Liver and Yoga

Wednesday I went to my first real yoga class. I was mildly nervous beforehand because I haven't done a real yoga class since Ms. Curley taught us in high school. I have been doing yoga in my living room - but I figured that couldn't possibly count. My biggest concern was the length of the class. It was 90 minutes long. I am pleased to report that I am pretty good at yoga. Not great - clearly - I have to much bulk to be really bendy - but my form is pretty good and my balance isn't bad. I mean, obviously this was a level 1 class (which BTW isn't quite the bottom rung... there is gentle and gentle plus behind this and only levels 2 and 3 ahead of it. But most of the classes offered are level one). Anyway, I was worried that they would do a bunch of poses that I just couldn't do. But it turned out that everything we did was something I had already done - with the exception of the opening piece, which was a chest opener/modified back bend, but that was done with our shoulder blades supported on a bolster, which we then rolled down our spines and ended with it under our hips. Our weight was mostly supported on the bolster initially and then on the backs of our arms and upper shoulders. It was neat. My hardest thing was - of course - downward facing dog - but there was only ONE person in the whole class (of about 10) who could do it perfectly, and I wasn't the worst in the class. I had no problem lifting my butt into the pose from the ground (which I DO have a problem with at home... it is easier for me to lower myself down into it from standing). Oh - no - wait... My HARDEST thing was just the basic squat that all 2 year olds do and I admire so greatly. I just can't do that, but I made a valient effort. At the end of the class, my muscles were very wubbely, but not too sore. YESTERDAY (the day after the class) I could barely walk I was so sore - but in a really good way. I noticed it mostly in my inner thighs, my shoulders, and my rib cage... Not my abs, my rib cage. That would make sense since we spent a lot of time opening our chests by pulling back and down on our shoulder blades. I signed up to take the next four classes. A new session starts on July 1st, but I haven't yet decided if I will take that or not. Probably.

Then that same afternoon I met with Rebecca. Tuesday night I tried to give blood again, but my iron count was still too low. She wants me to eat liver once a week for the next two months. I said "Do they even sell liver anymore? and isn't it bad for me?" She said that is the biggest myth of healthy eating of this century. The health benefits of liver far outweigh the negative aspects. She said if you like liver you should eat it. So Katie and I looked up liver recipes, I bought a pound yesterday and we are having it tonight for dinner. I'll keep you posted.

Rebecca also said she wants to step up my thyroid support plan of action. She is pretty convinced that that is where I am malfunctioning. She has recommended two other supplements (in addition to the kelp) that should help with my thyroid performance. She also wants me to have the blood panel done again. It has been 18 months since they did it originally, and since I never got the results from the first time she thinks I should do it again. I told her that I wasn't happy with the endocrinoligist that I saw (he was plenty nice enough, but was so fixated on the thyroid nodule - as he should be - that I really didn't think he was listening to me at all. I didn't hear anything about my blood tests until 6 months after I did them and his only comment then was that they were "fine.") so Rebecca wants to recommend one that she knows who does practice more the "art of medicine as well as the science." She pays more attention to the symptoms rather than the numbers, where Dr. Hager is more about the science.

That was about it. Oh! The tree is gone from my front yard. Katie and I came home yesterday and it was gone. So sad. I miss seeing it from my bedroom window at night - but I don't miss the screaming squirrel that would visit.