Terre Pruitt's Blog

In the realm of health, wellness, fitness, and the like, or whatever inspires me.

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Archive for October, 2015

Somethings Bear Repeating Even If They Are In The Future

Posted by terrepruitt on October 31, 2015

Sometimes I write a post and I am not certain if I have written about the subject before.  Sometimes I write a post and I know I have written about the subject before, I am just revisiting it.  Sometimes things come up in life and I know I have written a post, but I am reminded that I wrote the post because it is a common issue or the post can be pointed to for information.  Recently I was reminded of a things that could bear repeating so I am pointed out a few posts.

One thing I was reminded of was holding the breath.  Have I ever told you that one of the things people ask me to do the most is remind them to breathe?  I wrote a post about breathing properly and how important it is to allow you to move correctly.  It is so common to hold your breath while concentrating there is a name for it.  Read more about it in my post Breathing – It’s A Good Thing.

Recently in one of the Nia classes I taught we focused on the “Healing Sounds”.  When I mention them there is always a few people who want the information . . . and that is why I wrote the post Feel Good Sounds.  It is too difficult to remember which sound is associated with what, this way it is right there for all of us.

It is sugar pie pumpkin time again, and so we are going to have a pumpkin for dinner tomorrow night.  So good, I wanted to point out the recipe, see my Pumpkin For Dinner post.

Perhaps you have been exposed to e-cigarettes lately.  I seem to see then around more now.  Perhaps you might be interested in reading my post Things I Didn’t Know About E-cigarettes?

And, this is for me, I always need to remind myself of the Nia Energy Allies or you might know them as the Four Agreements.  They are so helpful in so many situations.

And then something new . . . . . since it is Halloween.  My husband loves to dress up.  Sometimes he gets pretty extravagant.  This year he didn’t do too much, but he HAS been planning this “trick” for his co-worker for months.  For some reason he wasn’t able to do it when he first came up with the idea, for her birthday.  And then every time since that he has wanted to do it, something has come up . . . ya know, life does that sometimes.  So he decided to do it for Halloween.  Pretty much nothing was going to stop him.  The stars and planets all aligned to be even better than when he originally planned it.  But what he didn’t really plan – he said – was this video.  He had an idea of what he was going to say, but when his co-worker took it, it came out perfect.  So here is my husbandDoc Brown saving one of his friends.

Do you ever hold your breath?  Have you ever made any of those “healing sounds”?  Did you know some of the e-cigarettes have the same amount of nicotine as regular cigarettes?  Are you familiar with Nia’s Energy Allies/Four Agreements?  Do you get trick-or-treaters?  Do you dress up for Halloween?

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Zorro Technique

Posted by terrepruitt on October 29, 2015

Back in 2010, I posted a bit about X-Ray Anatomy, principle #10 of the Nia White Belt.  It is what Nia Teachers, Yoga Teachers, Personal Trainers, and people in the profession of helping people move do to see how a body is moving.  We all do it, but Nia calls it X-Ray Anatomy.  We look at the posture of the body or the placement of the clothes to see the alignment of the bones or to see the movement of the muscle.  If we look at someone’s waist band and one side is higher than the other we can then look closer to see, if they were in a hurry when they pulled on their pants, hiking one side higher, or if their hips are actually askew.  We can look at shoulders, checking to see if one is tilted down.  We might check to see if a muscle is really tight causing an imbalance.  We look, then we go about guiding the person to adjustment, guiding them into ease.  Now . . . that is what we do for our students and/or clients.  But we wouldn’t do that to someone we just see on the street.  Even if we take a pad of paper to the park or to the mall or use our DVDs to practice with “Zorro”.

In the Nia White Belt Intensive I took, one of the tools that the co-founder of Nia, Carlos Aya-Rosas, gave us was “Zorro”.  Where you look at someone and with just a few strokes of the pen/pencil you draw their structure.  It is supposed to be quick, not a lot of details, just the things you are x-raying.  Just key bones or things (like a belt, pant legs, collars, etc.) to allow you to see posture and/or alignment.

Here are my “Zorros” from my White Belt in 2008.  We had split up into two groups and we faced each other.  Each group had a turn at making shapes and posturing and then “Zorroing”.

