The Year of the Crime Drama
Wanna here something comical? Sunday I didn’t have a migraine (first time in weeks and weeks.) So what do I do on Monday? I went to Bikram yoga.
For those of you who don’t know yoga, Bikram is also called “hot yoga.” It’s an hour and a half of intermediate poses — in a 100 degree room! My over-achieving inner voice said, “Hey Rachelle, here’s an idea! You’ve felt good for one whole day. Let’s go get dehydrated!”
What was I thinking?? I made it through the class with just one incident where I did a pose I’d never done before (rabbit) and nearly blacked out from the pain. Other than that I only had to take a break twice and I could do most of the poses at a somewhat respectable level. (The class is really intense – hard core yoga practitioners in there, pretzel people, you know?) I didn’t have a migraine until about a half hour after class, at which point the pain ramped up to an “8” and I ended up in bed for the rest of the day and night. I couldn’t take any pain meds so I just pulled the shades, wrapped my head in ice and watched four episodes of CSI on DVD. That’s what I do to distract myself from the pain, watch (well, mostly just listen to) crime dramas. I think the past 12 months is going to go down in my personal history books as “The Year of the Crime Dramas.” So far I’ve watched the entire seasons of Tru Calling, 24, and the Dead Zone while waiting out migraines. Next up: season one of Alias.
After Monday’s meltdown, Paul and I were talking about Bikram. Should I keep going? If so, which days? If it’s going to trigger a migraine I can’t go on Wednesdays (have to take the girls to dance class) or Thursdays (Monkfish Abbey) and I’d rather not go Fridays or I might be migraine-y all weekend. But you have to go at least twice a week, so if I go two days in a row would that be beneficial? Also, how should we pay for it? Its a couple hundred bucks a month? Is that the right place to put our cash? Or should it go towards some other potential cure? And so on, and so on…
Helene, my neighbor and total Bikram convert, says I’m just detoxing and I need to power through. My (possibly wimpy) inner voice says “But Ashtanga (flow yoga) is so much more nurturing and less driven.” My housemate says, “It may be that your body just not ready for Bikram yet.” My body says, “Something’s got to happen to get this crap out of my system.”
What to do, what to do? Who knew I would agonize so much over a yoga class!
Speaking of which, I’ve got to leave for Ashtanga now. Got to try to get some exercise in before today’s migraine hits. See ya!
Back to interest based decision making. Is your goal a cardio work out? Flexibility? Strengthening? Calming? Breathing?
I do Hatha yoga (used to do Iengar yoga). I find that the breathing (pranayama) and energy work are particularly good for headaches. A hatha practice also is good for strengthening and flexibility.
Do you have the time/inclination to split your exercise? What about swimming or walking for cardio (both easy on headaches) and hatha yoga for strengthening/flexibility?
Erm, my suggestion is that you just sit by a cool water source in the shade, breathe deeply and stretch your muscles out.
But then choosing between yoga styles seems exhausting in itself to me.
wow! never done bikram yoga myself, but i did practice hatha yoga for a long time. i did it from a book—shame shame, i know—but the good thing was how i could set my own pace. yoga shouldn’t be painful like how you described, in my opinion (or my book’s opinion). it should only be stretching, both bodily and mentally, but never painful. i interpret that as the “you’re doing something wrong, stop it” signal. and stopping that is part of the health of yoga. basically, do what is within your limits, and work outwards from there.
the book i used is called AM Yoga by Cyndi Lee. my mother enjoyed it for a long time as well as i. otherwise, i hope it works out for you, whatever path you decide to take!
your crime drama thing made me laugh. I spent three months on strict bedrest last year… It was CSI and Alias that kept me sane!
i have “flirted” with the idea of taking yoga and i would really like to . . . but i am paying for a gym membership and well you get it . . . but i have been doing cardo workouts at the gym and then i go into the “hot box” OMG it is unreal . . . its so hot it burns the hairs in your nose (sorry to be so graphic! but it does for real!) . . . anyway from a detox perspective that is helping me . . .
Dear Rachelle,
That is funny. I have taken to watching CSI on DVD on my days off. Another priest friend is addicted to the Sopranos. What is it about ministry that makes us want to stare into the abyss?
Sorry to have missed you last week. The weekend got real busy.
God Bless,
Have you gotten hooked on Lost yet? If not, add it to the list.
(I have two packages coming your way - a book, in case you can read; and a book-on-cd, in case you want to just listen. If you see a media mail envelope, it’s not a copy of the Revelation in KJV or anything like that.)
this could be God’s way of punishing you for associating with such godless pratices.
(I’m not serious)
Birkam is getting some negative press… if it dehydrates you it would seem like a bad idea.
breathe.
Rachelle,
I love crime dramas as well. I don’t really know much about migraines or yoga, but I know that nothing clears the mind better than a couple hours of Law and Order, CSI or Lost. Personally, I indulge in them to deal with the stress that I face daily as a caseworker for Child Welfare.
I hope you feel better. Thank you for the gridblog and all your posts, they give me hope.
1. I would not do anything that causes “ow” pain. (as opposed to the pain of lactic acid) This is PT advice I got a while ago.
2. I would avoid anything that triggers a migraine for you. Whats the point? You are not a lesser person if you don’t do it.
It is the power of the resurrection, followers of Jesus are finding is needed to combatthe metaphysical,as pertains to practices such as magic and varied energy works. We know the works of the Lord are great as mentioned in Psalm 111. Somehow the metaphysical is connected to the spiritual.Resurrection power is truly greater and we are victorious in Him. While we learn of this realm of the spiritual in a pure Christian context we are growing because less hindered to say the least. Psalm 111:6….glorious!
I have been surfing waves for the last few days and His prescence is the key. A more manifest presence of God, an instant reply. I agree with much of what “you” say, although anonymous which I believe is not allowed in this venue..I find what you said interesting and I’m learning the terms…although I don’t know what is meant by diverse spiritualities or metanarratives. I would hope diverse spiritualities is limited to the body of Christ since we followers of Jesus, especially being Lord, is One Spirit,spirit is energy. There is extensive knowledge still to be learned within the pure Christian context, learning experientially requires faith and obedience to His leading. He has told us to write for future generations all the great and marvelous, wonderful works of the Lord. Why we need to zone out by watching Alias, and CSI I have been wondering myself. Probably during a break from surfing…..
Jesus as Lord and acting that way….do we always…no, yet I would hope we would care to and wait upon God for strength,to actually do His commandments, it is my heart…although I do not always succeed. Walking in the Spirit is likened to a plane taking off on a runway attaining particular altitude and never landing.
As someone who has searched for his own means of health and healing and made mistakes, I suggest that ANY discipline which causes you physical pain is either not the right one for you, or is being done too vigourously. Bikram yoga, for you at least, sounds like a no-no.