Got my Secret Santa gift today from maggie I will post pics tomorrow.

I will get my trim on Monday hopefully.

The pain in my hip has NOT gotten any better, and has moved to my lower back , if i go on Monday to get my trim  then i won't go to PT. Hard choice...LOL


Have a Wonderful Weekend Everyone!

Hi, Beesan!  Essential Oil of Wild Marjoram is very helpful in easing body aches-you can mix it in a carrier oil (almond, jojoba, coconut) and apply it to the spot or (my personal favorite) put a couple of drops in a hot bath.  I hope you are pain free soon.

BTW-have you tried yoga asanas to keep your body healthy?

Namaste,
Sakina

Dear Beesan,
You do not have to be flexible to do yoga.  You become flexible through the practice of the postures, breathing and meditation.  When I took my first yoga class I was a few years out from having a very serious back injury.  I had misalignments in my thoracic and lumabar curves and my sacrum was fractured.  I was getting regular chiropractic and deep tissue massage treatments, but the yoga consistently helped me be comfortable in my body and kept me mostly pain free.  When you practice yoga: if you can meet your body where it is-no matter what your range of motion, you will slowly get more flexible, stronger and have better balance.  The purpose of the postures is to master the mind by mastering the body-so that our consciousness is in charge and our mind is the servant of the consciousness instead of the other way around (which is how we are when we begin the practice).  This leads to harmony of the spirit, mind and body.
Its OK if you can't make your back straight to begin.  If you seek out a teacher, be sure she/he respects the current limitations of your body but will gently encourage you to explore the "edge", the depth of your range where change can occurr.  I found it a real challenge not to compare my limited range of motion to the other students in class.  When I surrendered to the fact that my limit was what it was, my body relaxed, my mind relaxed and I really came to enjoy the experience of just being with myself in the pose-wherever that was, without judging myself or comparing my pose to anyone elses.  Before I knew it I was much more flexible.  I've been practicing off and on for about 12 years now.  For someone with the level of injury I suffered, I can now do full backbends, headstands and pretty much anything else but above all I feel good in my body and it is a rare day that I have pain or discomfort in my back.
I hope you'll reconsider yoga, and take the time you need to find the teacher you feel comfortable with.  In your case, I would not recommend using videos at home because you won't be able to tell if your alignment is correct.  Not to be alarmist, but you can get injured if you practice incorrectly.  Perhaps reading about yoga will help: I wholeheartedly recommend Erich Schiffmann's book "YOGA the Spirit and  Practice of Moving into Stillness".  There are many other books on postures out there, and there are postures in his book but, for me the introduction speaks to the heart of the practice.

Good Luck on your journey to freedom from pain.

Namaste,
Sakina

Wow Beesan, you read fast!  My neice got me a couple of books off my wishlist.  I hope to get through them over the break.  My concentration isn't as good as it used to be though. 

I agree with Sakina about flexibility.  Find your limit, remember to breath slowly, and as you exhale and relax into the stretch you'll find that you will naturally get a little further.  For me, if I haven't stretched in a while, it takes about a week's worth of stretching before I feel the same limberness as before.  But it also depends on body type.  My ex-boyfriend was heavy set and muscular.  Muscular people have a harder time with flexibility.  We took martial arts classes together, and I remember he couldn't even touch his toes in the beginning.  But after several months, he could  fold over flat like a piece of paper!   

Cynde

Hope your brother is doing better.  This is a tough time of the year to be ill!

Thanks Bikerbraid, and 13bodies and Merry Christmas to you

He is better now, and he has to take steroides(sp??) for three days. But we have gotten used to it now-and so has the ER nurses and doctors- this is like the 5th time he gets it.

Get well soon to your brother Beesan! Happy Hollidays to you and your FAMily.

I guess now is later...

Went to the mall on Saturday, as planned. We shopped around, but didn't really buy anything..it turned out that she was planning to cut her almost waist length hair up to shoulder length and wanted me to introduce her to my mom's friend, who works at JC Penny. (i hope you don't mind me mentioning this S_L )

Anyway, we went for lunch at California Pizza Kitchen. Then went to claire's for a last look. I got two pairs of hair sticks. One is black with little silver flowers with glitter printed on them, and the other one is clear and knoted at the top. I was planning on getting only one except they had a sale "buy one get the secong 50% off" it wasn't very tempting except that they were only $4.50 so i got both for $7, right on my "hair and fun" budget .