annanotbob2's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Good things in 2020 pt 2 1. Yoga. I've been doing yoga for years, but very rarely managed to establish a home practice as it's always felt like too much faff. But since hitting about 50, I noticed that 'use it or lose' started to have effect much more quickly - a couple of weeks without and I could feel myself stiffening up - so since then I've tried to keep going at least once a week, if not more often. When lockdown started, I found a yin session on youtube (this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2gMDDZTv9k&t=28s sorry I can't do a proper link any more) that really did help me feel less stressed so I tried to do that as often as possible, but to be honest, I kept forgetting. Then my guy Jim, whose class I've been going to for years, got onto zoom and that was OK, but actually, too hard. When you're in the room together he keeps an eye on you much more than on zoom, as his class was immediately very popular, especially with other yoga teachers, all far more advanced than me. But then my other place went online, and the local natural health centre started doing online classes, including yin, and suddenly it was much better. If I can do a class at any time, I keep forgetting and then I've had dinner and all that and it's no good. But if I buy a class (for only a few quid) that will be live at a certain time, then I'm there. Not driving and parking saved me money so I invested in some gear. I already had a mat, but now I have blocks, a bolster, a strap and I made myself an eye pillow (to cut out the light for relaxation). Son bought me a fab Indian cotton blanket for my birthday and I'm all sorted. Oh - I also treated myself to a tablet, with the first installment of my state pension. A phone screen is too small and with a laptop you can only see if you're in exactly the right position, which is no good at all. And I've kept it up, at least twice virtually every week since March - I missed a week with my broken ankle but then spoke to the teachers who gave me alternative positions when necessary. Yin is floor based, about getting into a position, with the use of props if necessary, then holding it for 3-5 minutes. The theory is that it works on the ligaments and fascia - it's much easier than hatha or Iyengar yoga, I think, and it always makes me feel great. I have fab posture and am pretty limber for a pensioner. And calm - I come out of the classes blissed out. 2. Meditation. I've dipped in and out of meditation over the years, but it kept me as steady as possible during the long decline and deaths of my daughter and brother, and though I let it slip after that, I got back into it during the first lockdown, when yet again, I needed to keep in the present instead of imagining all sorts of horrors which might not come to pass. I do Headspace, ( headspace.com ) because I like the bloke's voice and attitude. There's also Insight Timer but too much choice there for me, thousands of different sessions, too much, and loads of them are by real airy-fairy, hippy-dippy cosmic kids that just make me doubt the whole thing. Whereas Andy at Headspace is just plain and practical and helpful - all the guidance you need. Things I have noticed: I never have a blocked nose - I can always breathe through it; when it's over and he says to open your eyes, I'm always surprised at the room - I kind of imagine it wrong in my mind's eye, though I always sit in the same chair, in the same place; during the March lockdown it was almost silent - when he said to listen to the sounds there was nothing apart from the birds and I loved that. It's back to having a roar of traffic in the background again, though we're all meant to be indoors. I used to not be able to do it regularly until one of my psych people said to give it a time slot - before I get dressed - and to not worry about drifting off into thoughts, everyone does that, the trick is to focus back on your breath when you notice you've drifted off. He always takes you through a quick scan of the body to check in on how it feels, and I always notice that my mouth is turned down - resting miserable face. If you're a regular reader you'll know that none of these things are magic bullets - they haven't transformed me into Ms Happy-go-lucky, but I think you'll agree that for a woman whose daughter died recently, living through a global pandemic, cooped up with a bloke she doesn't even like much, I've done OK. Right, before I go, a quick question (which I may have asked before and forgotten, in which case I apologise). In your dreams, is there a pandemic going on? Do you wear masks, and keep your distance? Owen Jones asked that on twitter, and I answered no to his survey, along with about 80% of others - quite a lot replied - and that very night we had to wear masks in my dream. Not useful ones, they were like masks we had as kids, Lone Ranger ones for the eyes, but with holes so you could see. They were stiff plastic, I was feeling them and they took me right back to being a small child subjected to racist shite on the telly. Three good things today: chat with SB and a walk arranged for Thursday; walking 4.2 miles; not watching much telly. Night night xx 11:02 p.m. - 03.01.21 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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