Tag Archives: “Gentle Yoga”

May 26, 2020 · 11:13 am

Trying to Lose the Lard

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Actually, I’m feeling encouraged that I am back on track since yesterday.  I am planning what I will eat using MyFitnessPal.com, trying to get as close as possible to my macro percentages again today.

We came through another tornado warning last night with no damage that I have seen so far. I’m am truly thankful. This is one of the days that we are thankful we live on top of a hill because flash flooding is forecast. I will be glad when this mini-monsoon season we’ve been having is over.

To celebrate that, I’m planning to get on my elliptical trainer in the garage after lunch and do at LEAST 15 minutes. I’m hoping that I will be able to do my ‘regular’ 35 minutes;  but since I’ve been a slug lately, I don’t want to push it too hard. I also plan to do at least 30 minutes of my “Gentle Yoga” stretches before the afternoon is over.

I am again planning to bake a loaf of keto bread, plus a Twice-Baked Cauliflower Casserole” by Suzanne Ryan. My husband isn’t fond of cauliflower, but I’ll just serve him quietly and see what he says.  We will have a hamburger patty and a salad, so he should have plenty to enjoy even if he isn’t fond of the casserole. We’ll see.

It feels good to have a plan and feel in better control. Fingers crossed.

 

 

 

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January 2, 2020 · 11:23 am

Macros and Exercise

Trish’s Treasures

The short version is I have 5 pounds to re-lose before I’m on track again. An indulgence here, a bite there, and here I am. I would be disgusted, but I did it, knowing exactly what I was doing, and I enjoyed every bite of falling off the wagon.

Now that we’re officially into 2020, I’m starting to pay attention to my eating again and exercising.

Penn Fitness Warehouse

The weather is helping in my efforts to do my exercising. The highs are in the low 50’s now so I don’t freeze my parts while doing my 35 minutes on the elliptical trainer in the garage. I take my MP3 player and earphones out, turn on the trainer, start my music, hit ‘User 1’ and ‘Start’ and I’m in the zone for the duration. My husband says I do it ‘too slowly.’ (He doesn’t do it at ALL, so I’m ignoring his opinion.) I’m doing it every day (when I’m being good) and I’m doing it in a way that doesn’t cause my joints to complain or ache, so I’m declaring a win.

 

Mother Nature Network-Jaymi-Heimbuch

 

In the afternoons, I am trying to do half an hour or so of Gentle Yoga stretches. My husband gave me a mat that he got for camping out a million years ago. It’s much thicker than the normal yoga mat, and I love the extra cushioning. Oddly enough, the only area in our house that is large enough for me to fully stretch in all directions is our living room. I again ignore my husband’s ‘helpful suggestions,’ doing my own routine of slowly stretching everything in all directions, breathing into each position, based on the guidance I received from Cat Kabira in the “Gentle Yoga” DVDs. I can really feel a difference if I do this every day. I feel looser, able to stretch in all directions more and more over time, lessen aches and pains due to other activities. If I’m lucky, I can do my practice without the help of our animals, who tend to want to lie down on top of me.

Since even at 72, I’m a little kid at heart, I reward my efforts with actual gold star stickers I bought on the net, putting one for each exercise on my desk calendar. It’s a bit embarrassing that I do this, but not enough to stop. I will always be motivated by gold stars…

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I am doing a combination of intermittent fasting (not eating after 9 in the evening until about 1:00 or 1:30 the next afternoon) and then following my macros in the keto plan. A great website called Cronometer.com is helping me record what I’m eating as it applies to what I’m SUPPOSED to be eating for the day. My biggest problem at this point is that I tend to eat too much protein and not enough fat. I have read that eating too much protein can throw me out of ketosis. I’m working on adding more fat. I’ve tried eating an avocado each day, but I really don’t like them, so I’m trying to find other alternatives. I’ll keep reading on the net and see what else I can eat to make my eating match my macro.

Once I re-lose my 5 holiday pounds, I can hopefully get into new territory on my weight loss efforts. My best thus far is losing 43 pounds and 45 inches. My goal is another 30 lbs or so (until the BMI charts are happy with me) and whatever inches go with that. My goal is to be as healthy as I can for whatever my current age is for as long as possible. My husband and I both have health issues that improve as we follow the keto plan, so I’m hoping that 2020 is a great year for us.

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September 3, 2019 · 1:33 pm

Folding Myself into a Paper Airplane

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I can’t tell you how long it has been since I did a session of yoga. I will be generous to myself and say a couple of months, but it’s probably longer. I have given other things priority over yoga practice, even though I KNOW I need it. I have lots of excuses, but I finally decided that today was the day.

