One Armed Downward Facing Dog

When the doctor asked me after I broke my arm if there was anything I did in life that required my lifting both arms up, I was flippant.  As is my wont.  ”Nah, I have no plans to take up javalin throwing.”  Chuckle chuckle yo ho.

He posed the question trying to decide whether to put me through MAAAJJJOOORRR SURGERY to insert a METAL PIN in my arm, which might or might not work and might or might not require a SECOND MAAAJJJOOORRR SURGERY to remove said pin. His advice was, let the break heal naturally and accept limited range of motion in your arm.  When a surgeon says, “I don’t think we should operate”, how can one not listen.

I remembered all that last night lying on my mat at My Yoga Room.  Once upon a time I did yoga a lot, and it has been something I’ve dabbled in occasionally over the years.  But it’s become clear to me that if I don’t do something to grab myself from the abyss of Old Age Old Body Just Plain Wore Out, I’m going to have a very sedentary life.  And much as I don’t like any form of exercise, I like even less the idea of being one of those kvetches sitting on my tuchas complaining about my knees.

Thus, I took myself to My Yoga Room for a six week stint, paid in advance.  I knew I’d be rusty, creaky even, but at least I had some familiarity with the poses, and I’d work at getting my form back.

Ha! Oh, and chuckle chuckle.   Javalin throwing is not the only thing a person needs range of motion in both arms for.  Yoga, too.

I’m determined to stick with it, though.  Any suggestions of how to accommodate?

Day 3 in the monthlong MidLifeBloggers National (or international, if you like) Blog Posting Month or MLBNaBloPoMo, as we’re affectionately calling it.  It is definitely not to late to join in.  Just shoot me an email–jane(at)midlifebloggers(dot)com–giving me your url so I can post it for all of us to visit.

Edited to add:  Hooray!  We have our first adventurous blogger.  Go visit taradharma.blogspot.com ’cause she’ll be posting every day along with me.

Photo credit: yogajournal.com

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  • Pjpusser3

    Ah yoga. I used to do alot of yoga too. My yoga teacher did downward facing dog for about half the class. Why not start on climbing up the wall with your fingers first. And each day go a little bit further? Love you Laurie

  • Joanna Jenkins

    There is something so “zen” about even saying the word yoga :-) Limited range of motion I can relate to… I can’t put my full weight on the palms of my hands (arthritis) and that makes yoga challenging as well. But I hang in there and just do what I can. Sometimes the instructor can help, sometimes not so much. But I say keep going and you’ll find a happy medium of range and get the benefits of not being a couch potato– Fingers crossed. Just be careful!
    xo jj

  • http://injaynesworld.blogspot.com/ Jayne

    Aw, kiddo, that whole “acceptance” thing so sucks. Good for you for doing the yoga. Keep at it and make liars out of all of them.

  • Jane

    Laur,
    My teacher showed me how to do Downward Facing Dog in what might be called Upright Facing Wall. Is this what you were talking about ‘climbing up the wall with fingers’?

  • Jane

    Joanna,
    YY-OO-GG-AA Take a deep breath, in through your nose and out through your mouth (or is it the other way around?) I’m sure there is some significance to the fact that I am always inhaling on the exhale and visa versa.

  • Jane

    Jayne,
    I feel like I must do SOMETHING, or else just box myself up and haul myself off to Good Will.

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