The tai chi master Yang Chengfu (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

It has rained all weekend and really set off my arthritis, especially in my shoulders – both of them.  I am very thankful for medication to help the swelling – ibuprofen -, and Ultram for the pain that the ibuprofen doesn’t touch.  Yes, there is strong medication I can take, but I use it VERY sparingly:  I like living my life instead of just being in a fog or sleepy.  Sometimes being constantly drowsy is worse than just going to sleep.  Sometimes when you go to sleep, especially with arthritis, the pain can be avoided, but it is right there when you wake back up.

Look at that – it’s December 10th already.  I do not have my Christmas shopping done, and actually feel unmotivated to do anything about the problem.  I think the rainy, gloomy days are beginning to affect me.  Carlos has put another “sun bulb” here in the office, which does help, it is just for the past few days I have not been in here writing:  I have been in the living room watching the TV and trying hard not to move my arms in a way that upsets my shoulders.  The tai chi practice I have been doing has really helped me a lot in the moving area.  I am learning more and more how to control my movements and therefore strengthening the muscles.  Section I is down pat for me, practically, and now I am working on Section II.  Carlos is helping me with it or I wouldn’t be able to do any further study because of the weather sort of stomping on me for a little bit.  I had to miss Friday, Saturday, and Sunday classes.

It never ceases to amaze me how you can do a set of movements, even seated, that benefit your entire body.  The movements aren’t easy for me, of course, because I can’t turn my hand or rotate my arms the way everyone else can, but trying has helped them to feel better, even if there is a little discomfort in the beginning.  Now I am working on loosening my waist so even more of the movements will become even more beneficial.

I wonder, is there a tai chi or qi gong movement exercise or breathing exercise that would get me enthused about Christmas shopping?

In other interesting notes and asides, I have begun knitting again.  I picked up the needles last night and cast on for a new project and feel so much better for it, although the needles I am currently using are too large for the project.  Lucky for me I found the correct size of knitting needle last night and put them with the yarn so after ripping out the little done so far i can re-cast-on and knit to my heart’s content.  There are a number of knitting projects I need to finish – some of them for Christmas.  To pick up the knitting needles even when I am feeling so bad and start knitting shows me just how important it is to me.  It is almost a relief to be knitting again and looking for wonderful new yarns to knit with.  I guess once you are a knitter you are always a knitter.

Related articles

• Exercise beats arthritis pain (express.co.uk)
• Single Push hands and other stuff (strikingthoughts.wordpress.com)
• Tai Chi Benefits Patients With Fibromyalgia (drysdaleosteopathy.wordpress.com)
• Tai Chi on PBS (examiner.com)