Random Thursday: Things That Help Me Relax...

 

So here's a topic I would bet the 2 bucks in my wallet every single one of you is familiar with. Lin, Meg and I what you to tell us all about:

1. It probably goes without saying, but J. He definitely helps keep me from going full psycho when I'm stressed. Still go about half psycho, though. Hey, he's awesome, but he's not a miracle worker.

2. So do my cats. One of them purrs as soon as you pick him up, all bleary-eyed from wherever he's been napping all day... and it just melts my heart.

3. Talking to Lin. Seriously, I'd be in a bouncy room by now if it weren't for that chick.

4. Beer. I get stepped on, poked, shoved etc an average of 20 times on my way to and from work every day. In the summer, when it's hot and stuffy and I've had to wait for my bus for an extra 20 minutes because it's inexplicably late AGAIN, I'm pretty grouchy when I get home. Beer helps.

5. Reading and watching TV. I'm an introvert, and sometimes going out in the world is exhausting. Escaping into another world for awhile usually helps me feel more calm in mine.

6. Projects. Whether it's blogging, stenciling, knitting, writing... whatever creative outlet I'm into this month is another way I can escape from the world and give my mind a chance to work through things.

7. Bath time, tea, and curling up in a cosy fleece blanket. Preferably in front of a fire with my twinkle lights plugged in. This is more of a winter thing, obvs, but I am a sucker for cosy.

8. Yoga. I haven't done this in awhile, but I think I really need to get back into it. My body has gotten more and more unhealthy (and yes, overweight) since my back surgery. Exercising is depressing since I'm in such bad shape and painful because my back just won't let me do as much. But it's also important, and on my list of lifestyle changes I really need to make.

9. Having a lost day. You know, the kind of day where you actively decide you're not going to do anything productive. You're going to play around on Facebook, read your book, watch trashy TV, not put on makeup or do your hair, eat cereal for dinner - and maybe even stay in your pyjamas all day.

10. Not doing things that don't absolutely have to be done. Like not putting photos in this blog post. Because I am tired and I want to finish up and go read in bed.

And on that note, I'm out! But I am tagging all of you to tell us your stress-busting secrets!

The Human Pretzel Experiment

My mother taught yoga when I was growing up, so I've been doing it for a lot of my life. The way she tells it, yoga is the reason she can even walk today. She is quite accident prone, which, when mixed with some bad luck, means she's had a lot of injuries over the course of her life. Including going through the windshield of a car (she says she was brushing glass out of her hair for weeks) and falling down a flight of cement stairs, nearly breaking her back. Ouch.

She discovered yoga after the stairs incident, and began to slowly rehabilitate herself with it. Though at first she had trouble even standing, over time she was able to regain full use of her body - though she's had back problems ever since.

I started going to yoga class with her when I was about 11. At first I resented it (though let's face it, at that age I would have resented going on a five star cruise with her, that's pretty much just how pre-teens and teens feel about hanging out with their parents. They'd rather die.) but eventually I came to enjoy it.

I've done it periodically ever since, but when I managed to injure my own back, it was one of the first things to go. It's taken two years post-surgery for me to get to a point where I feel confident enough about my body's abilities to so much as set foot in a yoga class. It wasn't easy to face up to that challenge - mostly because I was scared to discover just how much flexibility and muscle tone I have lost in the last five years.

Thanks to a work colleague and a discounted yoga pass, I'm back in class. And I was pleasantly surprised that my body managed to do more than I expected. I can do most of the poses - thought I need to modify a few - and, most importantly, I'm not in pain if I don't push too hard.

I think the most valuable lesson I've learned through all the pain and frustration is to listen to my body. It doesn't matter what the teacher is telling us to do. It doesn't matter that the yoga girl in front of me is doing the splits against the wall. I'm going to sit there sweating it out to get my head halfway to my knees, and I'm going to feel damn proud of myself for it, too.

The most important thing was to learn where my own boundaries are, and to respect them. I now feel better than I have in years and actually look forward to yoga class twice a week. For anyone in the Vancouver area who is looking for a good studio for people recovering from injuries, I'd recommend checking out Treloar. Maybe I'll see you there!