 

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

 

 

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueWhen I wrote my post back in 2010, I had said in a comment I was going to go out and do some X-Ray Anatomy Zorroing, but I hadn’t.  When I came across the comment again, I decided to do it.  Here is the result of me doing Zorro on a random video of people walking and of one of the Nia Routine DVDs.

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This type of practice can help us see things quickly that might need adjustment while we are dancing.  Then we can cue some guidance to help people move in a safe way.  As an example, an easy thing to see is thigh bones, while we cannot actually SEE the thigh bone, if we look at the toe and it is pointed off in one direction we can conclude that the thigh bone is rotated . . . depending on what we are doing, that might not be the safest thing for the knee and hip.  So we can keep an eye on toes and practice X-Ray Anatomy.

I have confidence in thinking that you get the idea of this.  You can see how you can quickly look at someone and have an idea of the placement of the bones.  You can glance at someones clothes and use them to determine their alignment.  Is the clothing method 100% accurate?  No, people’s clothes might be sitting off for a number of reasons, as I mentioned in the beginning of this post, perhaps someone just pulled their pants on crocked, but this is an idea.  But using the clothes is a quick way to perhaps get an idea of what the body is doing.  Sometimes a closer inspection or more attention is needed, but for just practicing clothes are great to help with Zorroing.

Can you see how “Zorroing” can help with X-Ray Anatomy?  So might you us your X-Ray Anatomy the next time you are out?

Posted in Nia | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

Coconut Oil Passes Muster

Posted by terrepruitt on October 27, 2015

For years I have been hearing about how great coconut oil is.  The claims are numerous.  You’ve probably heard them, too, right? Things like the information found on Medical News Today:  Coconut oil may increase level of HDL (“good cholesterol”).  It may also help improve glucose tolerance and reduce body fat accumulation.  May help decrease waist size. Coconut oil’s fat structure is more difficult for bodies to convert to stored fat and is easier to burn off. Well, I DO NOT like the taste of coconut at all, I don’t even like the smell.  I am not the one that enjoys all that suntan lotion and all those products that smell like coconut.  So I have never bothered to try coconut oil.  I didn’t want to buy it to try it then end up not liking it.  But, I finally decided to try it.  It does not taste or even smell like coconut.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueI was relieved, even presently surprised that this oil has no odor at all. I also cannot detect any flavor.  And it seems to work just like other oil.  The issue I am having though is I don’t yet know how much to use.  I don’t measure so I am not yet used to eyeing the semi-solid oil.  I used it to roast some butternut squash, and I just dropped some clumps of oil on the cut up squash, and it turned out to be a bit much.  Tonight I rubbed some on the eggplant I was roasting and I could have used more.  I have only used it three times, so I will get better at it.  I will, probably break down and start measuring until I can eye it from there.

Wiki has the following to say about coconut oil:

“Coconut oil, or copra oil, is an edible oil extracted from the kernel or meat of mature coconuts harvested from the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). It has various applications as food or in cosmetics. Because of its high saturated fat content, it is slow to oxidize and, thus, resistant to rancidification, lasting up to six months at 24 °C (75 °F) without spoiling.

Many health organizations advise against regular consumption of coconut oil due to its high levels of saturated fat (similar to that of animal fat) having potential to increase risk of cardiovascular disease.”

Also the chart on Wiki shows that coconut oil is only beat out by hydrogenated cottonseed oil when it comes to saturated fat.

So, like everything, if you are interested, you have to do the research and then decide for yourself if it is something you care to add to your diet.  Since coconut oil does not smell nor taste coconutty like I thought it would, I might continue to add it to our diet.  I will at least finish off this container.  We use oil olive which seems to have more health benefits than coconut oil, but as I said, we will at least use up this container.

Do you use coconut oil?  Do you use it for all of your cooking or just certain kind?  What do you use it for?

