Yoga/Meditation Update

I haven't blogged about these in some time, mainly because there's nothing much to say when things are going well. I've truly made them both a habit every day, including weekends. I might have to compress it down to a total of 30 minutes between the two (usually it's about 50 minutes), but it does happen every day.

The results have been encouraging, and the progress steady. I realized last week that I could bend in a way that I couldn't have even at my peak physical condition in my late teens/early 20's, and it happened so gradually that I hadn't even noticed it for a while. I just plain feel better. And the most interesting thing of all is that my back pain, chronic since a stupid injury when I was about 20, actually went away entirely for two days after a yoga class. It was like wearing somebody else's body for a few days. I've been trying to duplicate the combination of poses at home, and while my back feels much better on the whole, I haven't been able to quite get to that same level since then. Another nagging problem from my surgery years ago doesn't seem to be a problem at all anymore. You can't argue with results.

Meditation seems to have had one peculiar side effect for me. It's become more common for me to wake up with some idea that seems to have come out of nowhere. It's not even the solution to a problem I've been thinking about, or anything that seems to relate to anything in particular. It's just suddenly there, so I write it down. Recent examples included an idea for a sitcom that I'm sure I'll never bother to write (even though I think it would actually be entertaining), a better approach to poker that has gotten me over a plateau I'd reached, and a different approach to playing bass guitar, which I've barely touched for several years now. I think these ideas have probably always been rattling around in my head; I've just learned how to pay attention to them. My ability to focus is much better in general, which isn't surprising, since meditation is essentially practicing focus.

Happy stuff is pretty boring blog material, but it's good to be living it!