Barefoot & On the Mat August 2021: Hot August Nights!

[Pat58]

Good morning from rainy CT. I decided to keep it low key yesterday and enjoyed a very nice restorative yoga practice - Restorative Yoga & Breathwork - by Jessica Richburg. She is new to me. She finished off with a prana practice in your choice of a supported pose or savasana. I discovered that a breathing practice while in a supported reclining pose like supta baddha konasana is fantastic! Especially if you have asthmatic issues.

Caroline taught a version of three part breath I've never experienced. I'm used to it being the long inhale, hold, long exhale. But the method she used is a long inhale, brief hold then exhale one-third and hold a little; exhale another one-third, hold, exhale final third then a clearing breath and repeat. 'ed it.

Beth, have you taught that type of three part breath?

Cyana, loved the story about your succulent friends. I'm going that way myself. Care free, environmentally friendly and beautiful, who could ask for more. I'm so sorry your sleep is practically non-existant.

Pam, best of luck with your injection. I hope it helps you.

Paine, I wish you could walk with me too!

Hope Sandra is feeling well today.

Good morning all!

[Paine]

Exhale Core Fusion (Gluteus Sculpt)
Ballet Beautiful Classic (Inner Thigh)
YouTube: 30min. Yin Yoga “Lower Back” with Travis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=de...el=TravisEliot

The Yin Yoga for Lower Back with Travis felt glorious this morning.

Beth, no I haven't read Caged Lion.

Pam, I know what you mean. I too wish I could figure out why I sleep better sometimes and at other times sleep terrible. None of the sleep hygiene methods helped me at all and in fact many of the sleep hygiene methods lowered the quality of my life.
Thank you for mentioning the YouTube channel Relax for Awhile. I will check it out!
I hope your injection helps you. I'm glad you are migraine free now!

Cyana, I liked hearing about seeing the toys in the flower beds on your walk! I bet that house has children or grandkids that play with those toys when they go outside. We have our grandson's toys all over our backyard.
As I mentioned to Pam above, many of the sleep hygiene methods lowered the quality of my life. I absolutely hated getting out of bed at night, going downstairs to read in a freezing house (a sleep hygiene method was to lower the temperature in the house). Then when I felt sleepy and walked upstairs, I'd be wide awake again and have to go downstairs to read and the whole process was repeated over and over. I also quit all electronics at 5pm (no computer, no TV, no kindle) and that took away things that were soothing to me. I did the sleep hygiene methods religiously for nearly 3 months with zero improvement in my sleep. In fact, I was more miserable doing the sleep hygiene methods for 3 months so it made my life worse. What works best for me is keeping my iPad next to my bed with ear buds so if I wake up, I can listen to an audiobook or a guided meditation until I fall asleep. The ear bud prevents me from waking up my DH. I hope you sleep better tonight!

Hi Pat!

[cyana]

TGIF!!!

Yesterday was a bust work-out wise, as insomnia won that round of our ongoing battle, and I was awake from between 2-3 through the remainder of the night. I slept better last night, although I'm still dragging a bit. They aren't joking when they say your sleep debt is a cumulative thing.

Paine - The people who live in that house are too old to have little kids, so I have to wonder if they put out the tiny toys and trinkets for fun. They live down the street from a park and we also have lots of walkers and runners in our neighborhood, in addition to more young families moving in. I hear you on the sleep interventions sometimes creating negative responses. Years ago, it was suggested that I keep a migraine diary. It was massively overwhelming, as I felt as though the migraines had taken total control of my life. I found I did much better when I was mindful of what I'd eaten, etc., and used that information to make changes (like eliminating artificial sweeteners, wheat, etc.). I wish I had an automated "cover fluffer" - an automated gizmo that would add and subtract the sheet and coverlet throughout the night. Thankfully I've never had the menopausal hot flashes/drenched in sweat episodes, but my internal thermostat definitely has swings during the night and I try to keep the bedroom on the cooler side for sleep (hooray for programmable thermostats). Still no JSP's at the Whole Wallet, but I purchased a white sweet potato yesterday. No clue what to expect, so I just ordered one. Thanks for the feedback on the Travis yin practice - that's definitely on my list.

