Category Archives: yoga

Bird Signs and Progress!

  March 27, 2013 - 1:48 PM | , , ,
12 Comments

Craig and I just finished our taxes this past weekend. Not fun.  Especially when I have to write out a check to the government.  It was nothing I didn’t expect, though.  I knew I’d owe – I just didn’t know how much.  Working as an independent contractor for Patty had minor drawbacks like that. 

I went to Hot Yoga on Friday.  Scratch that  – I dragged myself go to Hot Yoga on Friday.  All these months suffering with back pain has made me focus solely on caring for my back.  In the process, strengthening my legs have not been a priority.  My instructor had us do so many squat-related poses that by the time class was over, my legs felt like spaghetti. Nothing that would hurt my back if I didn’t do them – just my ego.  I used to be able to do all of those poses this time last year.  Now, not so much.   I have no choice now but to go every Friday and strengthen this wobbly body of mine.  Come on, muscle memory; show me what you’ve got!  Whenever I’m feeling like I’ve regressed I need to remind myself that progress comes with every little step, regardless of how small. 

A good example of such progress: my skills as a painter are indeed improving. I see it.  I feel it.  I’m more confident and I look forward to creating and sharing my work with others.  Birds seem to be my obsession lately.  I bought my first bird – a canary named Lady, when I was a sophomore in college.  She lived almost 12 years and was completely blind before she died, but that girl could warble her heart out.  Since then I have had a love affair with them and recently decided to paint a series of some favorites. 

I’ve been having run-ins with a few of the birds I’ve been painting.  Odd but wonderful run-ins.  Remember my sandhill crane?

 

A few days after I painted him I was walking the dogs at the park and noticed a flock of cranes swirling over my head. If you’ve ever heard these birds communicate with one another then you know they are impossible to miss (they’re quite loud!)  On two separate occasions later the next week when I went out to get my mail from the mailbox, there again were cranes hovering overhead long enough for me to stop and watch them for as long as I wanted before forming their traditional V pattern and moving on. Each time I saw them I think my heart swelled to twice its normal size. 

My second run-in happened right after I finished painting my red-winged hawk this weekend.

watermarkhawk

I put away my watercolors and grabbed my coat so that Craig and I could go grocery shopping.  While heading down the road a red winged hawk flew right in front of our car and into the woods, carrying a mouse. We both screamed out, ‘Did you see THAT??’ 

Tell me – when does that ever happen!?!?  To me, never!

This week’s oriole will likely be my last bird of the week because I am hosting Easter this weekend at my home.  Those of you who were here with me over Christmas will remember that I vowed never to have another holiday at my Mom’s again because whenever a certain family member is in attendance, I tense up and know that he will become angry, say hurtful things, leaving me sad and melancholy for the remainder of the day.  It took 42 years to step up and say ‘no more’ to my mother but I did, and now I’m actually looking forward to hosting Easter this year.  I’m even looking forward to Christmas already – words I’ve not uttered in over 30 years. 

And that’s progress.  When you’ve got it, grab on and run like hell.   

Where were you a year ago?

  August 28, 2012 - 8:26 AM | , , ,
16 Comments

I truly heart the many Words of Wisdom from the Wise that I’ve been receiving , lately (doesn’t that phrase just beg to be capitalized?) This here – this is one of the many reasons why I love my blog and my readers: at any given time there is someone out there who has been through similar events and can share a thing or two about how to put life back into a better perspective.

Last week I found myself feeling overwhelmed because of my slow recovery from surgery and general discontent.  Cammy from Tippy Toe Diet made a comment that I’ve been thinking about on and off all weekend:

Not only am I not who I was five years ago, I’m not who I was last week, or the week before or even yesterday. To really complicate things, today I’m not who I’ll be next year or the year after. All that’s left is to be who I am today and to try to the be the best version of that that I can be.

Nothing would help solidify Cammy’s thoughts more than reading this for myself, so today I decided to go back and revisit my posts from the last week of August, 2011.  This week last year my husband and I happened to be having necessary work done on our home.  It was in an upheaval from construction workers coming and going and I was immediately reminded about how hectic life was, how busy my household was (workers were here on and off for three months!) and how I longed for some peace and quiet.

