Embrace Your Destiny:: Stretch Your Limits

Here I am in Puerto Morelos, Mexico on the long awaited Yoga Retreat. Our studio teacher and owner Adi Westerman and  Janet Horn former teacher and studio owner in Shelby, NC, put together this retreat at the end of last year. It proved to be a wonderful mix of people: city and rural, experienced and novice yogis, and of course age and interests. The glue that bonded us all together was a love of yoga with a healthy respect and admiration for our teachers. The location in the warmth of Mexico and at Casa Om where we stayed also contributed to the fun experience.  

Embrace Your Destiny: Anticipate Success With Neurologist

Check-in at Durham Office

I always look forward with anticipation to the twice yearly visits with my Neurologist, Dr. Scagnelli with Raleigh Neurology. I've been seeing Dr. Scagnelli for a year since my long time doctor, Dr. Gregory Bertics semi-retired. Dr. Scagnelli and I are still getting acquainted but overall, I'm pleased with him and hopefully he is with me. Much to my surprise and delight, I discovered that he has a very nice office in Durham. This is 30 minute closer on a long 4 1/2 hour road trip to Raleigh.

I usually have high expectations when I go for my check-up. I usually think I am doing good overall. What I really want though is unsolicited confirmation from him. The changes I feel in walking, strength, balance and general ability is slow to recognize. Family and friends who see me regularly rarely comment about any improvement they see. I'm sure changes in gait in particular are so slight they probably aren't noticeable. I really work hard for and appreciate good feedback from anybody, but I live for the day the doctor tells me, "You are doing great!"

Embrace Your Destiny: Practice What You Love!

Several of our yoga teachers have said that often people start Hot 26 to look better, but they keep up their practice because of the mind benefits.  Both reasons work for me. MS puts me on the edge of stress all the time. In the moment, I can feel stress building up. My reaction of anger, fear, anxiety or whatever is way over the top of what it should be. This is definitely one of the day to day symptoms of MS that require a management strategy. For me, Hot 26 is my ticket to feeling calm as well as feeling good physically all day. I prefer practicing this yoga daily, but sometimes life gets in the way. Lucky for me, I love doing it and especially love the way I feel after class and the rest of the day.

Embrace Your Destiny: Yoga Therapy Works

I have been doing Hot 26 as alternative therapy for my MS for almost 4 years. I wish I had taken pictures of various things I could and could not do in a before and after context. I began tracking physical improvements such as balance early in my practice. After two years, I began to see changes physiologically as well. I've been going daily for Hot 26 for two years. With the variety of teachers we have at Hot Yoga Asheville and the difference in the floor surface, I have made amazing improvements in balance, strength, and flexibility.

Practically speaking, I that regular yoga practice for helping me improve doing daily tasks. I get dressed twice as fast as when I started practicing. For example, putting on pants would sometimes consume 3-5 minutes. I'd try and miss the leg, try and miss the leg again and again. All this because standing on one foot and lifting the other without falling or getting the lifted leg stuck takes concentration and time.  Simple things like fastening bras, pulling on tight tops that have to be pulled over my head, working zippers on the backs of dresses can be done by myself if necessary and definitely quicker. 

Most notable is that I can get in and out of my soaking tub without assistance. This is a big deal! I like to use my tub everyday, if possible. I need independence 

When we built our house on the home farm in Mills River, we designed almost the entire house around this Victoria Albert tub. I saw one similar to it at my friend Eleanor's home in Durham. We were gathering ideas about what we wanted to include in our new house at the time. I especially liked it because Eleanor told me it is made of volcanic ash which is an organic material. That means it holds the heat of hot water as long as it needs to stay hot. Plus, it felt like an elegant smooth rock to touch. Having had other acrylic and fiberglass in jacuzzi tubs, I knew what I wanted when I saw it. Keep in mind it never occurred to me that getting in and out of the tub would be hazardous. The handrail is an important tool in the process. I am glad to report that other than the water sprayer making a mess occasionally, I have had no issues with my tub. 

Aside from the physical benefits of improved balance, flexibility of ankle, knee and shoulder joints, and strength, I have enjoyed many physiological benefits. For example, I use to have headaches regularly. Those began diminishing very early in my practice. Numbness of fingers and arms has decreased significantly. I was diagnosed with carpel tunnel syndrone about the same time of the MS diagnosis. Up until a year ago, I wore an arm brace overnight to keep from having severe arm pain that would wake me up and be very difficult to shake off. I no longer do the arm brace and rarely have numbness that interferes with anything during the day. Constipation was always an issue as was bloated stomach. Those issues are gone completely.

Perhaps the most significant benefit I receive is the stress reduction medicine it affords. Stress is a big deal for MS people. I know I don't handle stress well. Donnie takes care of all the household duties that cause me stress. Luckily, he enjoys doing financial work. That stresses me. He picks up duties related to hosting parties that he knows stress me. We love doing parties on our patio, but, that does add a certain element of stress. Donnie sets up everything and cleans up everything. By the time we are done, I'm usually very tired.