I have just finished a session, and I have to tell you that I feel better than I did.

I do “Gentle Yoga” – sometimes using a set of DVDs by this name put out by sixtyandme.com with instructor Cat Kabira.  This is a group of yoga stretches and poses for people who are NOT yoga people – people who are a bit age-challenged like I am (I’m 72) who have likely have health or injury issues, or, who, like me, are generally stiff, sore, and too sedentary for their own good. I call it “Yoga for Old Broads” and I love it. The instructor is very forgiving, non-judgmental, NOT super-perky so you have the urge to squeeze her neck. She stresses to just do what you can do. If you stretch in the way she is telling you, even though you can’t fold yourself into a pretzel, you are doing good for yourself. The stretching in that direction, holding the pose and BREATHING into it will finally result in your body GIVING a bit, stretching out, relaxing.

Today I just did some of the poses on my own. I wanted to take my time, do what occurred to me to do, holding the poses as long as I could. BOY! My body was telling me that I had been neglecting it!  Everything was difficult today. I really worked slowly, easing into things, breathing a lot, trying to relax. I could really tell that I need to do this every day as I was doing before other things took precedence around here. Everything I have is stiff and sore. Even lying on my back hurt for a minute or so!  I snapped, crackled, and popped as I stretched each part of me out, one area at a time.  I spent half an hour today and feel better now for it.

I will try to make time for this every day now. I have AGAIN learned that my health and ability to move and relax is super important – maybe now more than ever.

If you haven’t tried “Gentle Yoga” I highly recommend it.

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June 18, 2018 · 10:03 am

Folding Myself into A Paper Airplane – Take 16

Fabulous Traveling

 

I’ve been getting on my yoga mat every day – concentrating on slow stretches to loosen up my old, stiff, sore body. I spend a good half hour using the positions taught by Cat Kabira on my 2 “Gentle Yoga” DVDs I bought from SixtyandMe.com.  I’m doing my own thing, listening to my body creak and moan and then finally ‘give’ into each position as I breathe into it, feeling much looser after my practice.

My massage therapist, Lynn Moody, has been working with me to solve a mysterious problem of pain running from my neck to my shoulders, first on one side mainly, and then moving to the other, and sometimes all the way across.  She suggested

  • ice for 15 minutes followed by heat for 15 minutes when I’m having lots of discomfort
  • an exercise with a 3 lb weight that stretches out the muscles between my neck and shoulders
  • an over-the-door shoulder pulley exercise thingie

The latest suggestion came at my last massage when she quietly lifted my neck and snugged a pillow in. Instantly, I was in Heaven. My pain was gone! She said to just relax into it while she continued her magic on my other parts. When we finished, I asked her “What WAS that, and where can I get one?”

It’s called a Cervical Traction Chiropractic Wedge Pillow – Neck and Shoulder Pain Relief 

I’ve used it during my yoga stretching for 2 days now. This is bringing me real relief. It won’t help with being old. It won’t make me look like Julia Roberts. I’m already addicted to it, though, looking forward to being able to lie down on my mat and totally let go, relaxing into the pillow and letting it do its work. I don’t know yet if it will take away my pain completely or not, but right now I’m happy to settle for it easing my pain for much of the day.

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May 17, 2018 · 10:01 am

Folding Myself Into a Paper Airplane is Good

Animal-Space.net

My neck and shoulders have been hurting/burning off and on for about 3 weeks now. I had a wonderful massage where my therapist suggested that I

  • use ice and heat alternately  (I have to force myself to do this for 15 minutes, although I know ice is good for inflammation)
  • do an exercise with a weight to stretch out the muscles between my neck and my shoulders
  • do yoga stretching
  • get an over-the-door shoulder pulley and use it to stretch out the muscles
  • STOP doing whatever it was that was causing the problem!

I’m still having problem, but 1 through 4 above are definitely helping. Since I have no clue what I did/am doing that causes me to tighten up like this, it’s a bit hard to ‘stop it,’ but it’s great that I now have an arsenal of ways to make it stop for a bit.

I received a new neck pillow I ordered (Amber ATE the one I had while I was out working with the weed whacker),  so I’m again doing all of my stretching and relaxation poses on my yoga mat.

Thanks to Sixty and Me    and their “Gentle Yoga”   DVDs (for old broads like me) with instructor Cat Kabira for teaching me ways to stretch myself out, try to relax, and strengthen my body to feel better.