 

Posted in Food | Tagged: , , , , | 4 Comments »

Leisure Classes Vs. Group Ex

Posted by terrepruitt on October 24, 2015

Many of you are familiar with Parks and Recreation Departments and classes they run through the Community Centers.  These are classes that are in the booklets.  There are ALL types of classes.  There are music lessons, arts and crafts, exercise classes, cooking classes, language classes . . . . just all types of classes.  They are set up in what many community centers call sessions.  There might be a flower arranging class that is an eight week session, just meaning that there are eight times that class will meet.  People must register and pay for all eight meetings prior to the first day of the class.  Some of us have experienced the disappointment when we register for a class only to find out a few days before it is supposed to start, that not enough people have registered so the class is cancelled.  That is always a bummer.  In the City of San Jose Parks and Recreation Department they call these classes leisure classes.  Presently there is also something in the San Jose Parks and Recreation Department called Group Ex.  Group Ex is exercise classes.  The Group Ex is more like a gym, in the sense that you pay a membership fee and then can attend any of the classes that are in the Group Ex program – plus the gym/exercise room – for that one fee.  The Group Ex structure also allows for “drop-ins”, where people can participate in a class for a fee without having pre-registered or to be a member.  These classes are on-going so they don’t have the same type of structure as a leisure/session class.

There arewere two ways you cancould become a member, one is monthly or you cancould purchase an annual membership.  Both ways allow the member to attend any exercise class that is part of the Group Ex program.  This program really got people out of the house and exercising.  The cost of membership was unbeatable.

Most of the people who come to my Nia classes go to multiple classes per week, sometimes multiple classes per day.  I hear them plan their weeks and their days with each other.  They have it all worked out . . . their workouts.

I have been wanting to post something about the differences between Group Ex and Leisure classes for a long time.  Because I teach both.  The differences confuse some people.  Some people are familiar with the leisure class way and they don’t even know there is something like Group Ex through the city.  Some people who have never taken a leisure class (before there was even such a thing as Group Ex) are not familiar with that.  So when I go to explain the different classes I teach it can be confusing.  So I have been meaning to post something about it to help clarify.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueWell, I guess the time is now.  It is now because the city of San Jose is discontinuing the Group Ex program as of January 31, 2016.  They are only going to have leisure classes.  So that means that any class they have that you might want to take will be offered in “sessions”.  So you will have to sign up for the entire session in order to take the class.

I want to let people know that just because the Parks and Recreation Department calls it a leisure class doesn’t mean it is just about “leisure”.  They still might be offering some of the same exercise classes that are presently a part of the Group Ex program that allow you to get your workout on.  It will just not be the type of format that you can just take anytime you want.  You will have to sign up in advance for the entire the entire session.

I don’t know what classes they plan on offering, but I wanted to finally get a post up about the difference between leisure classes and Group Ex so when the time comes people will know the difference.

We still have three months of Group Ex before the change occurs.  Next month on Wednesday, November 4, 2015, we are going to have a Nia class at 10:15 am at the Camden Community Center.  So there will be four Nia classes a week at the Camden Community Center until January 31, 2016.

Click here to see a copy of the notification sent out from the Parks, Recreation and Neighborhood Services.

I hope you will come dance with us at the Camden Community Center before the end of January!

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Get That Mouse!

Posted by terrepruitt on October 22, 2015

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, Smokey and EsmeraldaIt has been a little over two months since our cats have been out of confinement.  You may have read that we adopted cats in July.  Within a week of bringing them home I suspected ringworm, so they were locked in a room until the cultures came back.  When the culture came back positive nine days later we had 30 days of pills and confinement ahead of us.  Near the end of the round of medicine my husband and I were not sure we could make it.  Only because by that 38th day the cats seem to be giving up.  They were done with being in one room and they were done with having pills jammed down their throats.  We all were done.  So when they were cleared to come out we were all happy.  So it has been three days over two months and they are still getting used to things.  They are just beginning to really run the house, as cats do.  Smokey, the black one, does not seem to like her picture taken.  As soon as I point my phone at her she turns away.  She will stay for a couple of shots, but after a minute she will just get up and walk away or move away.  Emmy, the tortoiseshell, is a little bit more tolerant, but not much.  Smokey is also very difficult to capture because of her coloring.  She is pretty dark.  I think of her as all black, but in the sun today she seemed to have a lot of red/chocolate in her.  The sun was very bright and I could barely see what I was getting as I was just clicking and clicking.  I am surprised at these shots.  I thought they were nice so I wanted to share.Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, Smokey and Esmeralda

Of course, I took more than I have posted, but it is kind of a series of photos, so that is why I have posted so many.  You can see how they are both looking at the mouse.  Then Emmy looks at me.  I have several of these.  As I mentioned, I couldn’t really see what I was getting, I was just pressing the button.  Smokey’s attention never waivers.  Then you see she gets low . . .then she gets a little lower, then . . .a little pounce.