During the week of August 27th last year I had just taken my 5th yoga class ever, and was beginning to grab a hold of my inner strength by wanting to move from beginner’s yoga to a higher level class.

Also, this time last year I was succeeding in maintaining my weight while keeping far from my scale (not an easy task).

Finally, in a post from this time last year I introduced the newest addition to my garden – Shaylee:

http://www.fatgirlwearingthin.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/DSC01127-8x6.jpg

She was named by Tim from Fat.Boy.Thin who told me that Shaylee was Celtic for ‘Fairy Princess of the Field’.  How perfect was that?!

Fast-forward an entire year and here I am:

  • sitting in a peacefully quiet home.
  • Yoga is currently on the back burner for now but I know that I will eventually get back to attending my favorite classes -  Gentle Yoga and Hot Yoga.
  • Even though it doesn’t look or feel like it due to the ebb and flow of my swollen tummy, I actually weigh less than I did this time last year.
  • Not only is Shaylee still guarding by creekside, but she has been the subject of a couple of paintings during my recovery:

 

This one is still on Etsy.  The other painting is being lovingly displayed in a home somewhere in Los Angeles.

I am not the same person I was last year or last week, nor should I expect to be; I will be different tomorrow than I am today.  Next year I intend to look back on my life right now and know that I will have lots of advice, support, and my own Words of Wisdom for the next person who needs it.

Do you ever read back through your blog or journal, if you have one?  What was happening in your life this time last year?

Getting my Groove Back

  July 24, 2012 - 8:34 AM | ,
17 Comments

A few days before my surgery I went to the front desk at my yoga studio and requested that my monthly subscription be suspended until July 14th.  ‘Oh, for sure I’ll be ready to come back by then!’ I said with confidence. But when the 14th came, not only was I still unable to do a forward bend but this low groaning was coming from somewhere – from me, as it turns out.  I sounded like an old tug boat about to go out on its last run in the water.   Not a good sign; so I called to let them know that I’d need a few more weeks before I was ready to get back into classes. ‘Unfortunately, my recovery is going more slowly that I thought,’ I said regretfully.  I really enjoy being in class and having instruction.  It allows me to completely let go of everything that I’m carrying with me and just be in the moment.   It was a hard decision to make but I knew it was the right one. 

Since then I’ve been trying to do my own yoga practice here at home.  But whenever I get out my mat, the two other yogis in the house always want to practice at the exact same time I do. 

The first one a bit of a showoff:

 

 

The second one likes to get all up in my face when I’m on the floor.  He reminds me of the close talker on Seinfeld:

 

I have tried being polite and gently let them know that I prefer to practice in my own space thankyouverymuch, and then ease the door closed behind me.  But the Prince and Princess of the Palace get all upset that they’ve been locked out of their kingdom and proceed to whine and bark behind the door.   Sigh.  So much for trying to practice in peace. 

But I am here to tell you that all is not lost!  You wouldn’t believe my grin yesterday morning as I sat down with my favorite cup of tea (Chocolate Delight.  Mmm) and opened my email. Waiting in my inbox was an email from Karen at Before and After, letting me know that I’d won a month’s subscription to Gaiam TV for a whole month!   YAY!!    I made a bee line over to Gaiam’s website and lo and behold, they have a whole slew of yoga videos that I can:

a) do on my own but WITH instruction,

b) in my slower than molasses time and

c) in the privacy of my own home until I’m stable enough to go back to the Gentle Yoga class in a few weeks. I’m already working on a plan to bribe the dogs with rawhide chewies at one end of the house while I take full advantage of my free month on the other.   Thank you, Karen.  And, thanks to Gaiam TV for allowing me the opportunity to get my groove back :)   Here’s to hoping that I may have a bit of summer to enjoy before its over!

 

Have a great Tuesday, everyone.  I’ll have some news to share in my next post; my task is to get it written by Thursday.  Fingers crossed.

XO,

 

Ellen

Move that body while you still can!

  June 1, 2012 - 2:06 PM |
33 Comments

I think we can all agree that sometimes, the fear of the unknown can keep us from doing things that we know may actually be good for us.  I seem to have a head as thick as a brick because I find myself experiencing this concept over and over again.  When I’ve completed a task that I had to FORCE myself to do, 99% of the time I am glad that I did it.  Why is it so hard to listen to my instincts?  Don’t I know myself better than anyone else?  When that nagging thought keeps looping over and over again saying, ‘You should really do this…..you should really do this’ why do I hesitate?  It frustrates me beyond belief.