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January 4, 2017 · 11:30 am

Folding Myself Into a Paper Airplane – Take 10

whxgjd.com

whxgjd.com

An important lesson is finally embedding itself into my brain – yoga is what I need to feel better.

I freely admit that I’m as surprised, or even MORE surprised, than anyone. Who would have thought I would do yoga? Who would have thought I would START yoga at age 69? Who would have thought that I could start a session, feeling old and creaky, with pain across my back just under my shoulder blades and finish a session on one part of my body, then an overall flow session, feeling MUCH better.

I’m proving this lesson to myself daily now. I realize I’m still doing ‘old lady yoga’ – tactfully named, “Gentle Yoga”, emphasizing good, long stretching in various poses, rather than standing on my head or folding myself into a pretzel shape while singing, “I’m Happy.”  But this practice is proving a life-saver for me.

Very slowly – very gradually – I’m loosening up. This creaky old lady is becoming a BIT more flexible.

The hardest part for me still is the time at the end of each segment where you’re supposed to lie on your back and completely relax.  At the beginning, my mind would race, thinking of what I needed to do today, wondering if I remembered to put something on the list or not… I’m slowly learning to put things away for later and concentrate on the moment.

  • I’m learning to breathe into the area of my back that tightens itself regularly.
  • I’m working on being able to sit on the floor with my knees bent under me. (My feet cramp in this position and my thigh muscles are awful. Gradually, though, if I can get my feet to quit cramping, I can sit like this for several seconds at a time now.
  • When I started several weeks ago, I could not lie on my back and put my arms over my head and rest my hands on the floor. I can do this now – not comfortably – but I’m working on it.
  • There’s a pose where you’re lying on your back. One leg is straight on the floor and the other is pointing up at the ceiling. Using a strap, you move your leg over to the side as far as possible. Then you move it across your body to the other side. THIS is when my body says, “Oh, NO!” The great thing about Cat (the yoga instructor) is that she stresses that how far you’re able to move isn’t important. It’s the moving in the right direction to your personal edge and then breathing into it that’s important.

The very best news lately is that they have created another DVD composed of ‘the next level’ of yoga practice. I’ve ordered it so that, between these two DVDs, I’ll have enough good instruction and encouragement to be the best that I can be.

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December 27, 2016 · 3:35 pm

Goals

weight

GrowingBolder.com

My goals to eat right, lose weight, gain flexibility and strength have a beginning date – August 22, 2015 – but they will have no end.  I’ve made some progress, losing 40 lbs and 23+ inches thus far, eating low carb and trying to move more. I’m about half way to where I would like to be.

Right now I’m concentrating on jump-starting my motivation, which left about the time my husband was diagnosed with Type II diabetes. I dove in, once HE was convinced that he was showing symptoms that were quite bothersome, and could be controlled by cutting out sugar. The symptoms were feet, especially toes, hurting badly; double vision; lots of indigestion, dizzy spells, etc.

He’s done a wonderful job of trying to cut out his sugar. Our doctor is really pleased with his efforts, and we’re hoping that the A1C blood test he gets in February will reflect the same results as we’re showing at home.

In the quest for sugar-free and other things that would take the place of what he was missing most, I lost my motivation to

taolife.com

taolife.com

I used our more complicated eating situation to slide on my own discipline. I’ve discovered that my low carb diet is really good for my husband, too. Watching our sugar is good for both of us, and should be no problem.

I’ve also discovered that folding myself into a paper airplane doing yoga stretches is very helpful. I found a 2-DVD set called, “Gentle Yoga” which is geared to old women like me who have never done yoga before and are a bit intimidated. I have discovered for myself that doing the stretches when I’m sore HELPS. Amazing!

Bajiroo.com

Bajiroo.com

So, if I KNOW what I’m supposed to eat, and I’m DOING yoga most days, what is my problem?

I do fine on my eating until after dinner. We’re eating at about 7pm, but don’t go to bed until about midnight. And then, sometimes, we end up downstairs in the middle of the night, not able to sleep, again providing an opportunity to stuff my face.

I’ve tried moving my ‘dessert’ (sugar-free chocolate pudding) later, to bridge the 5 hours before we go to sleep. That has helped a bit, but even with low carb snacks, I’m craving salty stuff. It calls to me from the kitchen. Incessantly.

