Lizzie for Free : a yogi's blog
The Free State of LizArchive for health
Salutation Nation
To Salute
To pay respect to or honor by some formal act; to address with expressions of goodwill, respect; to make a bow or other gesture to as in greeting, farewell, or respect; to express respect or praise for; honor; commend.
Nation
A large body of people associated with a particular or set of beliefs that is sufficiently conscious of its unity.
Amidst the backdrop of wars, droughts and other human-induced disaster around the world, there has never been a more important time for the global yoga movement to stand up, show solidarity in nonviolence and the spirit of togetherness. Each of us has a role to play in creating the world we live in through our thoughts words and actions. By doing all we can to create positive energy in and around us, we can manifest a better present for all animate beings. By practicing yoga on the mat with a satsang, friends with a common focus, a common good, in mind is one of the best ways to experience this. The outcome can be euphoric and contagious; the more happiness and positive energy created, the more people want to participate. After all, isn’t it most people’s innermost desire to be happy?
Hence the birth of Salutation Nation
,a nation-wide event launched last summer in the US by lululemon athletica to raise awareness about the physical and mental health benefits of yoga. The event was such a success that this year they have expanded their reach to include London.
I’m very humbled and honoured to have been asked to lead the outdoor yoga event, so please accept this a your invitation:
You are Cordially Invited to Salutation Nation,
Free outdoor yoga session from 9-10am
on Saturday Septemer 10th (bring your mat).
Kensington Palace Gardens, Round Pond
Bring your friends, or go out on a limb and ask the neighbour you’ve been meaning to introduce yourself to!
At the end of the day, we all have the same amount of potential to do good in this world; yoga is about cultivating the positive force within and connecting with others to spread the joy. All you have to do is show up.
Viva positive intention!
Viva lululemon!
Doctors: my friends, my enemies
Last week I took myself and my son to the surgery to see our GP. My son had a chest cold and I had a sore throat. My son got off the hook with the routine statement about babies getting an average of six colds a season lasting a few weeks each(….hmmmm….so basically all winter your baby will have a snotty nose {the things they don’t tell you…}) I, on the other hand, was strongly urged to have a flu shot as I’m on the high-risk list. While the doctor made a very convincing case for me to get the the shot and explained the highly unlikely side effects, I made the choice to get the shot with ambivalence (yes, they’re full of eggs).
This year they have merged the traditional flu shot with the swine flu vaccination (chicken eggs AND pigs, what a combination) and about 24 hours after getting the shot I couldn’t get out of bed and had all the signs of a full blown bronchial infection. What was stranger was my massively swollen arm where I’d gotten the shot the day before. I spent the next couple of days in bed before starting to feel better, but meanwhile, my arm was deteriorating quickly with the range of motion decreasing by the day.
Today I reached my pain threshold, realizing that my arm basically was in paralysis due to the pain. I went back to the doctor, and they couldn’t figure out what was going on. There was no longer pain at the site of the injection, but my rotator cuff seemed to be the fulcrum of the pain. It was a mystery to them; they’d never seen such a strong reaction to the shot, and after 5 days was still getting worse.
I was sent off to hospital to get an ultrasound and potential guided steroid injection. The ultrasound revealed that the rotator cuff was intact (whew!) but the glenohumeral joint appeared to be inflamed and arthritic. The doctor suspected some type of rheumatic reaction, but despite this he gave me some injections of cortisone to see if it would ease the pain. The plan is that tomorrow I’m due to check in and if pain hasn’t subsided, I’m off to see the rheumatologist. In the meantime, the local anesthesia means that I can type and change nappies again, so I’m in business!
