I have been a seeker and I still am, but I stopped asking the books and the stars. I started listening to the teaching of my Soul. ~ by Rumi 

Today, the yoga mat looks too far away–to be honest, for two days I denied the existence of my mat…What mat?–and I don’t know that I feel like excessive movement is an option for me today, much like yesterday and the day before that.

Still, I am into opposite action, so I unroll the mat.  Like the walls and most everything else in my room, the mat is  pink, a nice loving colour, and I need some unconditional love right about now.

Fun fact: I’ve practiced yoga since the age of 3

I take a moment just to be in tadasana, listening to and regulating my breathing while centering my core.  Today, given my level of pain and fatigue, I will only do a modified Surya Namaskara or Sun Salutation–slowly.

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So, Why Yoga? And How Does FMS Fit into All of This?  

As I’ve mentioned in an earlier post, yoga is extremely useful for people who suffer from chronic illnesses, which would include fibromyalgia.

Just search online for yoga and fibromyalgia and you will see the many sites that have dedicated a page or two to discuss the benefits of yoga.  One of the first is a 2010 article by WebMD that discusses a study done on yoga and women with fibromyalgia.  Here is an excerpt:

Women with fibromyalgia can reduce symptoms of the disease and improve their function by practicing the mind-body techniques of yoga, a new study says.

Researchers in Oregon who enrolled 53 women aged 21 or older for the study say that women who participated in a “Yoga of Awareness” health program showed significantly greater improvement infibromyalgia symptoms…

Women in the “Yoga of Awareness” class participated for eight weeks in a program of instruction and exercise.

Classes included 40 minutes of gentle stretching poses, 25 minutes of meditation, 10 minutes of breathing techniques, 20 minutes of teaching presentations on using yoga principles for coping, and 25 minutes of group discussions, in which participants talked about practicing yoga in their homes.

So, What Can You Do?

Well, I always believe in meeting yourself where you are.

• Locate and Assess your level of pain.  What and how much you can do depends upon your understanding of where and how severe your pain is.
• Ask yourself lots of  questions, like “Can I  leave the house? Can I get out of bed?”
• Depending on your answer, use the yoga resource that is most beneficial to you.  If you can go to a recommended class, then go.  If you cannot, YouTube and Amazon.com could serve as potential resources–of course, use your own judgement to decide what practice is safest for you to do.    

 

Below is an example of a resource that may be useful for you if you are experiencing low mobility, i.e. getting out of bed is not an option.  It is the Yoga in Bed Morning Stretch Series; there are 6 videos durations ranging between 6-11 minutes.

Good luck!

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ATR Challenge Update: Days 12 & 13

Wow, it continues! 🙂  Yesterday, I was unable to do much of anything, but I think I have already made up for it today.

So, What is right in my life?

Increasing Self-Love |Improving Self-Efficacy | Believing in Self-Worth

Connecting with the New| Reconnecting with the Old | Externalizing Love

Extending Help | Breathing Sunshine | Sleeping to Rain

Watching Cartoons | Laughing with my Child-Self | Laughing with my Pain

Laughing with my Hope | Laughing with my Sincerity | Laughing with my Life

Discovering Happiness | Enjoying Happiness | Accepting Sadness

Comforting Anger | Welcoming Mindfulness | Welcoming Internal Peace

Welcoming solitude | Welcoming togetherness | Welcoming Simplicity in

Everyone | Everything.

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In essence, it’s all good, because I believe and know it is–even if I’m stuck in bed. 😉

Until Next Time,

D.