Rheumatoid / oesto - Arthritis and yoga

Rheumatoid Arthritis  can affect  your whole body  overtime , it is is a horrible illness to have.
so when I found out about a family member  having this dreadful thing I decided to look into
how yoga fared  with surprising results .
yoga surprises me every day , studies are being done as we speak , and so far so good ! they cant do a placebo  because there is not one  of course! so far they have found  people  with Rheumatoid  Arthritis  are in less pain while doing yoga and can handle and cope with their pain better than those who weren't doing yoga  so as i said before so far so good there are yoga exercises out there  for Rheumatoid Arthritis and here they are!

• single leg stretches

• shoulder stretches
• standing side stretches
• wrist bends
• ankle bends
• the corpse pose

• fish oil
• Caltrate { calcium supplement}
• evening primrose oil
• magnesium
• Multi  Vitamins such as centruim   
• vitamin B complex

the dosage of the vitamins should be on the packaging 

also a zinc or copper bracelet may help for the wrists .

you should try and sit outside for 15 mins a day in the sun

exposing your arms and legs  to help with your vitamin D levels 

avoid these foods because they can inflame your arthritis and cause you pain.

• paprika
• tomatoes 
• potatoes
• eggplant
• peppers 

these are all part of the nightshade family also they say in the drinks department to avoid caffeinated drinks such as coffee i will also add  cola at it has caffeine in it. also i was told to stop drinking cola to save my teeth so i did with great hardship.

you can never hurt yourself in yoga it is one of the safest forms of  exercises out there . Yoga is not about  pushing yourself it is about having a great relaxing  time all the while helping your joints become stronger.

yoga is never about who comes first because we all get there in the end  and yoga is not all chants or om's  or hums , you don't always have to twist yourself  in half either. as some people like to believe.  it is about having our own  relationship  with yoga , looking after yourself for a change instead of shoving yourself to the side all the time. yoga can change this and  does. thus  having more energy so you can give more time to the family and have a better quality of life.

James my husband  says don't be a Marta and dare i say it he is right , he says  the less pain i am in with my oesto arthritis the better i will  be {and the same applies to you!}

i should shut up now or he will get a fat head and won't be able to fit through the door .

James doesn't mind me writing this because he is the editor after all !

some people have know idea where to start  to look for a yoga class  or how to go about it  like i did when i first started  i just decided to  try yoga i knew nothing about it this was years ago  i did some things right and some things wrong. here is what you do. 

•   go to your Dr and ask for his /her advice on what you can or  cant do
• look for a yoga class in your area   
• tell your instructor about any health problems you may have and they will help you accordingly don't be embarrassed that is what they are there for .                 

I didn't feel comfortable  in a yoga class  so i stopped going and stopped  yoga altogether  until 2007.

as i didn't realize what was out there . i had no idea  there was such a range of DVD's from beginners to advanced when i  received my first yoga  DVD i was in heaven! and it was a beginners one!

i started off slowly and have never looked back And Yes! i asked my Dr first who would have thought you can do yoga in your  own home, i never would have.

to get the benefits of yoga set yourself a program.

my Dr recommends three times a week  but that's for me even if you start gradually that is fine but stick to it.set the scene.

• shut the curtains/ blinds 
• put your oil burner on with lavender oil or whatever is calming to you 
• wear loose clothing.
• and always use your yoga Matt  if you don't have a yoga Matt use a blanket or towel  in the meantime

   

(NOTE after your yoga routine  have a warm radox bath or shower

yoga is not a cure it eases your pain 

if you have arthritis or oesto arthritis, rheumatoid      
arthritis keep warm 

never go barefoot  anywhere without some form of footwear 

your feet must always be kept warm

sandles for summer , closed in shoes for winter

always consult your Dr before doing any form of exercise }

                                                                                                                   

NAMASTE.




{photos taken by James and chelle green)

Easter baby

well Easter has come and gone, all the chocolate nearly eaten, we have eaten so much chocolate;
I think we look like a family sized block.
the meaning of Easter has not been forgotten by any means , but gee it has been nice.
Iam now  paying  for it acne wise , but hey ! it's  worth it as indulgences  like this is rare for us.
James and i have been bringing up a budgie from a pinky {no feathers} this budgie was approx a week old
when he was  kicked out of the nest by his mother , he was so small  that he fitted into the palm of my hand
and I saw him open his eyes for the very first time. You know he  couldn't even  lift his head!
I was so worried  he wouldn't survive, he took the syringe instantly with the formula called egg and  biscuit  from the pet shop , hells teeth  what a racket he made  when he was hungry every 2-3 hours which was when i had to feed him even throughout the night.A week later he had feathers  developing and could lift his head, he lived in a shoe box for the first 3 weeks of his life with a small towel  inside the tissue box for warmth .He still  has his formula and has developed before our very eyes  and faith is now 5 weeks old,he is now starting to nibble on seed and loves his cuttlefish .
James and i don't know whether faith is a boy or a girl as yet, because the part where the nostrils are above the beak is called the cere  faiths colour is a rose pink when this changes from this  it will either be blue for boys or brown for girls , faith is a beautiful  smokey grey round little fat thing  and is just gorgeous .
faith doesn't stop chattering  which is great  where as girls  in the budgie kingdom  don't chat as much weird eh?  so we think faiths a boy.
faith is now flying faith flew at exactly 1 month old so right on target  faith loves to sit on our fingers,nibbles on my hair  and makes a beeline for James's beard . faith is also quite the acrobat  and loves to be busy.
and now is sleeping he is a constant surprise and an absolute joy. and just in time for Easter,
our Easter baby now  we can  go back to our daily  routine and our yoga workouts which we both love.