When they were brought into the shelter they weighed in at 9.8 pounds and 8.8 pounds.  At the last vet check they came in at 7.44 pounds and 5.5 pounds.  Using the hold ’em and weight method, Smokey is back up to 9.8.  And Emmy is at 7 pounds. They are much happier and eating better.  Plus they have a lot more room to run around.  And boy, do they run around.  They tear through the house at top speeds.  I wish we had something to clock them.  They get going so fast!

They are very fun.  They want to play a lot.  So I am constantly being interrupted to play.  They are very good mousers.  Smokey is very good at knowing where the mouse will be and she can catch it without having to move a lot.  She has slowed down a little bit with having gone from 7.4 pounds to 9.8.  Esmeralda is a flier.  She is always in the air.  All four paws either in a long jump or in a really high pounce.  It is amazing.  They both would be great hunters.

Well, I know this type of post is far and away from health, wellness, and fitness, but our cats do bring a lot of laughter and joy into our lives.  I like to share.Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, Smokey and EsmeraldaDance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, Smokey and Esmeralda

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, Smokey and EsmeraldaDance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, Smokey and Esmeralda

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, Smokey and EsmeraldaDance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, Smokey and Esmeralda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, Smokey and Esmeralda

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, Smokey and EsmeraldaDance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique, Smokey and Esmeralda

After she got it, she had to roll around with it as cats do.  Her trophy.  Emmy looks unimpressed!

Show me pictures of your pet!  Either e-mail them to me so I can post them, or post a link so we can see them.  It is fun to share pictures of our furry family members!

Posted in Cats, Teagan and Nessa | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment »

Broccoli Salad

Posted by terrepruitt on October 20, 2015

Sometimes I just can’t believe that I have not posted about something before.  I guess, I assume I posted about it so then I don’t post about it.  Crazy.  Then I look for it on my blog and it doesn’t come up.  I have to say that the “search” feature on this blog is very odd.  I can type in the exact phrase I am looking for and the post not come up.  Then I can type in another search and the one I was looking for originally will show up in the second search.  I kind of think of it as a crap shoot.  But I have searched for this recipe over and over again and I cannot find it.  So I am going to post it.  One thing that I think is funny about this recipe is that once I was going to go to a potluck and we were asked to bring a vegetarian side dish.  This is the first thing that popped into my head.  So when I go to make it I realize that it has bacon in it so that would disqualify it as vegetarian.  And then I laughed because I forgot to get the bacon anyway.  Of course, had I remembered to get the bacon I would not have put it in because just leaving it out makes it perfect for vegetarians.  The last time I made it I ended up using a lot of broccoli so I decided to add more of everything else and I ended up with too much sugar, too many raisins, and not enough bacon!  Also, it didn’t help that I didn’t put on enough salt.  Many people who don’t like broccoli claim to like this salad.  This is a recipe that a friend introduced me to, so I call it her salad, but I didn’t get her permission to use her name so I am just calling it Broccoli Salad.

I have adjusted the recipe better fit the proportion of broccoli.
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Broccoli Salad

Two large bunches of broccoli
6 slices of bacon
1 1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
4 tbsp vinegar
1 cup chopped red onion
1 cup golden raisins
3/4 cup (shelled) sunflower seeds

Wash the broccoli.  Cut the broccoli into bite sized pieces.  Cook the bacon.  Drain the bacon.  If you are one who uses a paper towel on the bacon to help sop up the grease, do that, too.  Chopped up the bacon.  Once the bacon is chopped up it will be about a cup.

Mix the mayonnaise, sugar, and vinegar together.  Then pour it over the broccoli.  Then mix in the chopped onion, the raisins, the sunflower seeds, and the bacon.  Add salt and pepper to your own tastes.

This salad is nice served chilled, not cold, but chilled.  But it is also ok to be room temperature.

