Increase my qi?

I had acupuncture today.  I know some people have mixed feelings about it, but I just love it.  It has helped me with asthma, gastro/digestive issues, and stress relief. I am going now for pain relief, namely that damn plantar fasciitis that won't seem to go away.  In both feet.

Today I went for the 2nd time to a different practice/practitioner.  My insurance covers them, so that's a bonus.  I also had the most stressful days today at work.  I can't even tell you why it was more stressful than most days.  I realized afterward that I had an anxiety attack and then the rest of the day I was feeling tense and on the verge of tears.

I went home and changed my clothes and went to acupuncture.  Roye, my practitioner, could tell that my qi was low, especially compared to last week.  As she started to needle me I felt an overwhelming sense of energy surging through me.  And then the emotions, and tears, released.  It felt never ending but was probably only about 5 minutes.   She kept her hands on me and talked me through some deep breathing.  The rest of the acupuncture session proceeded and I walked out with a little less pain and hopefully increased qi.

It occurred to me that I need to really start some kind of something to help me manage stress and just for me.  I keep saying I am going to start meditating and I begin for a few days.  It always fizzles out.  I think it is time again to incorporate meditation into my life. I have been doing a little yoga, but I think I need to do both...regular yoga and meditation.

I am open to hearing from you about your yoga and meditation practice.  Or maybe your acupuncture experience?  How do you handle stress?  Talk to me...what works for you?

Transitions

I've been asked a few times recently about when I was going to write something new.  I wasn't sure.  I am still not sure why I haven't really written since Thanksgiving.  A busy life is one answer, but not the complete truth.  I just was not inspired to write about anything in particular.  Or maybe I had too many topics from which to choose?   My life was in flux.  

My husband started a new job.  This was HUGE.  It has been so great for all of us.  But change, even when it is positive, is tricky.  Responsibilities and expectations have to be adjusted.  Who is doing Lilly drop-off, pick-up?  Who has to stay late, go in early or has an appointment?  Who is doing the cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry?  After he was home for 2 1/2 years, this was just one big giant transition.  Again...good problems to have, but mentally, they wiped me out!

I have not even posted about Christmas!  It was a wonderful Christmas and Lilly loved everything about it.  We had fun with Sha-la-la, our Elf on the Shelf.  We have been to tons of birthday parties for Lilly's classmates.  We bought a new car!  

Our elf Sha-la-la visited our gingerbread house.

One thing that haunts me a bit, because I have written about it so many times, is my stalled weight loss.  I am still having issues with the plantar fasciitis which makes walking, my preferred form of exercise, darn near impossible.  I have to walk for my job, so I do that.  But to exercise before or after work is daunting.  If I had an elliptical or bike I think I would be okay, and swimming, as always, would be amazing.  But I do not have those options right now.  

I had decided that I was not going to beat myself up about eating and enjoying cookies or other food over the holidays.  And I didn't.  What good is eating a cookie if I was going to beat myself up after?  And I baked lots of cookies!  I tried all of them.  That would have been a lot of negative feelings.  

A sampling of the cookies and fudge I made for friends and family.

Additionally, I was found to have low thyroid and put on some medication.  I had gained about 10 of the pounds back that I had lost since June.  I had noticed the weight gain at the same time I noticed the other symptoms that sent me to my doctor.  In my head I had really believed that the weight would come off when I started the medicine.  Yeah, that hasn't happened.  Meanwhile, I have been eating so much healthier since the holidays ended.  I was actually so sick of sugar by New Year's Eve that I considered giving it up completely!  I keep waiting to lose the weight again, but it doesn't want to go anywhere right now.

I have blogged about losing weight so much that I was feeling embarrassed about not only not losing more weight but gaining weight.  It weighed on me.  No pun intended.  

Well, I am back.  I am me.  I have been working really hard, personally, to not let my weight and size define me.  I have let it for for too long.  That goes for my writing and blogging, too.  It is part of what I write about, but not the only thing.  Do I want to be healthier?  Yes.  Do I want to set healthy eating examples for Lilly?  Hell yeah!  But I am not going to wait to lose weight before writing and blogging again.  Welcome back to me!!  

the podiatrist is my friend

**sigh** As many of you know, I have been really trying to live a healthier lifestyle.  This includes eating more fruits and veggies, sleeping more, relaxing as needed and exercising.  I was doing so well with the exercising and running and I was excited to maybe run a 5k this fall.  But then I started to feel pain in my ankle so I rested it for a bit.  Last Monday I went for a nice walk in between work and back to school night, since I was staying in Hoboken with nothing else to do.  I kept it easy.  I ran for 2 minutes but realized I was not ready to run again, especially on the hard sidewalks.  My ankle felt fine.  All week it felt fine.  I was wearing heels and it felt fine.  On Thursday it suddenly hurt.  A lot.  By Friday afternoon I was thinking that maybe I had to go to the ER it felt that bad.  I was able to get an appointment with a podiatrist for Saturday morning.

Here is the verdict:  chronic sprain in my right ankle, plantar fasciitis and heel spurs in both feet.  No "pounding" activity for me for awhile.  Special braces to wear at night to help the plantar fasciitis, one to wear while on my feet for the sprain.  The usual anti-inflammatory meds and a cream are also added.  The doctor was very thorough and watched the way I was walking and standing.  He thinks that they way I walk contributed to both things so he ordered orthotics to help with that.

I am so disappointed with this situation.  He suggested swimming or using a stationary bike, but I do not have the money to join a gym to do those activities right now.  Maybe in a few months I will be able to join someplace with a pool.  I think the biggest part of the disappointment is that the running/walking was always about and for me, and only me.  Maybe now that my hand is feeling better I can do yoga again.  I forgot to mention last week that they finally removed that 1 inch stitch that was still in my hand.  Since it was removed it has improved 100%!

I think what I need to do is concentrate on what I can do and not what I cannot.  I can do abs, strengthening exercises, some walking, maybe yoga and watch what I eat.  I can start physical therapy as soon as I am approved.  And I can continue to think healthier.  I'll get to the 5k one day.  As my one friend said, there will be more.