Pat - I think the brief pauses during yogic breathing are useful and add a different dimension to the exercises. I love breath work, so I'm always up for trying something new. Baby Osprey is chowing down on a fish right now. I'm wondering if fishing lessons have started, or if mom and dad are still putting the food on the table.

Must get my work day started. Waves to ALL!

[toaster]

Aww, cyana, sorry that insomnia got the KO last night. My sleep has still been a bit off adjusting to the back to work schedule, so I am with you on the TGIF! That's awesome that you did a walk before wore the other day.

Hmm, I realize a post from me from yesterday is missing - maybe I never hit enter? I was responding about the "cozy nest" - ideally, it's supposed to be within the same room, a nice, comfortable, cozy spot to be in for a bit before you try falling asleep again. Personally though, I find it hard to get out of bed when I can't sleep too, and I can imagine that it would be even tougher with cats! (As a side note to Paine, I would never recommend to one of my clients that they try something for months that was making the miserable! Sleep cycle resents are supposed to be tried for a few days or maybe a week or too; months of misery makes no sense. )

Pat, 3-part breath was one of the things I thought I had already responded about, haha. I actually haven't heard the first type of breathing you described (long inhale, hold, long exhale) being called 3-part breath; I would actually simply call that breath pause, although I more often teach it as square breathing (inhale-pause-exhale-pause, with all 4 parts being of equal length). I do teach the 3-part breath more in the way you learned it in class, and I have seen it taught the way you described, but I more commonly teach the 3-parts on the inhale, and no pauses. So I would say something like "breathe 1/3 of the way into the area of your belly, continue breathing the next 1/3, expanding into your rib cage, and then breathe in the final 1/3, taking the breath into the top of your chest/lungs; exhale slowly and completely." I often have students place their hands first on their belly, then their side ribs, then their collarbones so that they can feel the movement of the breath.

Pam, I also remember writing a response to you about Ana Forrest (darn those missing post mysteries!). I had said that I never clicked with her either, but I remember that there were a number of people on VF who were really into her back in the day. It was early in my yoga journey then, so I always felt like I "should" like Ana because others did!

Sandra, hope you have continued to recover. I was thinking about you as I keep hearing more about the current forest fires.

So I did acro yoga yesterday and it was a lot of fun! I'll try to add some photos on later (for anyone on FB, I already added one, and I'll add more to my yoga FB page, which is public: facebook.com/yogibethc). I was glad to have the opportunity to be both a base and a flier.

[Pat58]

Hi everyone, it was a "got nothing done" kind of day. I left work early to go sit at the hospital for a few hours with my niece and BIL, and just rested afterward and absorbed a few Jason Stephenson guided meditations.

I know a good workout will help, but it's hard to pump myself up for it right now.

Beth - thank you for the three part breath feedback. I like your way of doing the three parts on the inhale, too - I think doing a few rounds the inhale way, then a few rounds the exhale way, would make for a really nice prana practice. I think Ana had a "fierceness" that a lot of VF'ers were drawn to at the time. I liked that she moved at a deliberate pace and that her sun sals were on the knees. I couldn't grow with her, though. So far advanced with all the arm balancing stuff she loves.

Cyana, did you get the Hannah white? You will like it, I think. It's a little surprising to see the white flesh then you get the sweet taste. We love them because they have a longer shelf life than the orange ones. Hugs over the insomnia.

Paine, thanks for mentioning the Travis yin yoga - I meant to try it soon and now I will.

Hoping Pam tolerated the injection well - check in when you can!

[JustSandra]

Oops, I did it again -- missed several days of working out.

