It was a year ago this week that I decided to make a lifestyle change. It was not something I entered into lightly. I had been contemplating it for a while.
What were the changes?
* Move to a mostly plant-based diet.
* Try and exercise every day. ( I chose the treadmill as it is convenient.)
* Do yoga stretches and chi gong or tai chi every day.
* Give up alcohol
* Give up caffeine- I now drink lemon water with ginger every morning.
Later I added a few other things.
* Decrease sugar intake
* Focus more on a gluten-free diet.
* Add weights and core work. – This did not happen for six months
* Meditate more often- Still working on this one.
Why did I choose these things?
I wanted to be the best me. At 56 I was aging, and I knew my body was changing. This commitment was not a fad, or gimmick or anything like that. It was a choice. Making these changes allowed me to focus on the spiritual. It was an honoring thing that I was doing for myself.
What changes did you see? Did it make a difference?
One would think that doing this would make me healthier. I guess I am, but I started this in September 2017. In November I was hospitalized for pneumonia. Looking at my spreadsheet, when I started this I was on medication for my breathing. I was coughing. There is always this stupid cough. Now I know why, back then I did not have a diagnosis. I do know that having this lifestyle change as a part of my regular ritual meant that when I was in the hospital, my blood pressure was steady, and I feel that it added to me not dying. Yes, the doctor that admitted me to the hospital said she feared I’d die in the middle of the night. Though it took a long time to get better from pneumonia, I mean between pneumonia and my lung disease, I felt weak for a good six months. But I think it added to my strength and endurance. Yes, I continued this lifestyle change on my recovery.
An added benefit of this routine was that my skin cleared up, and had a glow about it. I lost about 35 pounds, and I have gained strength and muscle.
Yoga
I became limber. The day I started the yoga I did poses at home to help me with opening up my lungs. I remember when I would first go into a cobra.(Which I later pushed to upward facing dog.) This pose would be apart of a sun salutation, and when I would go into a kind of plank to cobra, I would try to scoop my face toward the mat. Yea, well, in the beginning. I just stayed flat on the exercise mat trying to catch my breath. There was no scooping. It is kind of laughable when I look back on it. I guess I’m stronger now, at first, every stretch hurt. Now I embrace them even if I still can’t put my hands flat on the floor when I bend over. I have, however, perfected a headstand!
Chi Gong
The dragon and tiger chi gong took about a month to learn. I guess I’m a slow learner. I’m not sure what it has done for me, but I hear it is one of the most healing chi gongs you can do. I also put it in my daily practice because I knew it was something I could do no matter what my health. I did it in the hospital. I would never think of getting on a hospital floor to do yoga. Gross! I also continued my walking in the hospital, often with my daughter pulling the then very heavy oxygen tank behind me.
With both of these in my daily practice, I can feel when my body is changing, or if there are problems. I’m communicating with me. I’m taking notice and nurturing. It helps, and I would miss it if I didn’t do it.
Treadmill
This part of the routine has changed. There were days that walking was exhausting. I bumped down my times, speed, etc. The point was not endurance; the point was commitment. At times the doctors made me slow down. I had people telling me to stop altogether. But I did not. I went slow when I had to. I know that stopping altogether would have caused me to age very quickly and my body to become tight. I love the treadmill as I can do it with my oxygen. I have not gotten off of the oxygen since being sent home with it in November. However, I only use it now when I am exercising or sometimes cleaning the house. I no longer think of the oxygen as a hassle. I think of it as energy. I can do more because I have oxygen. I am no longer causing damage to my internal organs because I don’t have enough oxygen.
This lifestyle routine is an ongoing adventure and journey. I’m glad for the changes that I have made, and I look forward to adding and improving on these changes. I enjoy looking for new additions in vegan cooking for my diet, and I hope to soon give up my last tie to the meat-eating world, eggs. However, eggs and breakfast have a strong relationship for me to comfort, the family, etc. I’m being gentle with myself on giving up this one, but know it will soon happen.
All in all, it is one of the best things I have done for myself. Now with my diagnosis, I know that it is even better. On several occasions during testing, Doctors have asked if I had any caffeine. I know if I should ever need a lung transplant that they will look at how I care for my body. In this area, I will shine with bright colors. Studies have shown that those with lung problems should exercise. I sometimes wish I had an indoor bike. I think of this because my knees give me problems at times and I believe alternating with the bike would be good. However, for me, it would have to be a recumbent bike. Sitting up straight and holding on to the handles of a bike is difficult for me. At first, that was because of the pressure on my wrists. My hands would go numb. Now it is also because of the posture of that type of a bike. Leaning over makes it harder for me to breath as it squeezes my middle. A recumbent bike allows me to sit back. Maybe one day, if something like that comes into my life, I’ll add it to my exercise room. Yes, I made one room in my house into an exercise room, though I still do my yoga and chi gong on a mat in the living room with the front door open to let in morning light.
Happy anniversary incredible body of mine. I appreciate all that you are and all that you do. I thank god for the abilities I have every day. Every day in the middle of my yoga I touch each part of my body and give thanks for it. I only have this one body for which I can travel in this beautiful world. This is how I celebrate all that it does for me.
May you embrace the you inside and honor the body that goes with ou on this journey,
Psuche