Perfect example:  how long have I been talking about going to Hot Yoga? I was too embarrassed to look back to previous posts so I don’t know how many times I’ve posted about it but I do know it’s been several.   I asked a couple of people about Hot Yoga last year, specifically, ‘What’s it like in there?’ My only response:

‘It’s freaking hot!’

Every time I pictured myself in Hot Yoga, I thought of one of those sweat lodges where people feel like they’re going to pass out from the heat.  Denied water and any way out, the room becomes more and more intolerable with each downward facing dog. You are like a wilted plant on your mat, melting in a puddle of your own sweat.  Great analogy, huh? Don’t you wish you had my creative mind?  Not!

Well, I finally got off of my rear end and decided that this was the week to get in that class.  Here’s the pep talk I gave myself that got me there:

In four days you won’t be able to get off of a toilet without assistance.  Don’t you want to appreciate every move you can comfortably make with your body between now and then?

Good God, yes. 

So, I went.  And you know what?  I loved the class (shocker, huh?)

Things that I wish someone had told me about Hot Yoga.  If I’d known these two things, I’d have gone a long time ago:

1.  For someone with Raynaud’s Syndrome (an annoying condition where your hands and feet are cold 90% of the time) a class like this is sheer bliss.  The air feels like a warm blanket on a chilly night.

2.  I cannot get over how much more FLEXIBLE I am in this class.  No one told me that I’d be able to sink into poses that I have trouble doing in a 70 degree room.

3.  It wasn’t that hot.  The temperature was around 103 degrees with 30% humidity.

I am going to miss yoga a lot while I’m recovering.  And the interesting thing is, I’ve been trying to find some information on when it’s safe to begin reintroducing yoga after major abdominal surgery – I cannot find anything.   Weird. I know that twists and backbends are going to be out for a while, but really – I have no idea what’s safe to do and what isn’t.

Patty’s funeral was on Wednesday.  It went well as far as funerals go, I guess.  Her children gave me a photo that I forgot was ever taken.  It was a picture of us at Patty’s 90th birthday party:

Such a good photo of her.  My sweet lady.

 

I’ll check in with you all once more before I head off to the hospital.  Have a good weekend.

~Ellen

Awkward No More

  December 5, 2011 - 10:46 AM |
17 Comments

 

Life is better here at the House of the Sick & Crippled.  My husband has been nursing his back while I’ve been nursing him for the past several days and we both are on the mend.  Many, many thanks to those who dropped by my blog on Friday with good wishes and to those who suggested acupuncture.  What an excellent idea.  I am researching specialists in the area (there are surprisingly few here) and may just end up making myself an appointment.  I’ve missed yoga for the last week and my back is not happy with the neglect it’s been receiving. 

 

 

Speaking of yoga, while in class a couple of weeks ago I had a smack-me-over-the-head-utter-amazement kind of moment.  We were around twenty minutes into class, and were instructed by our yoga teacher to move into a series of poses, holding each pose for 5 breaths.  They were: plank, left side plank, plank again, right side plank, with a few other core exercises sprinkled in for good measure (for a photo of side plank, click here).  Afterward I couldn’t help but notice the younger woman next to me.  She was doing a lot of labored breathing and was soaking wet with sweat.  It concerned me and I couldn’t help but keep an eye on her for the remainder of the class.  Our instructor kept reminding ‘the class’ that it’s not about competing with those next to us.  “We should listen to our bodies and remind ourselves that this is not a competition,” she said.  

We continued doing a few more core strengthening poses and it was clear that the young woman was having a difficult time.  She was a real trooper and made every attempt in keeping with the poses but when we finished in child’s pose (relaxing and restful) she was pretty out of breath and shaky. 