I really that I’m engaging in a ‘whine and cheese’ party here, and that I have no REAL reason for stuffing my face after dinner. I realize I’m not really hungry. I have no good excuses. BAH. HUMBUG.

I’ll make a point of

  • re-reading the parts of low carb books that helped me lose the 40 lbs.
  • I’ll be religious about doing my two sections of the yoga DVDs daily,
  • I’ll start drinking more water, as I should have been doing
  • I’ll start trying to have projects to do after dinner that will keep me busy.

Hopefully, by the middle of NEXT week, I can report to you that I’m back on track…

Please cross your fingers for me!

 

 

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December 7, 2016 · 5:22 pm

Folding Myself into a Paper Airplane – Take 9

FunnyPics.co

FunnyPics.co

I’m crediting my new yoga practice with some loss in inches – 26″ to be exact – as of today.

I’m using a 2-DVD set called, “Gentle Yoga,” and I couldn’t be happier with it.

The wonderful teacher is helping me figure out the problem areas in my body that need particular attention. I have found, for example, that my spine doesn’t twist very well, my back just beneath my shoulder blades is always tight, and that my shoulders need a lot of work.

I’m doing one section for a particular part of the body, plus the section on overall flow, each day. I did “Neck and Shoulders” and “Overall Flow” today. When I started, my middle back was really tight and sore. Now I feel good.

I have noticed that my body is beginning to give a little bit more. When I started, I found I couldn’t lie on my back and put my arms above my head with my hands on the floor. My arms simply dangled in mid air! Today when I did the relaxing at the end of one section, I was able to do that WITH my arms and hands on the floor. :0)

I also found that I couldn’t sit with my knees bent, feet on the floor under me. My thighs screamed and my feet cramped. I’ve been working on this by getting into that position, then bending forward a bit on a pillow and then just leaning down, trying to breathe into it. Sometimes I have to fight my feet cramping, but I’m able to stay in the position, relaxing a bit, for half a minute or so now.

Breathing into a stretch makes your body give. Relaxing into a pose increases your strength, flexibility, and balance.

My husband is cheering me on. He teases me quite a bit, but he realizes how good this is for me.

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December 3, 2016 · 5:54 pm

Another Lesson Learned

Bored Panda

Bored Panda

About an hour ago I noticed that I felt cold and that my back was stiff and sore. I decided to do my yoga – today “Joint Mobility” and “Overall Flow.”

Each section is half an hour. By the time I finished these two, my back wasn’t stiff and sore anymore and I felt warm and relaxed.

I’m slowly learning to listen to my body and then do something proactive to feel better. I’m a slow learner, but I’m really happy I’m FINALLY waking up to this.

If you’d like to try it, get the 2-DVD set, “Gentle Yoga.”

It’s created for women 60 years and older who haven’t practiced yoga before, may have had surgery causing stiffness, and may be a bit apprehensive about the idea. Usually, I’ve found exercise videos geared toward people who already can do all of the poses or exercises and want a hard workout. I wanted to do yoga to gain flexibility, balance, and to learn to fully relax. I also wanted someone who didn’t make me gnash my teeth, as the super-perky exercise people do.

Cat Kabira is an excellent teacher. She stresses that there is no perfect yoga pose. As long as you’re doing it the best you can at the moment, that’s good enough to get the benefit of the pose.  There are 8 sections on the DVD set, one for each part of the body and then an overall flow section. I’m now doing one session for a particular part of the body and then the overall daily.

I will never be a gym rat or fitness fanatic. I really would rather do almost anything than exercise. I want to be as active as possible, though, for the rest of my life. Having good balance, good core muscles, and better flexibility will help me do that.

It can be cold and rainy outside, and I can still do my yoga in the privacy of my home in comfort. My husband has learned to respect and encourage my yoga time. The cats and dogs still like to use my being on the floor as an opportunity to cuddle up and play, but we’re trying to gently discourage that. :0)

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November 17, 2016 · 4:42 pm

Folding Myself into a Paper Airplane – Take 6

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Yinyangmother

Yinyangmother

Today I did the “Spinal Health” and “Overall Flow” sections of my “Yoga for Old Broads” DVDs. (Actually, the set is called, “Gentle Yoga” and is absolutely what I needed. I’m delighted I found it.

I have discovered an area where I’m really, really stiff and inflexible that I didn’t even know about! When I lie on my back and she tells me to put my hands on the floor above my head – I can’t.  OOPS! I can put my arms over my head and let them HANG in the air, but there might be 3 or 4 inches or more between my arms and the floor!

