Back to yoga

I have had a month off yoga for various reasons. The chief one was the upper back pain that I was experiencing. I was not sure what the cause was, but yoga was not helping, in fact it was making it worse! I had asked several of my yoga teachers about it, but none of their advice nor suggestions helped. I noticed a lot of discomfort way back in January, and had put it down to the skiing that I had done just after Christmas. I blamed it on not having skied before and therefore strained some muscles in my back that I wasn't aware I had.

Perhaps I was holding a lot of stress in my shoulders, causing my upper back to compensate and seize up? Stress? What stress? A housewife should not have any stress, surely. Oh well, if you have been reading my blog up to now, you will know what stress, if not, and you're interested, you need to read my earlier posts!

My Iyengar teachers suggested a few shoulder and upper back stretches and strengtheners- I did them, and they were of no help. When was it worse? Worse after a shoulder stand I say. Ok, show us your shoulder stand. Ok. I get into position, legs over my head, hands supporting my back, I get into this inverted position. Ahhhh, they said, I can see your elbows splaying and your shoulder blades are not where they should be..... using a strap to help, she adjusts my elbows and corrects my position..... Ok, I don't actually feel the discomfort during the pose, it's when I have to unravel myself and get down and then I get this sharp stab like pains.... I was dreading coming out of the pose, but I did, and I was in agony.. I did not want to reveal this to the teacher, she was only trying to help after all. I quickly did the counter  fish pose which helped the pain somewhat... It was then that I thought perhaps I should have a break from Yoga, to allow the strain to heal.

Shouder stand-sarvangasana

Fish pose, counter pose for shoulder stand

So after more than a month off, I went to a class this morning, reduced heat, Level 1, should be ok, and it was. I loved being back, did a lot of vinyasas, was sweating like a pig and I felt great..... my upper back seemed to have coped, no twinges or anything.. but we didn't do shoulder stand.  My back started telling me that all was not well as I was walking back to the apartment. I had been evaluating how my body felt on the walk back, and my back started to hurt as I left the elevator and started walking to our door.... arghhhhh... if anyone reading this knows the solution to my problem with my upper back, please tell me, as I do not want to give up yoga!

Last Friday, I went to get my hair cut, the ends were dry and I needed a trim.  Here's the thing, the hairdresser said, your hair is very thin.  Tell me something new, why don't you! Yes, I agreed. How do you want it cut? I don't want it short. It has been Dave's dream for me to have long straight hair down my back, like the kind you see in Chinese kung fu movies! Something like the picture below..

Well, my hair just refuses to grow! Worse still, I am moulting like a Samoyed in the heat of summer, leaving me with thinning hair... :-( . And another thing.. my hair has decided that it is wavy and the ends curl into loose locks when I am not looking!

I was 9 here I think, hair definitely straight!

Anyhow, back to the hairdresser. I said he could cut it anyhow, but it had to remain longish and make me look beautiful... hahaha, tall order, I hope he wasn't put under pressure. He then said, oh, and your hair will need another perm soon! Perm? PERM????  The last perm I had was more than 14 years ago. I told him that my hair wasn't permed... he was surprised, oh he said... they are natural curls? Yes, I said funny how I was born with straight hair and now that I am middle aged, it's curling of it's own accord. I asked him if he knew why this had happened, and he said no idea! Huh, I thought...

Hair cut and straightened with hair straighteners

I think I look ok, and if Dave wants that long hair on me, he has a long wait, or he could pay for hair extensions, or grow it himself!

What else is happening this week? I should be starting my training at McDs, at the service counter. It's not an ideal time to start work as the kids are in a school production of Alice in Wonderland and will be performing 3 nights beginning tomorrow, Tuesday 12.4.2011. The training sessions for McDs run in the afternoon and evening, so will make my life complicated if they want to train me when the performances are on. Dave and I are going to watch on Thursday evening, so I have said please no training then. I must say the management at McDs have been a bit sloppy at arranging training and communicating with me. I want to know when things are likely to be as I have a family to organise and not knowing is frustrating!

Ooh, in the post today I received a knitting pattern book from my brother and sister- in- law in England, it's the Knit Your Own Royal Wedding book.  Thanks Steve and Deb.  I also received my April packet of wool and beads to knit for the mystery blanket.... with all this knitting to do,who has time to work I ask you?  Perhaps I should be happy I haven't been called in for training!