Pump You Up!

"Life is not a dress rehearsal. Stop practicing what you're going to do and just go do it. In one bold stroke you can transform today." ~Marilyn Grey

At my last doctors appointment, my FEV1 was at 52%. My doctor had suggested that if I increase my BMI, it could help increase my lung function. I have to admit, I've lost a lot of muscle and I'm often fatigued by the lack of oxygen going through my bloodstream. However, if I'm going to succeed, I have to push myself. Arnold Schwarzenegger's got nothing on me!

I'm proud to say that I've been working out 4 days a week since January. My exercise schedule has consisted of weight training, pole dancing, and yoga. Odd combination for sure, but I'm enjoying the diversity during the week! Yoga has continued to be my favorite form of exercise. As cheesy as it sounds, when I'm on my green yoga mat, the world just melts away and any stress that I may have in the day just disappears. Yoga is often portrayed as a Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which, including breath control, simple meditation, and the adoption of specific bodily postures, is widely practiced for health and relaxation. Exercise is the focal point in my daily regimen, I am determined to strengthen my lungs and body, improve my breathing capacity, achieve a sense of calm, a state of relaxation - overall, to enhance my quality of life. I believe that yoga combined with other forms of exercise will help me accomplish just that.

To increase my muscle mass, I've gone back to the basics, like in Child's Pose during a Yoga class. This is symbolic in a way because like a child, I have to start from scratch, break down my muscle, and watch it grow slowly over time.  Even though I'm not seeing results yet, I feel stronger.  

Child's Pose: Start on your hands and knees. Sit your tailbone back towards your heels, coming to sit on your calves. Bend your upper body forward, resting your chest on your thighs, your forehead on the floor, and your arms outstretched forward. Child's Pose is in fact a restorative yoga position that induces deep relaxation and even stimulates the pituitary gland. It's true. As soon as my forehead hits the mat, I feel centered, and experience a sense of peace. It's no wonder why a child resorts to this position after throwing a temper tantrum.

According to Sri Dharma Mittra, there are at least 1,300 total variations of yoga positions. Only 1,299 more positions to master as I build my breath and strength.