The great teacher has stressed that you should do what you can do, so I’m just letting my arms hang there and breathing into the stretch. The funny thing is that the pose is for your core, stressing abdomen and pelvis, but the thing giving me trouble is the arms.

Another thing on which I’m working is to sit, while kneeling, on your feet. I REALLY feel that on the top of each thigh and my feet tend to cramp. I spend the whole time while she’s telling me how good I’m feeling trying to actually SIT in that position. Today I did a little bit better than I did yesterday.

I do feel that my body is ‘giving’ a bit more when I get into a pose. I guess the breathing into whatever stretch you’re doing allows your body to regroup and ease a bit.

It may take me the rest of my life to actually get flexible, but I’m gaining character, at least, by doing what I can, every day.

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November 12, 2016 · 4:08 pm

Folding Myself Into a Paper Airplane – Take 5

Design Swan

Design Swan

Though my yoga time got lost in the shuffle yesterday, I finally did the last section on the 2nd DVD today called, “Overall Flow.” Like it sounds, it’s a mix of poses that, if you only have time for one thing a day, you should do.

Now that I’ve done all the sections, I’m even more impressed with the set. It’s called, “Gentle Yoga”.

The teacher is excellent. Even my husband said she wasn’t annoying. :0) The poses are chosen specifically for people 60 and older, people who have never done yoga before, people who may have issues where they’ve had surgery, people who are particularly stiff with arthritis, and those who are probably a little intimidated by trying this at all.  (My biggest problem is in getting down on the floor and then getting up again.) :0)

Some things seem pretty easy, until you ‘breathe into’ the pose. That’s when the real stretch comes. When you finish each section, you’re on your back, breathing well, and relaxing while you listen to mesmerizing music, or listening and watching a screen with beautiful water or palm trees. (The teacher is in Bali.)

The whole feeling is acceptance and that they’re pleased you’re there and trying. Whatever you can do is fine. You’ll improve with practice. They give you several alternatives if you are unable to do what they ask. Just do what you can do.

I like this SO much that I’m going to do one section for a particular area of the body, plus the overall section, each day. I can cover all the sections each week. They have sections for

  • Joint Mobility
  • Neck and Shoulders
  • Lower Back
  • Spinal Health
  • Hips
  • Legs
  • Balance
  • Overall Flow

I need ALL of these. I’m happy when I’ve done my yoga for the day. After only two weeks I’m feeling a bit ‘looser,’ and less stiff. I have a long way to go, but this is the perfect way for me to improve my flexibility, balance, and strength, plus my ability to totally relax for 5 minutes, not thinking of anything else, planning what I’ll do next, or feeling guilty. AHHHHHHH!

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November 9, 2016 · 12:34 pm

Getting the Lard Off – November 9, 2016

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Pinterest.com

I’m still trying to curb my after dinner eating. I’m getting better, though the problem is not yet completely solved.  For some reason, it’s almost as if I had a tapeworm. I feel hungry soon after eating dinner, though our dinner is low carb. That’s some kind of emotional hang-up that I’m determined to stop.

Yesterday I cooked up a storm.

  • I hard-boiled a bunch of eggs for my breakfast and our snacks
  • I made a batch of sausage balls for lunches and snacks
  • I made sugar-free banana pudding for my husband (He loved it!)
  • I made a low carb meatloaf that my husband raved about (I’ll share the recipe later today)

In-between I was cleaning up and running the dishwasher again, plus washing clothes, stripping our bed and working in the flower beds. I had a really full, satisfying day.

Today I tried two new sections of my 2-DVD-set of “Gentle Yoga.”

Bajiroo.com

Bajiroo.com

The first was for “Legs” and the second was for “Balance.” I’m feeling a lot more relaxed now and I’m happy I bought the set. Tomorrow I’ll try the “Overall Flow” section, the last in the set. My goal is to do some yoga each day. My body is feeling looser and more relaxed and this will improve as I practice. I really like and trust the teacher of these poses, and I feel that I’m getting in touch with my body in a way I have never done before. It’s wonderful.

Doctor appointments for both me and my husband tomorrow afternoon. We’ll see how we’re doing, discuss where we’re trying to go and ways to get there, and keep on keepin’ on.

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taolife.com

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November 1, 2016 · 4:19 pm

Folding Myself into a Paper Airplane, and … – Take 4

funny-yoga-pics.co

funny-yoga-pics.co

Today I started on DVD # 2!  I did two sections: one on “spinal health” and the second on “hips.”

