation in her body. After she returned home, she was taken everyday to the fire department where she had normally run fire rescue. Her friends there would spend hours helping her to stand up. She went to the local swimming pool and did water therapy three times a week, regularly received chiropractic treatments and continued her physical therapy. Eventually, with the use of leg braces and parallel bars Brenda was able to walk alone in therapy sessions. During her recovery Brenda also went back to flying. She solo-piloted her own specially equipped plane and later, thinking that if she could fly, she could surely drive, drove her own specially equipped van. As if this weren’t already enough, during this period, Brenda also went back to college full-time for four years, and became an ordained minister. In 1990, eight years after her accident, Brenda finally achieved her long awaited dream. With the determination that carried her through her long recovery, she was now able to live alone without an attendant. Currently, Brenda spends her life helping other people. She counsels people with varying problems and organizes fund-raising for people in distress. She even manages to attend a weekly yoga class for people with disabilities where the teacher physically moves her body through postures which she is unable to do on her own. Brenda’s spirit remains unbelievably strong and visualization is still a very powerful part of her life. She doesn’t see any roadblocks in life. What most people see in their lives as obstacles, Brenda sees as just things she temporarily can’t do. When she runs across a problem or a challenge, she goes to sleep at night trying to visualize a solution to the problem. When she wakes up, an answer comes to her. Sometimes the answer is different from what she thought it would be, but visualizing positive results is always an effective way to solve problems. Brenda still hasn’t figured out how to drive a Harley yet, but sometimes, with a twinkle in her eye, I have heard her talking about getting another Harley and mounting a side car. Considering Brenda’s track record, I wouldn’t bet against it.
Brenda & Bharata Networker July-August 1996 |
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