 He helps me manage stress at home. Yoga helps me manage other stresses around family time. My 95 year old mother is a joy. We do nails regularly and she dearly loves going out for Sunday lunch. My sister makes the big trip from Boston to see her about every six weeks. My brother and his wife Judy do the Poppins Posies Flower Farm. When we all get together around holidays and celebrations, it's great fun, but is a stressor I plan for. Yoga has taught me how to pace myself and in general, keeps me grounded during all the preparations and festivities. If possible, I will l make a yoga class on big days, especially to help me control my stress. What I can report is that it works.   

Embrace Your Destiny: Keep Moving - Everyday is Different

One of the fundamental truths we learn in Hot 26 yoga is that our body feels different every single day. It also responds differently. This is Sean, one of our many great teachers at Hot Yoga Asheville, with me after one of my 7:30 AM yoga classes. Sean always reminds us at the end of class that "the most important thing in your life, is your life." I think about that some mornings at 5 AM when the alarm goes off and I feel a bit out of sorts. Luckily, my husband Don also gets up and usually goes with me to yoga. That helps! We all need help sometimes to encourage us to get moving.  

Embrace Your Destiny: Try an Acupuncture Facial

Chinese Elements

The Chinese have been doing face reading and healing for over 3000 years. The elements of wood, fire, air, metal and water  are linked to various personality traits, and overall health. Experts say that face reading is an excellent diagnostic tool to use for prevention of disease.  Each part of the face corresponds to a specific part of the body. For example, the cheeks are linked to the lungs, the brows to the liver and the lips to the digestive. When I have an ulcer or cold sore on my lip, I usually have some digestive issue. Acupuncturists have to have very advanced training to qualify for doing an acupuncture facial. My acupuncturist, Sarah Fields of Natural Pathways is certified. 

Embrace Your Destiny; Find Your Voice

Join Toastmasters 

I've been a member of Toastmaster International for five years.  There are several clubs in the Hendersonville area, but I chose FourSeasons Toastmasters. We meet at Lake Point Landing retirement community in their general assembly room downstairs in the main building. The location and 8:00 am meeting time works well for me.

Embrace Your Destiny: Using Bone Broth

Just Drink It!

I try to have a cup of bone broth everyday at lunch usually. It's easy to pour into a cup and heat in the microwave for 40 to 60 seconds. If I have to defrost a quart that will take 10 minutes on defrost in the microwave. I try to remember to get it out of the freezer the night before but do forget sometimes. It's interesting that hubby, Donnie enjoys it too. It depends on the bones I used in making a batch, but usually I'll add water to dilute the broth. It's been very rich looking and tasting. Right before heating, I'll add a pinch of pink salt to taste and fresh ground pepper. A quart of broth will last us three days if we only use it for drinking.

Embrace Your Destiny: Making Bone Broth

Making the Broth

Two pounds of beef bones looks like this after they have been roasted in the oven on 350 degrees for an hour. The longer the roasting time, the better the flavor seems to be. I got my recipe from Mother Earth website. Since that first time, I have talked to other broth makers, butchers and chefs, and  experimented. The following recipe is what I have found works for me. Each time I might do some slight variation. The two "must do" secrets are to use several tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and cook at least 24 hours, but better at 48 hours. Everything else contributes to the end product and flavor. Also, don't forget that all ingredients need to be organic!

Embrace Your Destiny: Love Organic Bones

 BONES, bones, bones! The certified, organic bones needed for making bone broth are hard to come by! My juice lady, Katie of Green Heart Juice  was  out of bones before Christmas. I had run out of bones completely and she was having trouble getting them. There are only a few grocery stores that have good organic, grass fed bones. They were twice as expensive as hers too. Since I make a crockpot of broth about every 10 days, I'm looking for cheaper bones. The good news is that there is a great supply of bones in Franklin, NC. These bones come from Brasstown Beef in Brasstown, NC. Donnie and I left Hot Yoga in Asheville one morning after the 7:30 am class and took off for Franklin! Love a day trip, especially up through our beautiful mountains. Franklin is only an hour from Asheville. Had a great lunch in Dillsboro on the way home.

Embrace Your Destiny: Enjoy the Success

Sister Penni at Sunset

YEAH! I did good. All my hard work in the gym, and at hot yoga, plus massage, physical therapy, acupuncture, and regular juicing and bone broth in my diet have paid big dividends! I got along better than expected on my solo trip to meet my sister and her group in La Jolla, California. I was anxious, especially about my walking, but it was great. My energy was excellent too. Over all, I felt very good. I did have a headache one day that persisted and wouldn't go away. Penni had one too so maybe it was normal jet-lag.