Happy On Wheels – Page 60

07.06.2017 by Happy On Wheels //

Yoga for a Quadriplegic?; You Have Got to Be Kidding Me!

Wheelchair users doing yoga.

The title of this blog is where I was approximately four years ago when my sister suggested that I try yoga.

I was still struggling somewhat with my trach and strength of breathing, and my pulmonary scores every six weeks at the doctor were not increasing.

I finally gave in and figured that I had nothing to lose, although I really couldn’t imagine how, as a quadriplegic, I could do yoga given that I envisioned all kinds of movements that involved things that I could not do.

Four years later I find myself to be an advocate of the benefits of yoga to so many people. My own experiences got me to this place, something that I never imagined. A true skeptic has become a believer.

Why? First of all I learned much more about yoga from two fabulous instructors. Yoga involves movement, but it is all based in the breath (pranayama) and the breathing exercises moved me to a level that even my pulmonary doctor could not believe.

Second, I can do movements that increase my strength and ability to utilize muscles that do not wBreathing ork. Effective breathing also increases my range of motion because through yoga I have learned to use the breath to expand and enhance my body movement. Using the muscles that I do have helps those other muscles to move and therefore increases my overall strength. This has kept me free from colds and other respiratory infections and has enabled me to cough on my own without help. And, I am strong!

Most importantly, yoga brings me a great sense of peace. Admittedly as a Type A personality, I did not know how to relax. And, when I got upset or stressed out I could not relax and focus. As a practicing attorney with a busy career and life, I found myself to be constantly in a state of physical and mental discomfort.

Yoga, thanks to my fabulous instructors, has taught me how to breathe in a way that restores my energy, calms me down when I am stressed out and provides me with tools that keep me healthy and renewed. In fact, one of the greatest gifts of yoga has been that my husband now also realizes its benefits and we take a class together. We have different disabilities, but yoga is keeping us stronger and healthier.

I am no longer a skeptic, and I am hopeful that others with and without disabilities will realize the benefits of yoga, and be willing to try it. It is truly a gift.

https://happyonwheels.com/yoga-for-a-quadriplegic-you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me/

07.05.2017 by Happy On Wheels //

One Day at a Time

Stone with "One day at a time" carved in it.
I have been focusing on taking “one day at a time” ever since my father was diagnosed with renal failure four months ago and opted against dialysis.

In fact, it is a way of thinking that I try to put into practice every day.

Be in the moment. Enjoy and appreciate each day.

Stop worrying about the future and the what ifs. Make the best of every situation.

This is often difficult to reconcile with the needs of work, family and health. At work, projects must be planned to meet a future deadline. Family members often want to plan events so they can “get them on the schedule.” And taking care of our health often means making medical appointments in advance. So it can be impossible to stick solely with the “one day at a time” mode of thinking.

But, I propose that in most instances, it is possible to focus on the day, hour, and even the moment.

My first “tool” for doing this is to focus on one positive (or at least not negative or worrisome) aspect of my day. It might be work-related (yes, believe it or not, some work things can be enjoyable!), it can be a gathering with friends coming up in a few days, or often something as simple as what I will watch on television later that night.

Second, and most useful to me lately, is to have a mantra each morning that I try to follow throughout the day. Sometimes it is just one word and other times a phrase. Also, the nature of the mantra depends on the activities of the day. And, how I am feeling. For instance, on a day when I had an incredibly busy schedule at work and was worried about getting everything done, my mantra was “focus on one activity at a time.” On a recent day when I wasn’t feeling up to par, my mantra was “you can make it through the day.” A beautiful day a week or two ago had a one-word mantra: “appreciate.” This approach is useful because when I feel like I am getting stressed out or thinking too far ahead, the mantra brings me back to the moment and the circumstances become manageable and in many cases more enjoyable.