When class was over I started rolling up my mat; I made eye contact with her and smiled.  When I did, I saw a very overwhelmed expression.  She wore the look of frustration and disappointment on her face.  She gave me a quick glance, lifted her mat and left the studio.   It struck me at that very moment that I was looking at a mirror image of myself 14 years ago.  This woman looked to be in her mid-twenties and was carrying approximately the same weight I was at her age – around 230 pounds.  If I had taken the same class back then, I would have struggled as much, if not more than she did that day.  Scratch that.  In reality, I never would have had enough self-esteem to TAKE a class to begin with.  I never thought I’d be the type of person to do any kind of physical activity in a class setting.  I have always been so self-conscious about my awkwardness that it interfered with my ability to concentrate on my task at hand. It’s so easy to compare ourselves to those around us who make certain exercises look effortless and graceful.  It suddenly struck me that my fear of being in a group exercise class was gone.  I had confidence in my body.  Wow.  What a new feeling that was. 

It’s funny, because what I also wanted to write in today’s post was that I feel the strongest I’ve ever felt in my life – and I did feel that way until I caught that cold. Now, I just feel like a puny weakling who now gets winded by stepping out of the shower. I will head back to yoga tonight and take a gentle class, but I know that I’m going to be huffing and puffing and making grunting sounds with every pose I do. I know it’s temporary, but boy does it ever make me appreciate my body when it’s healthy.

As I prepare for tonight’s class (I’m sure it will take me an hour alone just to get myself dressed) I’m thinking about that young woman.  If she were practicing next to me tonight like she was a couple of weeks ago, she’d probably be thinking, ‘What the hell happened to her?!’   I would take the time to tell her that this is precisely why we can’t compare ourselves to other people.  We don’t have the luxury of knowing the backstory of the people we exercise with.  I’d also want her to know that the only thing that truly matters is that we’re out there, trying, and that I myself had just recently gained the courage to do what she was doing. 

Hopefully I will see her again.  If not, then perhaps another person at another time.

 

Thanks for reading today.  Come back on Wednesday for our Moving Mountains Update.  To those of you who decided to participate last month, stop by to share your progress report for the month of November.  To those who want to work on a specific goal for the month of December, drop by to leave your goal with me and mark your calendar for December 31st, which will be our final update for the year as well as the official end of the Moving Mountains Challenge – can you believe it’s been running every month for almost a whole year? 

See you on Wednesday!

 

Ellen

What do I know?

  November 4, 2011 - 8:39 AM | ,
25 Comments

I don’t know the difference between centripetal acceleration and centrifugal force, nor do I have any understanding of electrochemistry.  I do know a few things, though.  Unfortunately, none of them will help a student preparing for the MCATS, but here you go…

One.   I know that I have a concrete date set for my road trip to Chicago, and that I’m not coming home without a pair of jeans, and I will name him George.  And I will hug him, and pet him, and squeeze him. 

~no, I’m not going off the deep end.  Don’t you remember that Bugs Bunny cartoon? 

 

My jeans will be named George.

 

Vickie has recently checked out the Chicago vibe and she reports no Trekkies in sight, so the countdown is on:  T minus eleven days. 

 

Two.  I know that I am going to enjoy Van Gogh: The Life.  This is the thickest book I’ve actually volunteered to read in a very long time.  Usually I listen to books on audio, but come on – this is Van Gogh.   The theory in this book is that Van Gogh did not shoot himself and focuses a bit more on his illness.  Brilliant artist.  Should take no more than a year to finish.  lol

 

Three.  I know that I have been totally loving my new book Q & A a Day: 365 Questions-5 Years-1,825 Answers.  It’s a 5-year Journal that has a designated question for every day of the year.  By the end of the 5th year, I will have answered all 365 questions exactly 5 times.  As the years go by, I get to see how I’ve evolved through my answers. 

 

Four.  I know that if my first floor bathroom doesn’t get finished soon, I’m going lose every bit of patience that is left in my body (and I already feel pretty depleted).  The room has been at a stand-still for two weeks because of an error in ordering the vinyl flooring.  BUT, the floor was laid on Tuesday.  Funny thing is, from the photos you can hardly tell there’s been ANY progress.  Still, here’s some progress pics for your amusement:

 

 

Five.  I know that being given a surprise compliment is really good on the ego!  I’ve been taking a class with a new yoga instructor and I really like her.  After my second class was over, I went up to her and thanked her for such a great class.  She said, ‘Oh, you’re welcome.  You must be advanced, huh?’  I stared at her blankly for a moment, then started laughing.  ‘No.  I’m definitely not advanced.  In fact, I’ve only been to Yoga 2 once.’ 

