In mid-August (2022) I sent out an announcement saying something like “I have shingles but our roof is fine.” Some of you mistook my quirky sense of humor and thought we were closed because of problems with our roof.

Our roof was fine. My head and face weren’t. I had shingles, an infection caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After recovery from chickenpox, the virus stays dormant in the body and can reactivate years later to cause shingles. 99% of adults 50 years and older in the U.S. have this virus. As we age, our immune system naturally weakens, increasing the risk of that activation. One in three Americans will develop shingles in their lifetime.

I am one of those 99% that has the virus lurking within, but I thought I was one of the two out of 3 who would never contract shingles. So every time my doctor suggested the vaccine, I passed.

That was a huge mistake. And that’s why I share this information with you. Don’t make the same mistake. Anyone 50 or older should get vaccinated. Shingles is no fun.

The sliver lining of all this for me is that I learned a lot. For one, my immune system would not have weakened if I had been practicing more ujjayi. That’s the breathing practice you do in class during the first relaxation (shavasana). Ujjayi can be practiced anytime, and should be! It’s profoundly healing and a terrific immune system booster. While I was ill, I intensified my practice, and I am sure it helped me heal faster than I would have (thank you, Sumati, for the ujjayi reminder!).

Another gleaning: When I was in California in May, some friends gave me a bag of coffee beans that I naively assumed were decaf. All through the summer I drank a cup each morning. I was like the Energizer Bunny. That one cup of “decaf” kept me going all day. And that was a problem. It camouflaged fatigue, so that I frequently neglected to take a break for yoga or ujjayi or a nap during the afternoon. The Energizer Bunny was going strong on the outside, but the battery was draining on the inside.

Still another: I am not invulnerable. I tend to think I am, but I am not. No one is. I need to admit that and slow down (yes, that again – see the previous post!), and as Swami Nirmalananda always reminds us, do more yoga! I implore you to do the same!

Update: Another positive outcome, a lot of people have reported to me that they are getting shingles vaccination.