March 29th 2011, noon and here I am with a very weird back pain waiting for the Chinese Doctor to see me.
He explains that adjusting the back and allowing it to be in alignment is very important for this process and well, yes, it hurts a bit. It is a surprise for me since I NEVER had any back pain or problems and I actually thought my back was quiet strong, wrong! After a set of exercises on the ground we discover that my back is lacking strength, that I rely on my abdominal wall to perform some of the exersices and that I should do some new exercises to allow my back to get stronger and aligned.
So some of the exercises are, to lie on by back and lift the legs slowly while keeping the abs engaged and the lower back grounded, no rocking motions and no lifting the lower back of the ground. I'm getting there!
Another exercise is to roll a big towel/yoga mat or a foam roller and place under the scapulae and lie there for 5 minutes or more, it is very uncomfortable but very beneficial at the same time. I often times forget to do this exercise, how convenient!
He also suggested another exercise to allow Qi to flow throughout the body. It is some sort of squat position, feet parallel to each other, wider than hip apart, feet pointing forward and knees following the alignment of the feet, tail bone pointing down to the ground, hips are lowered to a point in which is easy to maintain balance (I keep rocking back and forth, it is not easy to keep the posture and the balance at the same time) and arms are lifted in front of you, palms facing your chest, arms are relaxed. I am supposed to stay there for some time, minutes. I feel that this posture helps to develop patience, yes patience, it is not easy for me to stay there like a three and just breath. I do it it too sometimes, but I also forget... very convenient, again!
In this appointment we talk more about what I am going through, the steps to follow to feel better and we also talk about Traditional Chinese Medicine, I have so many questions. Ethan explains and works at the same time, this time more needles, and again, they hurt and I feel like a burning sensation where the needles are placed, I feel like a bunch of ants are walking up my legs. He also works on my head and neck and sometimes I feel some sort of heat wave (for a lack of a better description) going up and down my body. I kind of like the whole experience, and it feels freaky too.
He takes my pulse, sometimes twice in the same appointment and he also asks me to stick my tongue out (funny LOL) to check the "moss" on my tongue, to which I might be a problem 'tampering evidence" since I am usually chewing gum and he asks me to throw it... oooppppssss, saw-ree...
He checks my toes and chuckles in announcement that, "it is nothing serious", after all I will be OK, and he sticks needles on and around the offenders (the toes) and OUCH!!!!! I scream again, and I feel the thing working, whatever is called, it itches and send all this energy around my feet and legs!!!!
And again, the bone cracking session begins and I start laughing without shame, loud like I usually laugh when something really funny comes up, this however is not funny but somehow I get this laughing attack that makes me a bit shy, well, I feel shy, it doesn't make me anything, if you know what I mean. And then I complain that he is crushing my boobs on the intent of cracking my upper back bones, this time is Ethan who says saw-ree and he keeps crushing and I keep laughing.
I feel very good after the whole thing, another 90 minutes of pure bliss, I just want to go home and crash, sleep and let my body absorb it all. We set another meeting for next week.
I ask for more information on TCM, he recommends a very good book, The Web That Has No Weaver, Understanding Traditional Chinese Medicine. Very interesting and an open door to the Chinese Healing Art.
I am also reading A Tooth From The Tiger's Mouth by Tom Bisio, there is some controversy around Bisio and this book but I don't know the details and won't get into that. I find the book helpful as well!
And to unwind into a more relaxed less serious lecture I'm reading The Way Of A Warrior, John F. Gilbey (Robert W. Smith), and The Fighter's Mind, Sam Sheridan. Fantastic books, lot of laugh and light for me.
Resuming, I'm liking the experience and from today to the next appoitnemnt, lots of events. I got my period and with it, the allergies/cold symptoms again (ggggrrrrr). I also experienced lots of back pain, not related to my monthly process since it is nothing I have experienced before, I think is more due to the treatments and the exercises, a total body soreness that is hard to explain, my toes hurt a bit a bit as well, I am tired and also cried quiet a bit, feel a bit depressed and worried (I don't know what I'm worried about though). I have to add that even thoguh I felt all those symptoms and emotions I still managed to work out all week, yes, Yoga, Grapling, Sparring, I worked out all week and it felt good! I also slept better and better everyday, going from 4 hours to up 8 hours per night. I feels good to be able to sleep!
It seems that with this treatment I got all my symptoms, aches and pains to flare up and resurface, well, good thing, so I can see clear and start treating them or should say dismissing them!
Next appoitnment, more details and maybe some links and pictures to ilustrate my experience a bit more.
Love and light,
Mo
No comments:
Post a Comment