‘Well,’ she said.  ‘You work through the poses very easily and take direction really well.’  I thanked her and quickly dismissed the compliment – as I usually do whenever I’m given one.  But on my way home I felt really good about what she said.  Advanced?  Hardly.  But, I have finally mastered this pose:

 

Kidding! Just kidding!

 

In case you are wondering, this is called Side Crane Pose.  Is that pose even real??!

 

Six.  ‘Tis the season for pumpkin bread and I made some last night, slightly altering my original recipe from last year by eliminating one cup of sugar and using 2 eggs instead of Eggbeaters.  It tasted just as good.  If you haven’t tried my original version, you can find the recipe here and if you would like a slightly less sweet but equally satisfying pumpkin bread, tweak it a bit like I did.  

 

 

I’m off to Panera this morning to meet a friend for breakfast before I head to work.  I always try to have my order planned out ahead of time, but I can tell that I’m going to have to force myself to refuse their Chai Tea Latte.  Such a weakness of mine, those things are.   Have a great weekend, everyone – and remember, Monday will be our Moving Mountains Update.  Even if you didn’t participate last month, you still have the rest of this month and next month to make a change.

 

~Ellen

My Outing with Yoga

  October 19, 2011 - 8:33 AM | , ,
26 Comments

Some of you may remember my first introduction with Yoga.  I signed up as part of a comfort zone challenge back in August.    I’ve been refraining from mentioning too much about it because I wanted to make sure this wasn’t some hot and heavy love affair that I went on and on about, only to have it fizzle up, leaving me with nothing but lame excuses as to why  things didn’t work out. Well, Yoga and I are done sneaking around together. It’s time I shared my love with the rest of the world.

Yoga and I have been on roughly 25 dates (classes) since I walked into the yoga studio in August.  Have you ever tried something and knew immediately that it was made for you? I fell into a rhythm that just felt right, almost instantly.  Out of all the other exercises I’ve ever done in my life, none of them have ever made me feel the way this one does.  You know that feeling of accomplishment you get after a really good workout? I get that, but not just because I’ve mastered or held a certain pose – it goes much deeper than that.  In no other exercise have I ever worked on both my body and my mind at the same time.  Usually after any exercise (like running, for example) I’m just left feeling tired.  Accomplished, yes – but tired.  Here are a few things that Yoga has taught me:

One.  I don’t feel inadequate. See, exercise has never been my friend. Since grade school I’ve avoided it like the plague because I’ve never been good at anything I’ve ever tried, and when you’re playing on a team, feeling like and being treated like an uncoordinated monkey-girl doesn’t do much for the ole’ self esteem.  In Yoga, there are no teammates to impress, no aggressive competition, no win or lose; there’s no room for any of those things in practice.  Instead, it’s all about learning to be non-judgmental, being accepting of oneself, and appreciating your achievements in your own time.  How cool is that?

Two.  I’ve never appreciated my body this much before.  Even though the class itself is serene and quiet, my body is constantly giving me feedback on what it’s capable of doing.

Three.  For someone with anxiety issues, it’s invaluable.  I no longer wonder how I’m going to get my worth out of my pre-paid classes.  I look forward to going – I need to go in order to regain a sense of balance.  When class is over, I can handle things better and with a better outlook.

Four.  When class is over, I feel balanced.  Both calm and relaxed, yet recharged and focused, all at the same time.  I’ve been searching for this kind of peace most of my adult life.

Five – and this is so important – I’ve been to roughly 25 classes since August, and in every single one, I have seen men and women; I’ve seen ages ranging from 10 years old to 70 years old.  I’ve practiced side by side with individuals who weigh over 200 pounds, and Angelina Jolie look-alikes who are utter beginners. 

My friend Jules just went back to Yoga for the first time in a long while and emailed me about it.  Her teacher encouraged everyone to close their eyes while they practice because, according to Jules, ‘it removed the temptation to compare with others’.  In one of my classes, we practice with our backs to the studio’s full-length mirror.  My instructor doesn’t want us focusing on how we look or how anyone else looks.  A good teacher knows when students are distracted and makes corrections accordingly.  I guess what I’m saying is that, if you’re hesitant to try Yoga because of a feeling of inferiority, the above examples should put your mind to rest. 