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You can use regular raisins or even dried cranberries if you want.

I have only made this a couple of times and my husband loves it.  My friend, the one who gave me the recipe, says she makes it all the time.  I can see why.  It is very easy and it is very tasty!

(My photo is missing the sunflower seeds.  That is because I almost forgot to put them on.  But before I left for the party, I remembered!)

Do you like broccoli?  Do you like bacon?  Doesn’t this sound great?

Posted in Food, Vegetables | Tagged: , , , , , | 2 Comments »

It Is Ok To Do What You Need

Posted by terrepruitt on October 17, 2015

Remember when you attend a class (Nia, yoga, Zumba, Spin, Boot Camp, whatever), it is for you.  Remember that it is important to do what you need at the time you are in class.  So you don’t have to do the pose, say you are in a yoga class, to your fullest if you need to save your energy for other things you have to do in the day or the rest of your week.  You don’t have to prove to your instructor or other classmates that you can do it.  It is more important to do what your body needs.  Don’t be afraid to listen to your body intelligence.

I might have posted about this before.  If not an entire post, I know I have mentioned it, but sometimes we need reminding.  I recently took a class in which I was doing more than I should have.  It was what I was capable of doing, so I was doing it.  I had told myself before the class that I needed to hold back a little because I was feeling a bit fatigued and I had three more classes left to teach in the week, and I had a long weekend ahead.  My allergies had been bothering me, and if you have allergies (hay fever) then you know how exhausting they are.  I was tired.  My plan had been to do modified poses, but then I got caught up in just DOING the poses and not in doing what I needed.

I found myself thinking to myself, “Listen to what you always tell your students.  Do what you need to do at the time.  You know you need to conserve a bit of energy for the rest of the week.”  So I backed off.  I was actually more proud of myself for doing less because I needed to, than if I would have done more just to prove that I could.

In saving a bit of my energy I was able to teach my Nia class the next morning with renewed and full energy.  It was a great class.  So again, I was so glad I listened to what I always encourage my Nia and yoga students to do.

Now, I am not saying not to push yourself, I am just saying that there might be times when it is necessary to do less than you are capable of and that is ok.  I think you do more for your body, mind, emotions, and spirit if you respect your needs.  I have a feeling this is not new information to you, that is why I started out this post with “remember”.  However, it is one thing to know something and to actually do it.  As I said, before class I told myself to be mellow and then once in class I didn’t listen to myself at first.  I understand how easy it is to get caught up in the moment of doing, but with some modalities, like Nia and yoga, they are mindful practices.  A great exercise in a mindful practice is to do it mindfully, which could mean doing less.  Don’t be afraid to listen to your body intelligence.

Have you ever needed to do less in an exercise class?  Did you?  Did you have to keep reminding yourself?

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Opening Up The Back With A Stability Ball

Posted by terrepruitt on October 15, 2015

You might have read a few of my post where I say that my back is bothering me.  Well, one way I relieve the pain is by rolling it out on a foam roller.  I wrote about that in my post Rolled Out My Back Pain.  A bit ago, I did that method and it was not working.  I kept trying it and trying it.  It didn’t make sense that my back was not “cracking” back into place.  If you have ever had a pain, especially back pain, it might have had you thinking about it.  As you go through the day, it draws your attention because, well, it hurts.  So I was thinking about it and trying to examine it from a sensation perspective.  As I moved through the day it would bother me.  I began to get the feeling that it was compressed.  Whether my bones were compressing against each other causing the pain or the bones were pressing on a nerve or something, I don’t know.  In fact it has been so long ago that this happened, I don’t even remember what it felt like EXACTLY.  But my sense was that it was compressed.  That would have explained why rolling on it, trying to crack it and compress it more was NOT working.  It was not relieving the pain.  So then I thought, what if I expand it?  What if I open it up?  Ideally, an inversion table would be great!  But, I don’t have that.  I remember one time I tried hanging off of our breakfast room table but it is difficult to relax doing that.  The idea that the table is going to flip over does not help me relax.  I decided to try my stability ball.