Pat58: I don't know what caused it, but over the weekend I ran a low-grade fever plus had a lot of head and neck achiness. I was also still recovering from whatever I did to my right knee! Luckily the fever went away and I was able to return to work as scheduled. My right knee is still a little stiff and feels "off" but it is functional for most everyday tasks. Am hoping it continues to improve.

Beth: Excellent review of Caged Lion! I found it fascinating from both a legal and a fitness perspective. Thanks to our Linda for recommending it.

It has been a hairy few days at work. We are implementing a major new tracking system for library materials, and let's just say the process is not exactly intuitive. A part of me says learning new technology is good for my brain processes. But another part of me questions whether my library job is headed in a direction I don't care to follow, and perhaps it is time to seriously consider the "R" (Retirement) word.

Won't be working out today due to schedule issues, but need to pick up again tomorrow. I've got a serious case of what our Paine calls Stiff Old Lady Syndrome!

Waving to all!

[toaster]

Yes, definitely thanks to Linda for recommending Caged Lion! I thought he got a little wordy and repetitive at the end though.

Sandra, changes can certainly be challenging! Good thing you had your practice R to help you decide what's best for you now.

Pat, yes, I agree that doing a few rounds of 3-part breath both on the inhale and the exhale would be very relaxing!

I've been having more stiff old lady syndrome too. Whenever I crouch down (which luckily I can do!) or even if I get up after sitting for awhile, I feel stiff all over for a few minutes. I probably just need to move more - when we walked for miles during our mini-getaway, I felt good!

[Paine]

I went to 2 markets this morning so today is a rest day.

Cyana, I've been disappointed that our Whole Wallet and Trader Joe's haven't had any JSPs. I haven't felt like driving to an Asian market but that is what I'll have to do to satisfy my JSP addiction. I sometimes buy the Hannah (white sweet potato) as a substitute for JSPs but JSPs remain my favorite. Let me know how you like the white sweet potato.

Beth, I faithfully practiced all the sleep hygiene methods for several months because I was paying for weekly Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) sessions with a counselor during that time and I wanted to give it my best shot of having improvement. So, I was following protocol. The neurologist sleep specialist I saw at the Sleep Clinic recommended I go through CBT-I so that's what I did. So much wasted money on all that!

Sandra, I'm glad you are feeling better. I was beginning to worry when we hadn't heard from you.

[toaster]

Paine, I remember you sharing that before. My graduate program had a cognitive-behavioral orientation, and I certainly think the methods are solid. However, sometimes it can be so strictly applied that it is too rigid to me, which is why my approach has become more eclectic. I prefer DBT, an skills-based intervention that incorporates more mindfulness, to traditional CBT.

[yogapam]

Good morning mat mavens!

My injection was a non event, not painful, but I was a bit sore a few hours later. The doc said it will take a few days for me to feel effects from it. This morning I can feel a difference, yay. Hopefully it will continue to improve, I’m optimistic!

Thursday:
~Restorative poses & stretches with my soft half foam roller - chest openers, hip stretches, supported bridge, supported twists

Friday:
~Jessica’s Barefoot Cardio Sculpt - kept my movements smaller
~Restorative poses & stretches as above

Beth - Yes Ana Forrest did have a big following here at one point. It was early in my yoga journey & I think I unfairly compared her to Erich Schiffmann. IMO, no one compares to Erich. The three part breath you describe is one I find very relaxing. I look forward to your acro yoga pics!

Pat - I hope your BIL is comfortable. (((Hugs)))

Sandra - I am all too familiar with stuff old lady syndrome, lol! I hear you about new technology, it rarely comes without numerous kinks to iron out. I remember that with computer charting systems in health care.

Paine - How frustrating to spend all that cash & give up all those things you enjoy in hopes of improving your sleep!

Cyana - I agree that sleep debt can’t be paid off in one night. I hope you can reduce yours more over the weekend!

Back later to post some gentle movement….
Waves to all!