Battle Plans

[LivWell]

MS Fog - Battle Plan #154

I recognize this foe when, standing in my kitchen with intent to chop vegetables for a salad, my fingers seem to keep ending up beneath the blade of the knife. Concerning right?

The objective is to prepare a healthy evening meal during the time of day that my energy levels are sub-optimal. Having a foggy head and a weary body in the kitchen forebodes things ominous that will require bandaids and/or ice.

I love to cook but when MS fog settles in I have to put away the Iron Chef mentality, slow down, and add pre-cut veggies to the shopping list.

I've recently added a comfortable bar stool to my kitchen. Sitting while I prepare a meal not only helps me conserve energy but seems to enable me to focus on what I'm doing.

Summer is a foggy time of year for me.

While following a taillight in a dense fog a motorist crashed into the car ahead of him when it stopped suddenly. "Why didnt you let me know you were going to stop?" he yelled into the mist. "Why should I?" came a voice out of the fog. "I'm in my own garage!"

[LivWell]

5 Tibetans

Yoga - Battle Plan #115

Even on days when I don't do much else but rest, yoga releases energy that is pent up inside. On what must be a cellular level, yoga brings me center, and helps me make peace with much that my body has to say.

Core strength is a must have. The 5 Tibetans are my redeemer of late. Two of the poses are nearly identical to exercises from my physical therapist.

Share life, live, love and be well.

[Stella]

Very inspirational. Thanks for sharing!

[AngieBee]

What yoga program do you do? Any YouTube links by chance? It's nice to read of others battle plans. I am still trying to accept that there is a battle and I should think tactically from now on.

[LivWell]

My yoga practice is very simple. The last teacher I had said something very liberating to me. She told our class that our practice can be quite good using just a few asanas.

You should see the lists of exercises I prescribed to in the past when I was training for a race or triathlon. All good stuff no doubt, 'cause I was managing my MS with it all! I have taken a much simpler approach, adapting to my new limitations, but exercise is very much a part of my strategy for dealing with MS.

I think a yoga practice is going to work for you when you find a style that your body responds to well. Hatha yoga always appealed to me and I've settled on many of the poses that Erich Schiffmann teaches. I also incorporate a lot of meditation into my life. Listening to my body is key for my self management.

Accepting the battle has revealed much of the victory for me. Give yourself permission to feel but remember that having a positive outlook and an active approach to life is beneficial to everyone, regardless of the diagnosis.

Here's Penny, from Vancouver Island Canada, demonstrating the 5 Tibetans.
http://youtu.be/TNcwh-EBU8s

[LivWell]

Stress

Defensive Maneuvers

I have no single strategy for stress management and that’s not a bad thing. I carry lots of tools in my tool-belt for this stuff and when one doesn’t work or seems worn out I’ll try a new one. Stress is a powerful adversary which seems to have the ability to make people self destructive. Stress cranks up my symptoms.

There are a few things I know will be stressful for me but then there are other things that just happen. This has been a week of off-the-chart, what-the-hell-just-happened, you-can’t-be-serious moments. By last Friday I was feeling as if my head was about to seize up.

I have some favorite tactics that work for me: exercise, fresh air, writing, quiet, a walk, trees, water (in it or not), chocolate (just being honest), music, more quiet, laughter, tears, sleep, more chocolate. (Doing yoga this weekend found me spending a little extra time in child’s pose trying to counter the emotional pile on.)

Lot’s of cool stuff right? What’s nice is being able to say, “Go for a walk around the lake” or, “Call a friend” or, “You need a nap girlie!” and then feeling the tension and worry and anxiety being stripped away or at least put into proper perspective.



Forgetfulness:
I completely forgot how to throw my boomerang this morning -- but then it came back to me

[AMFADVENTURES]

Heat

Good stuff, and here is another yoga tip for handling the heat that I'm sure you are familiar with.

The cooling breath or Sheetali Pranayama basically consists of breathing in through the mouth with the tongue slightly extended and gently rolled up on the sides, dragging the breath across the tongue and cooling it before it enters the lungs. Finish by closing the mouth and exhaling through the nose. Repeat.

[LivWell]

Breathe

I once heard a tai chi instructor say, “Your breath is a reflection of how you feel.” Maybe it's just that we aren't taught to pay attention to ourselves let alone take time to experience what's going on with our breathing.

Two years ago I attended a women’s conference in which a great motivational speaker talked about how important it is to sleep well at night. He gave us some tips to try and mentioned that our bodies need to cool down internally in order for us to fall asleep. He demonstrated how you can feel the heat and moisture being expelled on your breath by putting your hand in front of your mouth and exhaling.

Thank you AMFAdventures. You’ve reminded me of a couple of yoga books I have both of which have good information about breathing. You gotta love how this works; a comment points the way and there is always something to learn.