Out of desperation I did a google search of DOs (Doctor of Osteopathy) in my area, found one who's website I didn't hate, and made my desperate plea to PLEASE GET ME IN SOON BECAUSE I HURT!!! The good doctor had just had a cancellation and told me to come in the next day for treatment.
Long story short, she helped me out and even got me out of pain enough to go see Billy Joel. Yay! I have been going to see her almost weekly ever since. It helps calm my fibromyalgia pain to a more manageable dull roar because my body responds really well to OMT treatments and honestly, I just get a kick out of the doctor. She does some energy healing work along with the traditional OMT stuff and, since I am more of a, well let's just say... traditional... girl, the new age energy work stuff makes me chuckle.
But I have to say that I've even brought Tess to her and have even had her go back about once a month (and just to let you know what kind of person she is, she doesn't take Tess's insurance and knows we can't afford her fee without insurance so helps Tess free of charge). Tess likes the OMT treatments but you can see her really relax with the energy work. I don't know what to tell you. I was skeptical of the energy healing stuff but between Tess and myself, I have to admit that there's something to be said for it. The OMT stuff is where it's at though. If you've never been to a DO for an OMT treatment, GO! You'll thank me.
Anyway, I digress.
The good doctor talked me into going to my very first yin yoga class because she said my body and mind was in dire need of help (ya think??) in combatting the physical pain and mental/emotional stress in my life. After much back and forth, I finally agreed after basically begging Ellie to come with me, much like Linus's support blanket. I didn't want to go in alone and look like an idiot without someone who I could look over at and laugh with.
The reason that I knew I would look ridiculous trying to do any type of yoga is because I don't bend.
At all. Think of the Tin Man BEFORE Dorothy has oiled him up. I'm just a little less flexible than that.
My fibromyalgia pain severely limits my movements and flexibility which is in direct contrast to any yoga that I had ever seen. Nevertheless, my doc said this yoga was for people like me so I sucked up my pride, grabbed Ellie (and borrowed one of her yoga mats), and hit the yoga studio one Tuesday morning.
And just to clarify for those not as yoga savvy as myself (snort), my yoga instructor describes her yin yoga class as, "A quiet chance to REST. We will be guided safely through a series of specific postures to increase joint mobility and flexibility, reduce chronic pain and create a sense of peace and well being. There are fewer poses per class. Each pose is held for approximately 3-5 minutes allowing you to gently stretch your deep connective tissue and settle into relaxation. This is a class for healing of many physical conditions and illnesses and deep therapeutic shift in your body and your life. It is the perfect complement to the ”yang” or more active practices like Ashtanga yoga, vinyasa yoga and our active lives."-Penny Kusum, so you can see it's nothing too strenuous.
Unless you're the tin man. Which I repeat, I am.
Honest to God, I was so nervous about the yoga that I had to keep using the bathroom prior to class. I joked with Ellie that she needed to set her intention before starting and then when she threw it back at me I replied with, "My intention is to not crap my pants. Anything else will just be gravy at this point."
And so we began by sitting crosslegged at which point I immediately needed help with a bolster so I could sit up straight yet wouldn't tip over No. Joke.
We then moved into some "deer" or something like that poses and I needed blocks. Then more blocks. And a blanket.
As I tried to look around without getting caught looking, because you're supposed to keep your eyes on your own mat, I saw everyone, and I'm talking some women much older than me, easily doing these gentle poses. And of course Ellie was like a freakin' pretzel and I could hear her giggling softly as I clumsily and noisily reached for more and more aids to help me in my quest to JUST SIT ON THE FLOOR. As I looked back to my own mat all I could see was what basically amounted to a fortress made of my bolsters, blocks and blankets. You want to talk about feeling stupid and out of place?? Baby, I can tell you some stories!
Then, god love the instructor, I hear her say, "Just because you can easily do yoga poses does not make you a better person."
Well, Here! Here!
But then I hear her say, "Try to soften every part of your body as you relax into the pose." She then lists off all the places to soften "including your face" and it's at this point I realize that I have now put all the effort of trying to hold my pose into my face. I swear to god she must be noticing this and is talking to me. (not too self-conscious, am I?) So I panic and start mentally yelling at myself to relax my face. Relax my face! And the more I try to relax it the more tight it starts to feel. As my face starts to soften (I did it!), I feel my arm start to shake because I have now transferred all of my face stress to my arm. And on and on it goes until the hour is mercifully up and we can leave, yoga mat and pride in hand.
I am proud to say that I kept going back even when Ellie couldn't and even though I feel like a total idiot every time because it really does help. And the instructor is excellent. She's just very calming and non-judgemental, though I kept her real busy trying to help me get into poses in such a way where I wasn't in more pain those first few classes.
These days I know when she tells us what pose we'll be doing next what I'll need to help me achieve it so even though I'm still using all those bolsters and blocks (I've even added more to my fortress since that first class if you can imagine it), I can do it without her making a special effort to come help me.
Of course, brag is a good dog and so with that being said, she told us just last week about getting on our bellies to prepare for the serpent's pose. SERPENT'S POSE?! Are you kidding me?! I haven't been able to lie on my stomach since I was pregnant with Tess and you want me to not only lie on it but then arch up from the floor??
I wanted to tell her, "Hey, how about Snail's Pose" or "Fetal Position Pose"? I'm sure I could manage one of them.
But I just looked up at her and the panic in my eyes must have given me away because she looked right at me and said, "Stay as you are, I'll be over to help you."
I'm not even embarrassed anymore. I was just thankful to know I wasn't going to be trying to be a serpent.
So while everyone struck up off the floor from their bellies, I was on my back with not one, not two, but three bolsters and four blocks supporting my, maaaayybeeee 10 degree curve. Yup. Still not embarrassed.
Just call me the tin man.
