Dynamic Aging Happenings – 9/24/2019

Blog Second Anniversary

WOW! Two years we have been writing this blog! That in itself is a happening. So many changes and so much the same. Each of the four of us is moving in different directions in our lives and continuing to focus on moving through our lives. After all, it’s all about movement!

Who Knew Happening??? By Joyce

I just took two yoga classes in one week. Both were so much fun. My body worked better, easier and I felt the wonderful benefit of continuing to charge my cells. One class was Hatha Yoga, focused on breathing first then allowing movement to follow the breath. The other one was Core Flow. It unifies the body from the center outwards by incorporating the strength benefits of Pilates, Vinyasa flow and breath work.

Thirty years ago I enjoyed the practice of Yoga for 15 years until I began the study, practice and then became a teacher of Restorative Exercise (Dynamic Movement or Nutritious Movement) for another 15 years. Both apparently separate practices until this week when I was pleasantly surprised to find that I was easily moving with enjoyment in both classes after a break of 15 years! I had all the tools I needed to move my body without risk of injury in the yoga. I also had the strength and flexibility to do and enjoy the movements.

The basic teaching of restorative exercise gave me the tools to keep my body in alignment from the inside out and also using the natural alignment points on the outside of the body to move into alignment. Having that learning under my belt, I was able to do the yoga classes after 15 years of not and thoroughly benefited from them. YEA!!! I now have two in one. Of course I hike, dance, and hang from trees so why not add both Yoga and Dynamic Movement 4 Life? So much fun.

Cotton Happening! By Lora

The traditional gift for a second year anniversary is COTTON. Cotton is practical, inexpensive, high-quality and easily available. This fits with our blog these last two years! My blog contribution for the second year is also linked to cotton; however, the cotton is in my head!

Earlier this year, Joan and I chose to embark on new adventures. As a result, we moved on from our senior center alignment class which we had co-taught for eight years of great fun. Despite my routinely saying “scapulae” when I meant “clavicle” or similar misspeaks, our class was used to my “memory problem” and many would correct my anatomy efforts. It sort of became a teaching aide as a puzzle to solve.

After a recent visit to a very smart cardiologist, he insisted I needed to visit an endocrinologist because my calcium blood level was SLIGHTLY elevated. I reluctantly did, and got the best news ever: I don’t have Alzheimer’s or something difficult to correct or live with. I have hyperparathyroidism.  One of my four parathyroid nodes is enlarged. This enlarged node can be seen and easily removed with an inch long incision in my neck.

A common symptom of hyperparathyroidism is memory loss. So there is a good chance that the surgery will return my memory to normal as well as my calcium levels.

I learned that having had Graves’ Disease when I was middle-aged may have made me more susceptible to hyperparathyroidism as discovered by my calcium blood level. I feel fortunate that the prep for my surgery is very thorough (and in Los Angeles where there are “head and neck” specialist doctors).

This is Lucky Lora, signing off for our cotton-pickin’ awesome anniversary blog post.

Grief Happening! By Shelah

I’ve been in the process of putting my life together after a devastating event six months ago. First I reacted to the sadness with energy, making my home mine again after having shared it for seven years. I sorted and cleaned. Many possessions were given away for “someone else to love and use,” the expression from my youngest son (thank you, Evan.) I enjoyed communicating with my plants and made their living spaces on two decks lovely and inviting.

Then two weeks ago I sustained a serious fall caused by yet unexplained cramping in my legs. Of course I’m in serious pain which is to be expected. The psychological effect has been the most surprising. Because I don’t drive or own a car, the loss of my ability to walk has sunk me into a deep hole of depression. I’ve been depressed before but never felt like I might not be able to claw my way out. And not really caring if I do.

I’m struggling to fulfill my commitments like writing this blog post but the desire to close my bedroom door and not come out is very strong. And, I will continue to take one day at a time, one step at a time. I will reach out to my caring support system of friends and loving family and be grateful they are in my life. And appreciate the movements I am still able to do.

Chin Up Happening! By Joan

More than two years ago, Shelah and I and subsequently Lora decided to begin a chin-up practice to see if we could work our way up to doing a chin-up. I, for one, will tell you this was not an easy task. I was finally able to do it – assisted. We had never clarified whether our goal was free-form/unassisted or assisted with some kind of elastic strap.  Either way, I was elated when I finally made it. Check out the videos:

As Katy says: “Movement Matters.” And in my experience, it matters more as we are dynamically aging.