Link dump

[clevermanka]

A short film by Bree Newsome.

Deconstructing Down Dog.

Best ever slap down of a homophobic xtian.

Affordable jeans for Trans Guys.

Build core strength and decrease spinal tension with something called a Resisted Quadruped Rock.

There's a lot of stuff going on in this article, but it boils down to this.
Old belief: “I must workout and eat well because I need to keep my future disease at bay for as long as possible before it overtakes me.”
New belief: “I am someone who moves my body and eats well and I don’t have to force myself to do any of it because there’s nothing I’m working toward, this is just what I do, and my body will respond accordingly.”

Lots of ways to alleviate back pain, especially for us desk-workers.

So much to do before I leave for Indianapolis on Thursday and then even more to do before I leave for Las Vegas next Thursday.

Comments

[1-rhiannon-1.livejournal.com]

Oh I am so bookmarking that article on ways to alleviate back pain! Thank you for that!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Yay! Hope you find something that helps!

[1-rhiannon-1.livejournal.com]

I think a big help would be for me to remember to sit up straight - I keep slouching!

[hdsqrl.livejournal.com]

Ooh, I like that "new belief" line. Totally committing that to heart. :)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I'm glad it resonated with you!

[write-out.livejournal.com]

Thanks for sharing the links! I look forward to diving into them (gently, with back pain and all...).

I hope you're able to get everything done with time to spare!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I finished the con badge last night. WHEW.

[aprilstarchild.livejournal.com]

I had to have a yoga teacher show me how to do Downward Dog, because I'd just been following along in class and couldn't figure out why it hurt and I hated it. (My shoulders were in a terrible place.) Once we fixed that, it became one of my fave poses, even though I'm pretty sure I don't look like an upside-down V from the side and I can't get my feet flat on the floor!

Gah, that article. All of my parents' health problems have a genetic component, including my mom's autoimmune disease. I do sometimes feel like I have a sword hanging over my head. But I don't even know if the sword is there!

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

I can't get my heels on the floor in down dog, either, unless I start with my knees right under my hips.

Genetic diseases are awful. I always say at least I turned out pretty because the rest of my genetic dice roll pretty much sucked ass. I hope you manage to avoid developing anything bad and hereditary. Keeping your cortisol levels low is so important, so good for you keeping up with yoga and such.

[seascribe.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the back pain links, I need to get better about taking care of that as well as stretches in general.
(Also thanks for the lovely post card!)

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

Aw, you're so welcome! I'm gonna make you a much fancier one once all my summer traveling is over.

[chalcedonygrey.livejournal.com]

Ah, the F YOU!!!! response to that takedown - most Christian thing to say EVER. SMH

Thx for the back pain linkage! Must use at work! <3 <3

Didn't read the article yet, but the "New belief" would've felt better to me if it had ended after "this is just what I do." I *wish* my body would respond accordingly, but it won't (or at least not how I think of when I think "respond accordingly). :(

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

at least not how I think of when I think "respond accordingly)

And that's the catch, isn't it? I've had a much easier time of it now that I've accepted and internalized the concept that my body is doing the best it can under the current circumstances. It's not my body's fault that it inherited (either through genetics or environment) a host of problems.

All these issues--the elevated cortisol leading to chronic fatigue, the autoimmune disease probably triggered from overexposure to allergens, the hormone imbalances due to, god, just everything--are my body's natural response to traumas learned from thousands of years of evolution and development. It is honestly doing the best it knows how to keep me alive. It doesn't realize that those elevated cortisol levels are from life and constant physical stress. It's trying to help me escape from a predator by keeping those cortisol levels up-up-up, etc.

So my body is responding accordingly. Just sometimes "accordingly" doesn't mean "the way I want it to" or "how most people's bodies do." I've had to learn to be okay with that and remember that I am on a constant and never-ending journey to health. I don't know if I'll ever obtain a level of "normal" health. Coming to terms with that is one of the most difficult things I've ever done, but also one of most rewarding.

I know my mental tricks don't and won't work for everyone, of course. I hope you find a way to a place of peace with your own health.

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

Seems there's a lot of discussion about that passage from Matthew - reminds me of the scenario in "The Eagle."

[clevermanka.livejournal.com]

MMMMMMM HMMMMMMMMMMMMMM.