P.t.

I had my first PT appointment yesterday...my back was really sore afterwards. It's ok though because my mom came over and we made a pumpkin pie with a GF crust. So delish! Even Nic liked it. :) Back to PT. My PT explained Spondylolisthesis to me a bit better (he said it has to do with some type of syndrome that I can't remember the name of). Basically I have a stress fracture on the spine part of my L5 vertebrae. Most likely both sides of the spine are fractured. What that means is that the vertebrae has nothing to hold on it so that's why it has moved. They grade Spondylolisthesis in grades 1-4 - I have a grade 1 which means it has moved 1/4. When you think of how not big the body of a vertebrae is, 1/4 of a movement is quite a bit - about 5-6 mm. Eeek. Good news is that most of the time you can seek pain relief with PT and it will heal itself. Other times not so much. I don't even want to think about that. Let's start with PT and we'll go from there. I still have NO IDEA how it happened and don't think I ever will.

So in last night's PT session I did some ab exercises and stretching - all about strengthening my core. Ideally I will do exercises 5 times/week and get 20-30 minutes of aerobic exercise 5 times/week. For the first little while, my PT wants to see me a couple times per week and then it's up to me on how often I see him, which is nice that he's left it up to me. My abs were a bit sore this morning and I have my exercises to do. I'm glad I finally have some answers, because for a minute I didn't want people to think I was overreacting or making it up. I wasn't, I promise! ;) I don't want to mess around with my back. Bring on the PT!

PaUsE

Meditation is:

~ "It is exactly like muddy water left to stand in a class. Little by little, the sediment sinks to the bottom and the water becomes pure." (Taisen Deshimaru)

~ Meditation is not the goal; it's the journey.

~ Three-Step Meditation (how to not let your thoughts take over):
1. Recognize that you're thinking
2. Gently return to meditation
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 as needed

DAY 6 October 14, 2011  I close my eyes, relax, and feel my body. I paid attention to every square inch of my body. My hands in my lap, my breathing and the noises in my house. I tried being alert as possible and stated: Meditation is allowing what is three times. I said it slowly and paused after each statement, letting the words sink in.
This can work for anyone - it's a taste of what meditation can be and feel like.

DAY 7 October 15, 2011  This session was different because it was really short. The reasoning is as I was reading my meditation book, I came across a fill-in-the-blank statement: Meditation is a process that can help me _____________. Hmm. Why am I meditating? 101 goal. Ok but for there's a reason why I started meditation on October 9, 2011. I sat on my couch, closed my eyes, focused on my breathing and said the above statement. I thought I knew my reason, but the answer did kind of surprise me (in a good way). Being relaxed and focused, I found my answer: reduce stress, not be angry with myself, and be more relaxed. *If you want to start meditating, I recommend that the above be your first session. 

PAUSE.

I've accomplished my 101 goals...in a way. I kind of learned how to meditate (according to a CD) and I did it for 7 days - I would say that these past 7 days were successful and helpful. I really can see why people get "into it" with meditating. Here's what I've decided to do: I'm going to continue reading my "8 Minute Meditation" book and really learn how to meditate. This book lays out an 8 week program of meditating (Part II) and then you can upgrade in Part III. I'm going to continue documenting my experiences (not on blogger) and test out this 8 week program. It's only 8 minutes/day - I'm pretty sure I have 8 minutes to spare in my day. Let the program begin...NOW.

BaCk UpDaTe

Remember this post about my back pain? I went to my primary doc yesterday afternoon to discuss it. I got some X-Rays done right then and there. We looked at them and he said structurally everything looks nice and healthy. He said he would talk with radiology but really didn't think he missed anything. My spine is a little crooked but nothing to worry about. He prescribed me an anti-inflammatory and recommended back stretches and core strengthening (the las time I did this, it hurt my back). The doc also said that I have to be careful with the core strengthening because it can hurt your back.