It is a little smaller than would be optimum, but it works.  It takes a lot of concentration to be able to relax the upper part of my back – because that is where it felt jammed up – and not go so far as to allow my head to rest on the ground.  My stability ball is not that big.  I had bought a big one, but I traded it with my co-worker (at the time) because the one she bought was smaller.  The ideal size for a stability ball when you plan on doing exercises on it, is to be able to sit comfortably on it with feet on the ground and your thighs parallel to the ground.  Well, my knees were below my hips on the big one and her knees were higher than her hips and the switch allowed us the proper size.  So mine is perfect for sitting on and doing exercise, but it is not so great to lie prone on.

I did post a stretch where I lie on it on my back, Stability Ball Stretch.  Mine is a good size for that.  It is a good size for everything else, like I said, it is the right size, but just kinda small for hanging over it face down.

But it worked.  My back didn’t need to be cracked with pressure it needed to be opened up.  So now when I get a sense that my back is getting out of whack, I sleep with my roller.  I have a round one and a half round one.  But if my back hurts before I try the sleep relief, then I hang over the ball.  If that doesn’t work, then I roll on the foam roller.  To begin with, I try to be very careful because I don’t want to be in pain.  My wonderful friend that helped me with my back is gone so I need to make sure I don’t get to the point of needing her help.  I need to be able to “fix” it myself.  And not letting it get out of adjustment is the best help.

As I mentioned in my foam roller post, I am not recommending anyone do this because I don’t know your particular back situation . . . so I can’t say if this would be good for you or if it would help.  But I am saying, “Ahhhhhhhhhh!”  It helps me.  It is a different sensation than hanging over from the hips and letting your head help stretch your back.  The ball rounding out the back really seems to open it up.  And whatever was going on in my back, that did the trick!

Do you have a stability ball?  What do you use it for?

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More About The Dancing Cat In San Jose

Posted by terrepruitt on October 8, 2015

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia TechniqueLast Friday after teaching my Nia Class I volunteered at The Dancing Cat in San Jose.  I hadn’t been back since we got our cats.  I tend to want to be home with my own kitties.  The plan for The Dancing Cat is to be open only until November 15, 2015.  They are open Thursdays through Sundays.  Presently they have ten cats that are ready for adoption.  The Dancing Cats has had 30 cats adopted from the lounge.  Two of them were ours.  It is really fun to go sit and be able to play with the cats.  I really love the idea of meeting a cat in a relaxed atmosphere before deciding to adopt.  I think it is really helpful if you have a cat or cats already and are thinking of getting another one.  Being able to see how a cat acts around other cats is a good thing.  Of course, all cats act different around different cats, but I think having all the cats together gives you a better idea of how they might get along with cats you already own.

 

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If you want to lounge with some cats in San Jose get it done before November 15th.  Keep in mind it is not a high-pressure-adopt-a-cat kind of environment.  I’ve had people I tell about the place say they don’t want a cat.  Well, that is fine.  No one is on commission there.  Ha, ha.  It is very relaxed.  The owner(s) are there to answer your questions, but they don’t hover.  They don’t even normally bring up “adoption,” they know you know the cats are available.  They let you play with the cats.  When I am there I like to talk to the guests about their cats.  Because, as I mentioned before when posting about this place, a lot of the people who come to visit have cats of their own.  I like to hear about people’s pets.  And often I am lucky enough to get to see a picture.  The last time I was there I even got to see a video of a guest’s cat.Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

 

 

 

 

 

I am just putting the word out again.  They are open and have cats up for adoption.  This group of cats is very social, none of them hiding in the back.  They were all out in the main area lounging or playing.  Be sure to visit www.TheDancingCat.Org for more information and to make reservations.  They do allow for walk-ins if they have the space so if you decide you want to go at the last minute don’t think you can’t because you didn’t make reservations give them a call.  Go check out the cats.  If you don’t want to adopt perhaps you know someone who does.  Spread the word.  The lounge will only be open for a bit more.

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The Tuxedo Cat, is Clyde.  He is so sweet and playful.  I just loved looking at him.  He has a light pink nose.  He looks as if his coloring was put on just right.  He is so handsome.

I picked up the marmalade, Jasper, because someone was coming in while he was standing by the door.  He is just a big ol’ softy.  So sweet.  His tail has a ring patterns around it.  He seems really mellow.  Shame on me for not getting a picture of his magnificent tail.