Six. Yoga is challenging!  I have to admit, one of the reasons why I never considered Yoga was because frankly, I didn’t understand how something that looked so calming could make you fit.  Boy, was I wrong.  Granted, there are classes for every skill level and I’ve been in classes that are so relaxing to the mind and body I feel like napping afterward.  But there are also classes – like the one I took on Monday – that leave every muscle in my body sore for days afterward; the good kind of sore.

So, there you have it.  I’ve officially ‘outed’ our relationship and frankly, I feel relieved.   I don’t particularly like keeping secrets from you; especially something that has brought so much joy to my immediate life. 

Thanks for reading today, and have a great Wednesday.  Namaste. 

Who Do I Think I am, Anyway?

  October 12, 2011 - 8:46 AM | ,
39 Comments

Sometime in late August I took the dogs for a walk around our local county park this weekend.  We walked the same trails that we used to run back in early Spring. 

We walked along the river, across the wooden bridge that crosses the water and up the steep hill, where I paused for a moment.  Both dogs turned and looked at me, wondering why we’d stopped.  “This,” I thought to myself, “is how far I could run before having to stop for a break.” 

While finishing my walk with the dogs, I kept thinking, if I hadn’t stopped running I’d probably be signing up for 5K runs by now. 

I was pretty bummed the rest of our walk together.  I couldn’t get away from my thoughts which kept reminding me that I’d tried yet another exercise on which I never followed through.  More on this in a moment. 

While in my twenties, I was having a conversation with my practice husband. I don’t recall what the conversation was about, nor do I remember what I said to him exactly, but I made a comment about referring to myself as an artist. His response to that statement was, ‘just because you work on art, that doesn’t make you an artist.’ In that moment I caught a glimpse of what he thought of his wife as well as what he didn’t think of her.  I just stood there, feeling exposed and confused.  I’ve never forgotten it, and for a long time afterward I felt stripped of a title that I felt comfortably described in part, who I thought I was. 

It’s many years later and do you know that as much as I hate to admit it, sometimes I still find myself struggling to find words that describe me?  Yes, I am considered a sister, daughter, friend, acquaintance, caregiver, and wife.  But, don’t these descriptive nouns reflect more about what I am to others? What words define me?   This is a tough exercise, and one worth exploring for anyone who is going through life trying to find his or her place within it. 

Back to my thoughts about running.  It was during that walk that I suddenly realized I wasn’t bummed because I didn’t run anymore – I certainly didn’t miss it;  I think I was just secretly hoping that by trying my hand at running, I’d stumble across a solid, stable word to keep tucked away in my private ‘Who Am I’ resume.  I was bummed that I couldn’t add, ‘I am a runner’ to my list. 

Now, I know the first rule of blogging: don’t compare yourself to others – we are all different and each have our own strengths. Still, I found myself wanting to stumble across what many other bloggers seem to have already found – like Laura, Lynn and Jenn for finding their passion for running. Or Sharon for her love of hiking; Roxie and Jill for the enormous amounts of joy their bicycles give them, and Tim for his unwavering determination to walk and walk – and walk!   I envied those losers/maintainers who found a passion for their exercise of choice. 

Why this need, you ask?  Well, I think it’s because it wasn’t until I actively began losing weight that I started to see what my body was physically capable of.  I’ve been at this exercise game a long time now.  Isn’t it about time I am committed to something?  If you’ve been reading my blog for a while then you know I’ve tried many different things, some for the first time on this blog: hula-hooping, retro-walking, kayaking, running and biking.  Kayaking could have been my ‘thing’ if I lived in a warmer climate, but it just doesn’t seem right to lay a claim to something that I’m only able to do a few times during the summer months, so I didn’t really feel like I could count that. 

 

 

There is something I want to share, though.  Something is happening within me and it has to do with my involvement in yoga (remember when I walked into the yoga studio for the first time as part of a comfort zone challenge?)  That was back in August.  I haven’t blogged much about it since then, but I’ve been keeping things quiet for a reason.    I wanted to fully explore the classes, compare the good with the bad, and then share my thoughts with you on what it’s meant to me.    Like other things in my life, I don’t want to have to question myself anymore as to who I am or what I do. 