Fast forward to last night at 5:45. I received a call from my doctor. Uh oh. No one wants a call after hours. The doc said he talked with the radiologist and my L5 vertebrae is tipped forward - L5 sits right on top of your sacrum. No wonder why it hurts worse when I'm sitting. He also said that I have the beginnings of arthritis which means we have to keep a closer eye on my back. Arthritis? Really? I thought this was only supposed to happen to older people (no offense to anyone). I'm 24, right? He wrote me a prescription for Physical Therapy. I'm interested to see what they'll have me do. I'm hoping I'll see results with the anti-inflammatory, the PT and stretching and strengthening.

Sometimes I feel like the insides of my body are a lot older than the outside. I specifically remember my IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) doc saying that I had 40-year old eggs. Apparently I also have a 40-year old spine. At least the outside is looking young. :)

DAY 4 October 12, 2011: I sat in my bed again for the session - once again comfortable. This session was about focusing on breathing - exhale longer than inhale. I wasn't able to focus for the first few minutes, because Harrison was antsy, but he finally left the room. Once completely focused on breathing, the relaxation kicked in. It was another good session.  When going to sleep, I did the breathing from the session which helped relax me into sleep.


*Only 3 more days until I complete my 101 goal: 7 days of meditation

DAY 3 October 11, 2011: It definitely helped to be sitting on my bed with the covers on. I was very comfortable. It also helped me to wear earphones - she was talking directly to me. It's important to be as comfortable as possible: volume of the CD, lighting temperature, sitting vs laying down. There's can't be any distractions - your mind has to be so focused on what the CD is saying to have a successful session. At the end of the day, all of those things that were stressful/frustrating/angery during your day don't matter. It is what it is and tomorrow is a new day.

DaY 1 & 2

As I go through the process of learning how to meditate, I am writing down my experiences with each "session" (I don't know what else to call them :).

DAY 1 October 9, 2011: Sunday has been a rough day and I have been very down on myself. I thought it would be the perfect day to start meditating. I did about 20 minutes of a guided meditation CD (male's voice). I was so relaxed afterwards. I didn't feel anger or stress as I had previously. It was a wonderful feeling. I did my meditation sitting on the floor in my living room - legs crossed, eyese closed, and arms relaxed on my legs. I noticed that by the end of the session, my body and mind felt so relaxed that I was slouching. I think day 1 was a success.

DAY 2 October 10, 2011: I tried a PM Yoga Meditation CD (female's voice) - I think it was about 20 minutes. This is supposed to help you clear your mind and relieve the stresses of the day. I think I prefer the male's voice over the female's voice. On 10.9 I was sitting and tonight I tried lying down thinking this would help me relax more. I think on 10.11 I will try either sitting or lying on the bed. There were many things distracting me (uncomfortable on the floor, cold, too much light even though the lights were off) - I had a hard time focusing my mind, but by the end I did feel very relaxed. It's trial and error for me as a beginner meditator.

*Tonight I will be trying the PM Yoga Meditation again, but will do a different "session" on the CD. I'm going to be on my bed (with the lights off and the computer not facing me). We shall see if this helps. I'm thinking a sleeping mask would definitely help in PM meditations. Hmmm....

My 2 lovely sisters made a trip to Klamath and we had a great time (missed seeing my 2 SILs Sharon and Nikki). We headed to see The Lion King in 3D (hence the funky glasses:

I bought a new hat:

Head to the punkin patch (as Nic would say about the little pumpkins)

Sisters. Sisters. There were never such devoted sisters. ;)

Loved seeing Summer and Dani and their wonderful kids! Thanks for the great time.

posted from Bloggeroid

SeArChInG

I have been asked by a few people how my 101 in 1001 is going...slowly but surely. The hardest one I'm trying to complete is #15: read 5 classics. The ones I've tried reading are just not grabbing me and I've been having a hard time finding the time to sit down and read. I guess I need to start reading on my lunch breaks at work...Anyways. I have been slowly crossing things off my list without saying so on my blog. I've only accomplished 26/101 - not very good progress, considering I have a little over a year to accomplish the rest. The show must go on!

What I have been "searching" for is #38 and #39: learn how to meditate and do it. I went online to my town library and have requested quite a few books and cds. I think meditation is a good thing for all of us (not that I've ever tried it). At least we should all try it a few times. This is in my future:

(I wish this is where my meditation could take place - I'll be in my home like regular, normal people :)