NAMASTE.







{photos by james and chelle green}
except one  which is anonymous

yoga and meditation are they the same

My journey with yoga so far has brought me to a lovely place ,  a place of  peace and love.
I cant describe how i feel it is just beautiful., i feel as if i am walking on air.
I had no idea  yoga could  do such a thing !
In the beginning   i thought yoga was just a natural  way  to get in shape, but as i see now yoga is so much more.
i have thought for a while now that yoga and meditation are one and the same, so i researched this and discovered in a way they are,  they both have the same target   to reach . but  in entirely different  ways, this target is to self enlightenment . Meditation shapes your spiritual self , where  as yoga shapes, sculpts your body  on the outside and massages your internal  organs and muscles  on the inside.
I tell James Iam going to do a yoga workout, i say i am going to pamper myself for a while because  in the end that is how i feel, all that i need after my pampering is a good old fashioned facial which i do at home and then i feel fabulous.
I hate waiting for that hour to pass after i have eaten   to do yoga  because i want to get straight into it.
I didn't wait for that hour once  and i felt my meal coming  up  my throat  so never again  it was so uncomfortable ! it taught me a lesson a big one
don't rush!

Here is something to ponder on.

No one is enlightened
________________

" Enlightenment is the spontaneous recognition
that there has never been anything as a "you" or a "me"
instead there is only the unfolding of Buddha- nature
the persistent idea of being a "me" obscures our true
impersonal identity. the illusionary  separate self
is  no more than a passing  cloud
traversing the great open sky
of our deeper being."


NAMASTE.

(photos by James and chelle green}

anxiety and yoga

my mind is full of anxiety today and keeps the same old record
of what happened of late. This happens to all of us  when we grieve .
or when  our depression is bad. so i took my own advice for a change ,
and did a yoga workout, it was great during my  yoga workout the ruminating
was slowly stopping and eventually it did i went into a  wonderful meditative
state just  listened  to the instructions on the DVD  and emerced  myself into it
even the birds were quiet . which  was even better my mind is now quiet
,i feel so relaxed not anxious anymore i just feel  lovely and refreshed.
i am even getting my appetite back i had lost it today through the anxiety
i am still working on my yoga breathing  sometimes Iam spot on and other times
i am completely off it is so frustrating at times.
i will keep going  because the benefits of yoga are amazing
one thing i have noticed about yoga is yoga helps you through anything
it is always there for you if you want it, it is your one constant thing in your life
for example {your stability} yoga will never  leave you once start it you can always go back
to it.

yoga will never judge you our make fun or hurt you
yoga is here to give you peace,tranquility,
and love.

{ NOTE}
if you have depression , anxiety
always use your medication along

with your daily yoga workout.




{photos and art by james green }

the gift of meditation

when you  first start meditation you think you will be able to first go,                          
but that is not the case  it takes plenty of practice before you have any results.
 but be patient  don't beat   yourself up over it because it does happen.
and it really makes you feel good the benefits are amazing .
this is what i found when i first started meditation at 12 yrs old.
because of the bullying i was enduring at school, so after school i would take myself
into my room put my CD on and meditate.
i always have been  very sensitive and thought i would try  meditation

and this  is what i have found from my own experience through the years

• feeling happier
• refreshed
• calmer
• less seizures
• more energy
• being able to handle situations  better.

for those of a sensitive nature

• you become very sensitive to those around you
• pick up other peoples energies
• your perception is heightened 
• your visual skills become clearer.

meditation not only makes you feel good .
it also  gets  you to work out any emotional
issues you  maybe holding onto with this you may feel

• angry
• extra sensitive
• moods may go up and down
• feeling tired,depressed and sometimes all at the same time

but all this is normal old memories coming to the surface
that you thought you may have buried or got rid of just remember
it is just a process and once this finishes
you will find meditation is a wonderful thing to do.
i know i have !
james said to me this morning why did we ever stop all i could say was i have no idea
to me meditation is one of the wonders of life and a gift.
meditation is something  that has been given to us so use it and cherish it
 that is what we are doing so why don't you.....

i thought  i would give you something to ponder over

the test of zen is finding the still
center within, even during the most hectic
times of our lives.

{anonymous }


if you have  been
practicing silent
meditation but when
 you are in the midst of
activity your mind is still
not calm and free, this
means you have not
gained anything from
your silent meditation.



by { Dabui }


heaven and hell are in the mind.
when the mind is always empty, you journey
from place to place in the country of the
Buddhas.when the mind is always moving,
you travel from one hell to the next hell.

by{ Bodihidharma}

 NAMASTE.

 {photos taken by chelle green}