Barefoot & On the Mat September 2022: Welcoming My Favorite Month!

[Paine]

Flow and Yin: A Balanced Yoga Practice with Donna Helm-Yost (first 45 minutes of Yin Yoga)

I really love Donna Helm-Yost's Yin Yoga DVD. I just wish it was chaptered because the practice is over an hour long.

We are quiet! I hope everyone is doing good!

[Pat58]

Good morning! Nothing to report, I didn't get up from my desk then had book club. I didn't sleep good, probably from hardly moving at all yesterday. Bad move!

I had an interesting morning. My allergist sent me to a speech pathologist, I have a condition called vocal cord dysfunction. They had me hum into a microphone (hilarious) and taught me breathing exercises and upper body de-stressing exercises (the usual shoulder rolls, look side to side, etc.) Habitual shoulder crunching tension contributes to V.C.D.

Interesting observation for the yogis who practice breath techniques. She was going over diaphragmatic breathing and she told me not to breath into the chest so much. So many yogis coach us to "inflate the chest" and "breath into your shoulders." She was adamant to breathe in such a way you inflate only to under the sternum. I can't find and/or relax my diaphragm, it was frustrating.

Keep up the good work everyone! Have a wonderful day.

[toaster]

Pat, that's interesting. Maybe 5 years ago or so, my PCP referred me to an ENT; I saw a speech pathologist as part of that and did similar tests to what you are doing. I was diagnosed with a bit of vocal cord dysfunction on one side, but I don't think I got an official diagnosis of VCD. My voice does get easily stressed if I talk too much though (very challenging being both a therapist and a yoga teacher!).

I'm surprised that you've heard a lot of yoga teachers cue breathing into the chest and shoulders! My experience has been just the opposite: I've both taught and been taught to focus on breathing into the diaphragm. When I'm just starting to do breath awareness with someone, I'll ask them to simply notice where they mostly obviously feel the breath, the work on greater expansion in the belly area.

[JustSandra]

Hi!

Today's Workout: Various lower body exercises from Margaret Richard's Triple Threat, followed by my own stretches. Earlier today I walked outside for 1.5 hours.

Paine: We are pretty quiet! My niece teaches a yin yoga class on Sunday mornings, and I really need to go try it out. Not this weekend, though, as she is off hosting a yoga retreat.

Pat58: Interesting diagnosis -- I would never have connected allergies with vocal cords!

Waving to all!

[toaster]

Got home late tonight so only had time to do this quick yoga video for QL:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0goK2B4zSHY&t=1717s

I can't remember if I had posted that before - there are some great moves, but she goes so fast! I really would have liked her to hold for longer.

Happy TGIF eve!

[cyana]

TGIF!!!

Fingers crossed for today. I got my end of month stuff done yesterday, which is great, since I'm usually doing that at the 11th hour. Hoping there won't be too many new things landing in my inbox!

I have to take some time and rethink my strategy for dealing with busy season. My wheels have been wobbly all year, but I'm really struggling to get much of anything done consistently aside from my morning stretch. My eating, which is still not bad, has deviated greatly from my normal (I've had some potato bread toast several times and I rarely ever eat breads), so I have got to firmly affix those wheels back on the axle!!

Paine - I'm hoping this link to a Clark Howard YT Shorts clip from an interview he did with Mark Cuban will work: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/dFOK1Ldz3Zs

I'd like to retire and volunteer to help Mark out, as working to drastically reform our sick care system would be an endeavor that would make my heart sing every day! I know you like Clark and thought you'd enjoy that.

Carolyn - Leonid and his Friends are in LA as of several days ago. They had a birthday celebration for Ksenia on the 28th, and posted the studio version of Ain't Nobody to YT. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jko3...&start_radio=1 I think she knocks this out of the ballpark. I love Chaka Kahn - I Feel For You makes me want want to get up and dance, even after all these years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YW0sxgYAmLM . Holy crap - can't believe that song was released in 1984 and Ain't Nobody was released in 1983. Here's the original Ain't Nobody: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrWTxRgd4Wk . I can't wait to get your review from the concert - it's getting close!

As I'm sure everyone figured out long ago, I love, love, love music and some days I feel a bit like Sybil and her multiple personalities as I visit the various genres. It would be accurate to say my ancient iPOD contains a rather eclectic selection of music! One of the great things about music - you can always find something to suit your mood at any given moment.

I must stop procrastinating and get on the work computer and get my day started. Waves to ALL. Will check back in for a chat - and hopefully some meaningful physical activity - over the week-end.

[toaster]

cyana, glad the end of the month came early for you! I loved your Sybil reference - I read that book as a teenager, and it was one of the things that got me interested in psychology.

(On a different chilling book note, I'm currently reading The Handmaid's Tale. )

TGIF!!!

[Pat58]

TGIF! Nice crisp day here! In addition to a long nap after work, I accomplished:

~ Lower body exercises from Home Improvement
~ Kassandra Evening Yoga for Sore Muscles plus evening affirmations
~ 3,234 steps

It seems like I've been drawn to mullet workouts lately. One of the backgrounders in Home Improvement was the Face of MTV, with the 1980s makeup and not only a mullet, but a permed mullet. IDC - it was the era, she looked fab, and that's all that counts. Except at times I was calling Margaret Dr. Frank N. Furter with that black, wild hair and nude tights, b/c she was killing me.

Cyana, good job on getting your end of month chores completed. I was thinking of you yesterday. I'm getting my switch to the new FY wrapped up and told myself "this is nothing compared to Cyana's end of year so don't complain." Good luck getting your health and fitness wheels aligned and surviving your busy season.

Sandra, it's weird, isn't it. Not only allergies but stress and reflux can cause V.D.C. These bodies are just too darn complex.

Beth, I like your method for breath work. I'm not going to force air "up into my shoulders" anymore. The instructions I got demonstrate that you can do the breathing exercises laying down with your legs on a chair seat, now that is PT I can stick with.

Waves to all!

[toaster]

Originally Posted by Pat58

Beth, I like your method for breath work. I'm not going to force air "up into my shoulders" anymore. The instructions I got demonstrate that you can do the breathing exercises laying down with your legs on a chair seat, now that is PT I can stick with.

Pat, yes, definitely! One method for diaphragmic breathing is to lay down with knees bent; you can have a small pillow under your head. Place something light (e.g. a small notebook or stuffed animal) on your belly and see if you can make it rise and fall with your breath.

[Paine]

GOOD 'N STRONG Volume 1: Upper Body workout plus Abs, Outer Thigh, Inner Thigh and Quads; Volume 2: Calves

Cyana, thank you for that Clark Howard video. The health care system in the USA is definitely broken. I hope people are able to rally together to make positive changes.

Beth, I looked at that yoga video for QL you posted and I agree that she transitions through the poses too fast.
Do you like The Handmaid's Tale so far? The last several books I've read have been so depressing. I want to read an enjoyable book that is not depressing!

Pat, I like that Home Improvement workout! I think it's Margaret's most challenging floor workout.
I have never heard of vocal cord dysfunction. I hope the speech pathology exercises help you.