 

I want to be able to write with complete confidence the things that I know defines me: I am a confidante. A nurturer.  A sometimes risk-taker.  A protector.  I am an artist.  I actively practice Yoga.

And I love it. 

Weekly Wrap-up

  August 26, 2011 - 8:56 AM | , , ,
19 Comments

Nothing much to report on this last Friday in August so I thought I’d just wing it and write at random about my recent goings-on.  Here’s a great blog cartoon that is very fitting for such a monotonous post:

 

Let’s begin with mornings at our house.  They are beginning to remind me of a television sitcom.  Every day around 6:45 AM the door opens and in walks Gary and Tim, the construction workers who’ve shared our space for roughly 30 hours a week for the last month.  I wave hello, offer them breakfast and ask how they’re doing.  Then a day of hilarity ensues, although I’m pretty sure it’s funnier for them than it is for us.  This is one sitcom that I hope soon gets the axe because I think we’re all ready to move on to bigger and better things. 

Your first question right about now should be, ‘Why on earth is this taking so LONG??’ to which I reply, ‘because for every step forward that we take, two steps are taken back.’  We are finding out the hard way that having work done on an old house means you’re pretty much guaranteed to uncover an underlying disaster that needs fixed.  I can’t remember if I mentioned that upon fixing the cracked pipe in the basement they discovered that all of the wood surrounding our half-bath toilet is rotten.  It appears that an improper seal and leak under the linoleum is the culprit.  

Me to Contractor:  ‘Can’t the floor in the half-bath wait a while?’  Contractor’s response:  ‘Only if you want to sit on your toilet one minute and the next, find yourself wiping your behind from the floor below.’  Ah, but let’s forget about all of that for a moment and keep the good thoughts alive, shall we?

Today is the first day that I am seeing progress on the inside.  While trying to ignore the thin layer of dust that covers every inch of my home, I was surprised when the guys called me in to look at the vanity, cabinet and fresh paint job that had been completed last night.  I stood quietly for a moment, then said ‘Do you have any idea what this means?  I can stop using a shoe rack on the back of the bathroom door to put my makeup and toiletries in!’ and with that, I walked right by them and wrapped my arms around the tall, 4 shelf cabinet.  They did exactly as I’d predicted by witnessing this goofball move: they asked if my cabinet and I needed some privacy.  

In other news,  I took my 5th yoga class on Wednesday.  I have been diligent with my water intake and my breathing during poses and am proud to say that my headaches are less frequent, but I have to be extremely diligent about it.   I must be sensitive because if I’m not doing either one adequately, I feel like crap after class.   Now, I just need to grab hold of my inner strength (once I find it) let go of Beginner’s Yoga One and move on to Yoga 1.5. 

 

And finally, my weight:  I have kept to my promise of not weighing, and I’m glad.  With the stress of my disaster-of-a-house I haven’t needed the additional strain.  And I’m glad to say that I haven’t needed to weigh-in, anyway.  My shorts – the ones that were feeling uncomfortable and tight – are now less snug.  I’m moving in the right direction and that’s all I need to know.  I’m sure a weigh-in will happen at some point but for now, I’m enjoying the freedom from the tethers of that scale.  I can’t remember the last time I relied on my body to tell me how I should feel instead of that scale.  I like the feeling; I really do.

Thanks for reading this week, everyone.  Before I go, allow me to introduce a new addition to our backyard:

 

She’s taken on the job of keeping watch over the frogs and fish that swim downstream.  Doesn’t she look like an official ‘serenity now’ mascot?  I need to think of a good name for her, but so far have come up empty.  Any suggestions? 

Have a great weekend. 

 

Ellen

Headache After Yoga

  August 19, 2011 - 10:04 AM | ,
24 Comments

Last Thursday I was singing the praises about my very first Yoga class.  Earlier this week, I was on the verge of quitting.

Yes, you read correctly. You see, I have a confession: I deliberately withheld information in last week’s post. After my first class was over, I developed one killer of a headache. 

No big deal I thought.  I get headaches every so often, and I just attributed it to being one of those days.  Except it wasn’t.  After my second class, guess what?  Another headache.  And this one lasted until the next morning.  This happened after every single class.  What on earth was going on with me? 

