Don't harshen my mellow, landcapers

Namaste, my little bloggers,

No, the girl in the photo is not me and the dog isn't mine either. But, the photo is what always happens when I try to do yoga. Dog wants to be a part of it all. Dog has short attention span though. Dog gets bored after a cat stretch or a downward dog and an upward dog and vamooses. Unless I lock dog out of room from the get go. Then, dog sits behind closed door and barks, cries, and whines through the entire yoga session. That can harshen a mellow quick. Specially when its one or two, sometimes three dogs.

I'm trying not to let my mellow get harshened by the fact that no landscaper folk have worked on my property all week. Still no patio or paver walkways. Only 'bout 1/3 of the plants are in. Thanks to the rains every evening this week, the grass is mighty green...but the muddy dirt walkway to the house is literally the pits! Now, I knew the project wouldn't be done in the two weeks promised at the start. But, the project manager assured me he'd be here working on the pavers today...and he wasn't. Actually, he did stop by for a minute and a half very early this morning. Just long enough to throw his two wheelbarrows and some shovels into his truck but not long enough for me to get dressed and go out to talk to him. I find myself wondering if he's gone with the wind... or not. Danny says not. I hope Danny's right. Ah well, a few more yoga breaths my help!

Actually, I've been exercising a whole lot lately. Not just doing Hatha Yoga. As the saying goes, I'm seriously deconditioned. Slothful, lazy, pudgy, bulgy....however you want to say it, I'm soft and spreading. But, my dears, I have swum 50 double laps twice, worked out three times with weights, treadmilled, bicycled, done yoga twice, and walked each dog once or twice each day for the past week. I feel much better, have more energy, am sleeping well and am not craving as much sugar. I did notice today that my skirt felt tighter than last week at this time. That generally happens at first when I start back in serious exercise mode.

As Danny explains the phenomena: people like me who have exercised alot most of their lives and who had a lot of muscle prior to becoming deconditioned will regain muscle mass fast when they reenter an exercise regime. There's been no time to lose fat. Not in one week. So, I'm not worried. Mellow not harshened. Not by that at least.

Here's hoping the landscapers show tomorrow. Namaste.

My RX for back and hip pain

Yesterday, my left hip and low back hurt so bad that I felt crippled. I tried some stretching, lying down, a hot bath, a heating pad, and finally Ibuprofen. None helped. I could hardly turn over in bed. Could barely concentrate on anything. I was grumpy. I could walk, but if I sat down, getting up was excruciating. My concern, since I am a flaming hypochondriac, was sudden onset arthritis...with soon to follow broken hip...and doom. Ya know, that old chronic impending death syndrome. Runs in my family. My rational moments hope was that I'd done some muscle injury moving extremely heavy boxes when I've not been regularly working out for over a year and a half.

Well, after supper and after listening patiently to me moan and groan and watching me play with one of my mother's many canes and say, "Woe is poor little me", Danny suggested Yoga. We did 45 minutes of poses for hip, legs, and back. And guess what? Today I feel at least 80% better. Only a wee bit stiff and sore when I twist the waist. Getting up easier and much quicker. Slept like the proverbial baby too. Energized like the big pink bunny.

So, boys and girls, although this is a purely personal observation, I believe Yoga works to relieve pain and stiffness and muscle cramping! I am going to do it again tonight. Of course, if you haven't been lifting heavy boxes and steel shelving and you have sudden onset pain coupled with an inability to move I recommend a doctor visit.

On another tack: We moved another truck load of stuff to storage last evening. Earlier in the day, I took six heavy cartons of Mother's books to the library for donation. (Were in my car already) When I called the library, they said somebody would help me carry the books in. When I got there though, there was only one very elderly lady working in the used book store. I sighed. More back pain loomed ahead for me. Very fortunately, a man walking into the library volunteered to carry the books for me. Six whole boxes. Thank God for Good Samaritans. They still exist. I will pass the good deed on.

Ta.