I’m delighted that, for the most part, I can still keep up with what the teacher is asking me to do.

Exceptions are –

  • when she asks me to sit on the floor with my legs straight and spread out as far from each other as possible, and then to bend the top of my body from my hips toward the floor in front of me. OOOH! Do I feel THAT stretch!  She tells me, though, that as long as I’m making the attempt – and breathing into the stretch – eventually I’ll “open up.”  I just hope I don’t crack and break first…
  • the other position giving me some trouble is starting on your hands and knees. Move one leg forward as far as possible while stretching out the other leg behind you…
  • lying on my back and relaxing. It takes me a minute or two, pushing my low back down to the floor over and over, before I can do this.
  • I feel a tightness across my back right beneath my shoulder blades that complains when I’m doing some of the poses.

Tomorrow I’ll try the “legs” section and the last one, which is called, “overall flow.”

My eventual goal will be to do DVD # 1 one day, and DVD # 2 the next.

So far, even though I’m trying all this for the first time EVER – my body is feeling ‘looser.’  It’s a vague feeling at this point, but I feel less tight in my hips and back, and I’m feeling my hip bones when I walk, separate from my torso, if that makes any sense. I’m more aware of different parts of my body and am consciously pulling my shoulders down away from my ears.

I’m not kidding myself. I’m doing a lot of really good stretching and deep breathing that are really good for me, but I’m not doing anything like standing on my head against the wall or folding myself up into a pretzel shape. I may never get to that, but what I’m doing is really good for me and I’m grateful that I found this 2-DVD set called “Gentle Yoga” (for people 60 years old and up).

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October 30, 2016 · 5:57 pm

Fold Myself into a Paper Airplane and — Take 3

Bajiroo.com

Bajiroo.com

I just finished my “Gentle Yoga” for the day. I managed to do the new section for Lower Back today, followed by the sections on Head, Neck and Shoulders (and jaw); and then “Joints.”

I am very relaxed right now. I particularly need the section on lower back because mine is stiff and tense. The most trouble I have with the whole DVD so far is trying to relax at the end of each section on my back. I spend a long time trying to push my lower back down to the floor, trying to get the tension to ease up so that I can fully relax. It really shows I need what I’m doing.

The other difficult thing is getting UP after each section! :0)

I’m very happy I bought this 2 DVD set called, “Gentle Yoga.” It is meant for people just like me – over 60, sedentary, and have never done any yoga before. The teacher is quite pleasant, explains what she’s doing and why, and gives you time to follow. She’s pleasant without being effusively pert and violently happy – a thing I really like.

Tomorrow I’ll try to do the first section on the 2nd DVD. My goal will to be to do at least one section a day, building to doing one DVD one day and the other DVD the next.

 

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October 29, 2016 · 2:32 pm

Folding Myself into a Paper Airplane – Take 2

AskIdeas.com

AskIdeas.com

I told you that I recently received my set of 2 DVDs called, “Gentle Yoga”, especially geared toward people 6o and above. I was still wondering if this would work for me when I listened to the introduction and then tried the section for “Head, Neck, and Shoulders” a couple of days ago. I found that I was able to do everything the teacher asked, realizing that as I practice, I should be able to stretch better and better, breathing into each movement.

I had to miss yesterday because I wanted to finish my purging/reorganizing/and deep cleaning our master bathroom project.

I tried the section on “Joints” today. This concentrated on ankles, knees, hips, wrists, shoulders, neck, and spine. Although I could hear parts of my body snap, crackle and popping like the proverbial cereal, I was again able to keep up with the teacher. We always end up lying on our backs, trying to fully relax.

Today I had some trouble relaxing after doing all the exercises. My back was tight and painful, and I had to concentrate on relaxing enough to lie flat. After a couple of minutes I was able to lie perfectly flat with no pain and was able to relax fully. This time I knew I could trust her to start talking again at the end of the relaxing time or play some music or something, so I was able to relax even more than I did the last time, once my back allowed.

I had more trouble getting up off the floor after the practice than I did doing any of the exercises. :0)

I am really encouraged by the DVDs and the teacher so far. She emphasizes that this is all an ongoing process, not something to be accomplished. No one cares if you can touch your toes or not (thank goodness!) or how far you can bend or stretch. As long as you do what you can, you benefit. You end up feeling more relaxed and in touch with parts of your body – some of which you didn’t realize you had!

I’m planning to try the next section – for the lower back – tomorrow.  I – who am probably the most sedentary old lady on the planet – am actually looking forward to it!

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