My trainer suggested that I try acupuncture to help release my tight hips. I have never been a big fan of the thought of someone poking needles into my body, but my trainer has never steered me wrong, and so I went after my training session on Friday.
I had met the acupuncturist before at a function with my trainer, so I already knew who she was and I really liked her. She took the time to explain the procedures, and after many questions, asked me to lay on the table while she poked a bunch of needles into me.
I'm happy to say that I hardly felt any of the needles going in (other than the ones into the tops of my feet). My back had one spasm and my right glute had a big spasm, but once they were all in, it actually felt kind of nice.
As I relaxed, my acupuncurist made me a concoction of various Chinese herbs - known as "Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang" when they are all mixed together. Drinking this mixture twice a day is supposed to bring my Qi levels back to normal - to a point where everything in my body is working in harmony again.
After researching this Chinese medicine stuff, I became very intrigued with how the Chinese have been practicing this medicine for thousands of years, and how it all makes perfect sense. How often have we gone to a regular doctor with this ailment or that complaint, only to have drugs prescribed within 5 minutes and then be ushered out the door? While in many cases synthetic drugs are justified, how many of our ailments could be cured purely by eating a better diet and practicing some alternative medicine?
And don't even get me started on what stress does to our bodies....I don't think most of us even realize how are bodies feel when they are functioning at an optimal level. We're all too sleep-deprived, hopped up on caffeine, ruled by our to-do lists, and we are ignoring the malourished cry from our insides....from the only body we will have while on this earth.
My acupuncturist also suggested I try wheatgrass to help improve my iron levels (which have always been deficient and for which I take a supplement). I would have laughed at the prospect a few years ago (organic-schmorganic, I say!), but the benefits seem to be amazing.
I'll check in a week from now....after another acupuncture session and a week on Qi-boosting tea and wheatgrass, and see if there's anytruth to this hippy-dippy lifestyle.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
My New Baby
Even though I am a self-professed geek, I'm not really a gadget person; I have always been very happy with my cell phone that is just a phone, and was very happy to pay very low fees for my phone that was just a phone.
I was determined never to be one of those "texting people" - people that walk down the street texting, walk down the mall texting (the funniest scene ever: three friends walking down WEM, two with their heads down texting and one on his cell phone talking, each oblivious to the others), and who basically ignore the beauty of the day, and the fresh air, and the blessings they have been given.
However, back in April I decided to get a small texting package as a trial, it was only $5.00, and if I didn't use it, I would cancel it. Days later, my son broke his arm and we were in the hospital for four days, and the texting was very useful. I was able to keep my parents up to date on the situation without incurring long distance charges, so that $5.00 was worth every penny. When we were in BC for my sister's wedding I was able to text and again saved myself long distance charges. So, even though I text on a rare occassion, I'm still not one of those "texting people".
And I was also determined not to cave into the media juggernaut known as the iPhone. I seriously think that people must have a screw loose since they spend a fortune on the "latest models", when the old models were just fine. Now, with the new iPhone 5, not only are they spending money on the new phone (when the old phone was more than adequate), but the new phone is shaped differently, so they need to buy new cases, and apparently the headphones are different, and the docking system is different. Apple is laughing all the way to the bank.
But then.....Telus was offering "old" iPhones (that were released a year ago) for $79, and I had always thought the voice recognition software was neat (the funny commercials with John Malkovich didn't hurt either). So I decided to treat myself to a Gadget - an iPhone 4S that is amazing, and it makes me sad that millions think that they need to ditch this amazing piece of technology for the "next new thing", basically because they believed that this "next new thing" is better. They must also believe it will make them faster, stronger, smarter, more popular, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.....oops, I digress.
I admit that I love my little iPhone 4S. I have configured all of my e-mail so that I can easily check it straight out of my pocket, and I speak text messages now instead of typing them (so cool!), and it's very convenient and has made work a little bit easier.
However, the iPhone is still just a phone - it gets turned off at night, it gets turned off at church and in restaurants, and I will never interrupt a conversation with a friend to check an e-mail or a text message.
I love my iPhone, but it's just a gadget.....I wish more people would remember that.
I was determined never to be one of those "texting people" - people that walk down the street texting, walk down the mall texting (the funniest scene ever: three friends walking down WEM, two with their heads down texting and one on his cell phone talking, each oblivious to the others), and who basically ignore the beauty of the day, and the fresh air, and the blessings they have been given.
However, back in April I decided to get a small texting package as a trial, it was only $5.00, and if I didn't use it, I would cancel it. Days later, my son broke his arm and we were in the hospital for four days, and the texting was very useful. I was able to keep my parents up to date on the situation without incurring long distance charges, so that $5.00 was worth every penny. When we were in BC for my sister's wedding I was able to text and again saved myself long distance charges. So, even though I text on a rare occassion, I'm still not one of those "texting people".
And I was also determined not to cave into the media juggernaut known as the iPhone. I seriously think that people must have a screw loose since they spend a fortune on the "latest models", when the old models were just fine. Now, with the new iPhone 5, not only are they spending money on the new phone (when the old phone was more than adequate), but the new phone is shaped differently, so they need to buy new cases, and apparently the headphones are different, and the docking system is different. Apple is laughing all the way to the bank.
But then.....Telus was offering "old" iPhones (that were released a year ago) for $79, and I had always thought the voice recognition software was neat (the funny commercials with John Malkovich didn't hurt either). So I decided to treat myself to a Gadget - an iPhone 4S that is amazing, and it makes me sad that millions think that they need to ditch this amazing piece of technology for the "next new thing", basically because they believed that this "next new thing" is better. They must also believe it will make them faster, stronger, smarter, more popular, able to leap tall buildings in a single bound.....oops, I digress.
I admit that I love my little iPhone 4S. I have configured all of my e-mail so that I can easily check it straight out of my pocket, and I speak text messages now instead of typing them (so cool!), and it's very convenient and has made work a little bit easier.
However, the iPhone is still just a phone - it gets turned off at night, it gets turned off at church and in restaurants, and I will never interrupt a conversation with a friend to check an e-mail or a text message.
I love my iPhone, but it's just a gadget.....I wish more people would remember that.
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