Bringing it back to the mat

I'm a some time yogi. I have a love affair with yoga that dates back to a "break" one of my ex-boyfriend and I took and even though that relationship is ancient history, my love affair with yoga is not.

However, like every relationship, it has it ebbs and flows. For the longest time, it was more ebb. I was devoting myself to runs on treadmills, lifting weights, and losing those inches. It was a constant movement and a lot of go, go, go. I, like many people, became wrapped up in the movement.

That is, until last Wednesday, when my osteopath opened my eyes to the reality of my situation. After having a stressful and highly emotional few days, he pointed out something really interesting.

I was storing my anger and frustration in my neck and shoulders.

And my energy centres were out of alignment.

His recommendation? Yoga. The more relaxing, the better. It was time to leave the go, go, go for a while. It was time to bring it back to the mat and enjoy the stillness of the present.

I've taken his advice to heart and have been doing about 15 to 20 minutes of yoga practice every day since Thursday. The good news is that I'm already starting to feel it. I'm calmer, I'm relaxed, and I know at the end of my day, there is going to be 20 minutes or so of me enjoying the moment.

It also reminds me that sometimes, it's not the journey, but it is about enjoying the ride. Even if it's on a yoga mat in my living room.

Where's the beef?

I've been having some rib pain for a while. More specifically, the left side. It was time for me to see someone about it.

I went to see an osteopath. So what's an osteopath?

According to the American Osteopathic Association,  it "is a complete system of health care with a philosophy that combines the needs of the patient with the current practice of medicine. Doctors of osteopathic medicine (DOs) practice a whole-person approach, which means they consider both the physical and mental needs of their patients." (source)

I've been to see an osteopath before and it was a lot of help. It fixed me up real good, hence, I decided to see a new one.

Long story short, after being told I was out of alignment, which made complete sense to me, I was also told that I need to eat more red meat, since it seems like I might be low in iron and vitamin B12. I was also told to go get some blood tests via my family doctor. Needless to say, that's a work in progress.

Hence, I'm now trying to eat red meat 2 to 3 times a week. The problem is that I don't like red meat. I occasionally eat it, when I crave it, when I want it, but that's rare. Like really rare.

So, I am now one of those people who is now going to required to eat red meat. Strange but true. I, your handy neighborhood blogger, is now one of the few people who has been asked by a health care professional to eat red meat.

So, where's the beef?