Courtesy of Toonpool.com

 

Beyond frustrated, I began searching for answers on the Internet.   Have any of you ever had an unusual ache or pain and decided that it would be a good idea to search the Internet for a possible diagnosis?  I’m going to guess that most of you have.  And if you have, then you know how terrifying and/or frustrating it can be to read about what terrible thing you might have contracted. 

Have an achy elbow?  Ooh. That’s bad.  You might have an alien implant in your arm.  Left eye won’t stop watering? Oh, no!  Maybe you’re going blind!  Tender, red skin? Sorry, but it could be that you’ve got bot flies burrowing underneath your dermis. 

 

 

By now you’ve probably guessed that I Googled my headache problem on the Net.  Here are just a few of the search results:

1.  Something is being released in the body and the headache is actually good for you. 

2.  You need a spinal realignment.

3.  the headache is a sign of a serious underlying condition.  Go see a doctor. 

4.  Don’t worry about it.  It’s just a sign that the body is weak and needs to get stronger. 

O k a y…..

 

I decided that my best chance for an answer would be to ask my yoga instructor.  Her response: “I’ve never had anyone complain of a headache after class.  Are you eating enough protein?  You should have some protein about 2 hours before class.”  Sigh.  She apparently doesn’t follow my blog and has no idea about my new fondness for Greek Yogurt. 

By the time my husband came home from work, I was miserable.  Here was something that I really enjoyed doing; something that, while doing it, was beneficial to my physical and mental well-being, but afterwards was causing me pain.  I explained to him what was happening, and he immediately asked me a question that surprised me.  ‘How’s your breathing?’  Say what?

This is coming from a man who knows absolutely nothing about, nor has any interest in yoga aside from a fantasy which combines all that flexibility with other, more naughty thoughts.  Use your imagination; that’s all I’m saying.

He could see the confusion on my face and began to elaborate.  ‘Don’t you like, do weird poses and then hold them for a while?’ 

‘Yes,’ I said, cautiously. 

‘Well, if you’re not breathing deeply enough, that can give you one hell of a headache.’ 

‘How do you know that?’  I asked. 

He proceeded to tell me that when he first started scuba diving, he wanted to stay underwater for as long as possible; to do that, he wouldn’t take in deep breaths of air – he’d breathe shallow.  ‘After the second or third time, I’d come up to shore and the other divers could tell I was miserable.  They said that if you don’t breathe deeply enough then CO2 (which normally expels when one exhales) builds up in the body.  That’s what was giving me the headaches.’

Before I could respond to that question, he immediately asked another: ‘Are you drinking enough water?’ I dismissed that question pretty quickly.  Of course I drink enough before classes.  Still, to humor him, I mentally went through my mornings leading up to the classes and noted exactly what and when I was drinking. 

(I’m taking a deep breath as I type the following paragraph, as I will be shaking my head and rolling my eyes in embarrassment).  

I did drink plenty of fluids.  In the form of black tea, which is a morning ritual of mine.   Very little water.  Long story short, since caffeine is a diuretic and since that was all I’d had to drink, I was, without a doubt, completely dehydrated by class time. 

Here is where I bring up for the millionth time how much I appreciate this community.  I had mentioned my headaches to a very dear reader, who responded with an email which I received shortly after my conversation with my husband.  In it, she wrote:

I just read an article in the New York Times about how drinking more water can help to reduce migraines. As a dedicated dieter/maintainer, I suspect you already drink lots of water, but just in case you don’t, the article says 9 cups of liquid total (that’s water and any other liquid) per day for women. Maybe you should try a glass of water just before you start your lesson.

That settled it.  About an hour before my fourth class I made sure that I had consumed at least 32 ounces of water or more, and had a bottle waiting for me after class as well.  In class I concentrated more on my breathing instead of doing the poses correctly.  Breathe deeply for four seconds – exhale slowly for eight seconds.  I haven’t had a headache since.  

So, what’s my lesson in all of this? First and foremost, I completely underestimated the practice of yoga.  Just because you don’t necessarily sweat doesn’t mean that your body isn’t working hard, so make sure that you’re fully hydrated before any exercise class!  Second, even though I should have known better, I obviously took for granted that I was doing everything right even when I wasn’t.  The answer was as plain as the nose on my face. 

A special thanks to Vickie, Wendy, Marion, and an extra big shout out to my husband for their tips and advice.