Despite the realistic need to look to the future and plan, I think that we live in a culture today that is fast paced, moving at lightning speed to the next activity and the beauty and comfort of the day or even the moment is not appreciated. The day flies by and gets lost as we email, tweet, multitask, and rush through each meal in order to take care of the next thing. So it is easy to make an excuse that it is not possible to realistically live one day at a time.

I disagree. I learned through my own health crises that each day is a victory. And for my father, another day is a win. So resist the urge to become a “super-planner” of the future. I don’t mean to downplay the value of being organized and a Type A personality. I fully admit that my tendency is to think forward and plan. But taking the time to breathe deeply over my coffee in the morning, focus on my mantra, and be mindful of what lies ahead for the day actually produces a level of calmness that helps me to be more effective and happier.

For those that want to plan out each day, week, month and year, I urge you to take a few minutes each day to breathe and take in what is around you.

Because much of life is out of our control, and you, as the super-planner, may wind up disappointed at the results of your master plan and, unfairly, be upset with others for ruining it.

So, sip your beverage of choice, swallow slowly, create your own mantra and take it all in. What we have today may no longer be with us tomorrow.

https://happyonwheels.com/one-day-at-a-time/

07.05.2017 by Happy On Wheels //

Mick the Quick Got It Right

One of my favorite quotes is, “Ain’t no sense worryin’ about the things you got control over, ’cause if you got control over ’em, ain’t no sense worryin’. And ain’t no sense worryin’ about the things you don’t got control over, ’cause if you don’t got control over ’em, ain’t no sense worryin’.” Those words of wisdom were said by Mickey Rivers; a very fine Major League Baseball Photo of Mickey Rivers player from 1970-1984 with the Angels, Yankees, and Rangers. OK, maybe a totally 100% worry-free life is a pipedream, but for me this quote helps to put things in perspective.

My disability (Friedreich’s Ataxia, FA) is genetic in nature and it is progressive, so someone who has it was born with it and the National Ataxia Foundation estimates that one may begin to show symptoms (most noticeable: a lack of balance, impaired coordination of arms and legs, and slurred speech) anytime between the ages of 5 and 25. It can be, of course, earlier than that or later too. Every person who has FA has his or her own version.

Because FA is progressive, in some ways I have no control over it; of course, in some respects I do have control (I can exercise or work on my muscle coordination after all). Either way, I’m covered by Mr. Rivers quote.

Unfortunately, “…ain’t no sense worryin’.” is not any easy thing to do, especially when you’re born and raised Catholic! You can ask my wife, my Catholic-guilt is a pretty heavy thing to have to deal with. I have five siblings and we all have Catholic-guilt to some degree. And, regardless of religion or upbringing, my life experience has shown me that while worrying is a natural tendency, it can be used productively to spur action; however left unchecked, worry can be mentally taxing and cause immense stress to the worrier and those around him/her.

Wemberly Worried Cover About 14 years ago I bought a book for my whole family for Christmas called “Wemberly Worried;” it’s a children’s picture book by Kevin Henkes about a young mouse named Wemberly who worries about pretty much everything. It fit my family to a T. (No pun intended considering our last name is Trott).

Now I’m not sure if the Mickey Rivers quote would work for Wemberly, but it does make sense and work for me. If I have control over some aspect of my disability, I feel like I have a responsibility to do whatever needs to be done to assert that control and take charge; by the same token, if I don’t have control over something, I try not to worry about it.

Please don’t take this to mean that I adopt a laissez faire attitude and let the chips fall where they may. I’m not a fatalist. I am someone who is able to think about something negative and even be concerned about it without worrying about it.

I don’t imagine I’ll ever be an All-Star Centerfielder like Mickey Rivers, but if I can apply this quote to my life, I will be someone with less worry and more happiness. And that makes the world a little better and life a little easier.

https://happyonwheels.com/mick-the-quick-got-it-right/

Yoga for a Quadriplegic?; You Have Got to Be Kidding Me!

One Day at a Time

Mick the Quick Got It Right

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