Sarge is so regal.  One might be surprised at how sweet and playful he is because he is just a royal presence.

Florance is such a sweetie.  She is just lounging on the couch.

I didn’t take pictures of all the cats, so do go to the website to check them out.  I hope this type of lounge is something we will see more of.  Perhaps we will be lucky – after November – to see a new incarnation of The Dancing Cat.

 

 

 

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Sarge

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Sarge

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

Sarge

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, PiYo, Nia Technique

Florance

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If You Qualify You Can Get An “Aid-In-Dying-Drug” in CA Now

Posted by terrepruitt on October 6, 2015

Yesterday, Monday, October 05, 2015, the Governor of California signed ABX2-15 the End of Life Option Act into law.  So California joins Oregon, Washington, and Vermont in having a law that makes taking your life under the letter of the law, not a crime.  It allows people who have been deemed mentally competent and terminally ill to get a prescription of an “Aid-in-dying drug”.  The law will expire in 10 years.  I am sure that ten years from now things will have changed and there will need to be revisions if not an entirely different law.  But for now we have the End of Life Option Act.

“This bill, until January 1, 2026, would enact the End of Life Option Act authorizing an adult who meets certain qualifications, and who has been determined by his or her attending physician to be suffering from a terminal disease, as defined, to make a request for a drug prescribed pursuant to these provisions for the purpose of ending his or her life. The bill would establish the procedures for making these requests. The bill would also establish specified forms to request an aid-in-dying drug, under specified circumstances, an interpreter declaration to be signed subject to penalty of perjury, thereby creating a crime and imposing a state-mandated local program, and a final attestation for an aid-in-dying drug. This bill would require specified information to be documented in the individual’s medical record, including, among other things, all oral and written requests for an aid-in-dying drug.”

An adult can qualify if “all of the following conditions are satisfied:

(1) The individual’s attending physician has diagnosed the individual with a terminal disease.
(2) The individual has voluntarily expressed the wish to receive a prescription for an aid-in-dying drug.
(3) The individual is a resident of California and is able to establish residency through any of the following means:
(A) Possession of a California driver license or other identification issued by the State of California.
(B) Registration to vote in California.
(C) Evidence that the person owns or leases property in California.
(D) Filing of a California tax return for the most recent tax year.
(4) The individual documents his or her request pursuant to the requirements set forth in Section 443.3.
(5) The individual has the physical and mental ability to self-administer the aid-in-dying drug.
(b) A person shall not be considered a “qualified individual” under the provisions of this part solely because of age or disability.
(c) A request for a prescription for an aid-in-dying drug under this part shall be made solely and directly by the individual diagnosed with the terminal disease and shall not be made on behalf of the patient, including, but not limited to, through a power of attorney, an advance health care directive, a conservator, health care agent, surrogate, or any other legally recognized health care decisionmaker.”

And “An individual seeking to obtain a prescription for an aid-in-dying drug pursuant to this part shall submit two oral requests, a minimum of 15 days apart, and a written request to his or her attending physician. The attending physician shall directly, and not through a designee, receive all three requests required pursuant to this section.”  And there is a list that the request must meet, including having two witnesses.

There is a list of things the doctors must do and are not allowed to do.  There are stipulations regarding insurance and insurance companies.  The act states that anyone involved will not be committing a crime (as long as they follow all the rules), but that the person must be administer the prescription themselves.

This still would have not helped my mom after being admitted to the hospital because the two requests that are required must be at least 15 days apart.  She probably couldn’t have swallowed pills.  Perhaps she could have crushed them  and put the in her feeding tube . . . if she had it . . . I don’t remember.  But, again, it is the timing, the 30 days.  But, I am sure this will help a lot of people die with dignity and not have to suffer through some of the medical procedures that sometimes take place at the end of someone’s life.

There is a website that has information on all states and the laws.  There might be more than one, but Death with Dignity is the one I am familiar with.  http://www.deathwithdignity.org/advocates/national

The information I have in this post was copied from the California Legislative Information website. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billNavClient.xhtml?bill_id=201520162AB15

What do you think?  Are you a proponent?  Are you an opponent?  Do you have an opinion on it?

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