Tag Archives: sixtyandme.com

March 5, 2021 · 10:03 am

Tense and Tubby

A. A. Milne, E. H Shepard – Winnie the Pooh – DreamsQuote

Things have been challenging here lately, and my reaction to it is to tense up, sleep sporadically and poorly, and ‘scrunch up’ so I hurt all over – being stiff and sore.

My old lady yoga stretches are saving my life. I try to routinely do about 35 minutes of so, just to stretch things out. Lately, I am taking more and more time in my efforts to relax and rejuvenate. It really helps.

I’m grateful to Cat Kabira who makes wonderful yoga DVDs for getting me started. She has such a kind manner, stressing that it doesn’t matter if you can touch your toes or not, or if you cannot fold yourself into a paper airplane in a particular pose. She says that the relaxation, breathing, and stretching as far as you can at the time is what is important. I would have given up almost before I started if I hadn’t been lucky enough to find her on the Sixtyandme.com website.

Now I do my own routine, spending as much time as I need to in order to make up for the day’s challenges. I feel much better after I do my practice.

Leave a comment

Filed under exercise, taking care of yourself

Tagged as , , , ,

September 3, 2019 · 1:33 pm

Folding Myself into a Paper Airplane

Pixabay

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.

4 Comments

Filed under aging, exercise, taking care of yourself

Tagged as , , , , , , ,

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.

Leave a comment

Filed under exercise, quality of life, taking care of yourself

Tagged as , , , , , ,

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.

Leave a comment

Filed under Challenges, exercise

Tagged as , , , ,

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!

cliparting.com

cliparting.com

Leave a comment

Filed under exercise

Tagged as , , ,