I have turned into veal.

Last August my doctor told me to stop exercising, something you don't hear out of doctors mouths. In this case, any exercise brought on a period or made the existing one worse. By the end, I could only take my dog for a short walk. Then came surgery, and I was pretty much stationary from December 2nd until January 8th. The first exercise I did was to make our bed, this made me so tired I laid right down for a nap. Seriously, major surgery takes the energy right out of a person!

After I was laid off, I knew it was time to start building myself back up. Now, I've never been thin, or slender, or anything approaching those words. I have considered myself fit and fat. Now I lost the fit! I decided that with all the time I had I needed to organize my days. I began to take my dog out for daily walks. Walks are perfect if you are a writer, the fresh air really helps get the cobwebs out. Plus I can think as I stroll around the park, and my dog loves me. Talk about win/win. Then came phase II; if I was ever going to build back up, I needed to get in and work my muscles.

Joy from Prananda yoga studio got me one of her "hip opening" DVD's. Which is perfect, because after you let someone take a knife and a staple gun to your abdomen; you have to regain the trust of your muscles. My muscles were all locked up in fight or flight mode.

The first time I used the DVD I loved it. The woman who demonstrated the modified poses really looks like she needs all the props. So often with a yoga DVD, the people who do the modified poses are in perfect shape, and you can see them "pretending" to need the bricks, or straps, or blankets. On Joy's tape the woman is older, and you can practically see her thinking "where the hell is my strap".

I, of course, need straps, blocks, blankets and pillows to hit most of the poses. Basically, I look like I'm gift wrapping myself; but after the DVD, I feet better. I'm realizing that to get through this bout of unemployment I've got to have some areas of my life under control; even if I have to lasso myself with a yoga strap to do it!

*I recommend the hip opening DVD and Prananda yoga studio to anyone; especially folks who are a little shy about starting. The classes are small and there is a gentle stretching class on Saturday mornings that is amazing. I've put Prananda yoga studio link on this site. Check them out!