2018 What's up?

So I started 2017 year end, renewing my membership at Arrichion, saving monies for my personal training with Danielle. My hopes with Arrichion and Danielle I can do things to become stronger.

But I started to realize that I could not do back squats or squats of any kind. My hips, my back and my glutes were so tight no matter how much I stretch. I can squat a little bit but it was painful coming back up. And for the number of years at the gym, I was still not able to do pull ups because of the shoulder injury, the back muscles don't activate. I also realize that my left leg especially the quads are really weak. And what else, talk about balance, there was none.

I was very frustrated but I knew I had to look for something to deal with this tightness. Was it more yoga? Was it more of the same so it gets better? So perhaps it's karma!

Laura , owner of the Raleigh Yoga Company put out of Facebook that she was looking for 5 people who have tightness, in the hips, shoulders, back that she feels she can help us and her remedy was Yin Yoga. You stay in a pose for 2-3 minutes minimum which stretches the fascia to make one more supple and areas feeling more mobile. I sent an email with all my injuries and issues. For the next 21 days, take 3 Yin classes a week and it was all free. How can I not go and try! I try all else.

Initially, the poses are quite difficult. I felt like a wooden doll or the tin man, can hardly move and not able to relax into the pose. I was not able to get to 3 classes a week, and the only two yin classes was on a Sat and Sun morning. Sat and Sun I usually go to Arrichion to take Warrior and Sparta classes. I was willing to give that up to do Yin.

After the 21 days, my shoulders, my hips, my back felt looser. My glutes it was hard to tell but I can tell I was less unbalanced.

I just felt I need to continue doing Yin yoga and fit in some bikram yoga, Bikram poses are hard for me but I am going to do it to get and feel better. Because of that, I am not at Arrichion as often. I just feel at this age of my life, this is more important.

When my trainer was having me do back exercises, she ask if I feel it, I said " yes" and then last week , we work on legs and this was the biggest challenge for me and her. No matter what I do, I can never feel my left glute activate. But this time I said "I feel it on both sides" She remarked on Facebook that all of Sue's pistons are working on the engine.

And this weekend I went to see my massage therapist Tim Hackett whose specialty is neuromuscular reprogramming and he always does muscle testing and he said " this is good, both glutes firing today"

I am so excited about this that Yin is working. I told Laura.

Now I need to go on Facebook and let people know what I have been doing and let people know about Raleigh Yoga Company.

So perhaps those squats and sitting on my knees will happen some day!

Wish me luck!