I may have mentioned it once or twice (like here, here, and here) - I am a huge proponent of yoga. If I had to list the things that have improved my life the most over this past year, yoga would be at the top of my list. I was fortunate to have a great instructor introduce me to a gentle and restorative type of yoga. She also suffers from Fibromyalgia, and through yoga has learned to find balance, energy, and productivity in her life again. Her transformation with yoga was so encouraging she eventually became a certified instructor and began paying her good fortune forward to eager students … [Read more...]
I Have Changed. I am Different. I am Improved.
I was invited by my friend Kathy over at The Fibrochondriac to participate in her blog carnival. The theme of her carnival is: What do you want people to know about you? I was surfing around through my old posts, looking for an appropriate one to share, and I came across this post I originally published October 13, 2008, the same month I began my blog. Selflessly Selfish I struggle every day with who I am. I am different because of the Fibromyalgia. I am not the independent, fiercely productive person I once was. Every morning I envy (but am grateful for) my husband and his ability … [Read more...]
More Change, More Adaptation, and a New Door
I think you will be noticing a change in the tone of FibroHaven. For the past year I have been writing about all the changes I have made to improve my health - yoga, nutrition, support group, writing, etc.. Now that I am a working girl again, we will get to see first hand how much I have improved and what I need to do to maintain my current level of health. After my first week I am feeling pretty good. I am back in sales. It is what I know and what I have done well for many years. I am really excited about the company I am with now. Very smart, professional internet marketing firm. Great … [Read more...]
What is Your Intention?
Each time at the start of a yoga practice, the instructor asks that we set an intention for that day; "What is it you would like to focus on today to get the most out of your time here?" I usually struggle to find my intention and get caught up in trying to find the right answer. I pressure myself into thinking there is a really cool and purposeful thing I should be focusing on, and if I don't come up with it, I am missing out on some great ancient yoga secret. Sometimes I try to set grandiose intentions - freedom from all pain, anxiety, and conflict in my life, from here until eternity. … [Read more...]
Let’s Not Call it Exercise, Let’s Call it Mindful Movement
Say the word "exercise" to a person with Fibromyalgia, and you will most likely get a negative response. Exercise is a harsh and ugly word. It has become synonymous with pain to most of us. Rare is the Fibromyalgia patient who embraces exercise. Not only does it elicit a pain response in most of us, but it also sends our defenses up. Too, too many times we have heard the unsolicited advice, "If you would only exercise you would feel much better." We could all give examples of some of the insensitive and inaccurate things we have heard, that is not at question here, but what is under … [Read more...]