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greenstormMy interaction with my body (interaction implies a separate entity?) has changed a lot over my lifetime. I've learned what it's not good at, and more surprisingly to me that it is good at a bunch of things, and that it can do things I really like-- and it does things I really like better if I take care of it in various ways.
I've learned that my mental health is absolutely completely directly linked to what I put in my body and what I do with my body in a strange synergistic link with my situation. If I am biking to work most days, I will be so happy and so confident that I can deal my way through anything and even smile through most of it. If I keep gradually increasing the amount of exercise I do, I keep happiest (this begs the question of what happens when I run out of time to keep increasing exercise in).
If I don't sleep enough, I start proactively cancelling things because I become afraid I won't have enough energy to do them, and then I exercise less because I cancel things, and it all goes downhill.
If I eat bad stuff (greasy junky sugary stuff) but also eat good stuff (veggies and fruits) I'm okay but slowed down, though the longer I do it for the more I slow down. If I eat only good stuff, I'm good. If I eat only bad stuff (because I'm busy and trying to eat on the flu) I slow down pretty quickly, feel sluggish, and start to worry again.
Some things my body loves to do. I could bike forever if I took some breaks to eat and five minute breathers. At the end of nearly every bike ride I think, 'I could keep going...'
Some things my body hates to do. There are certain kinds of spatial/physical coordination I just can't get. I spent nearly 200 hours trying to learn three-ball juggling from someone who's good at it, and didn't manage it. Anything that involves calculating trajectories outside of the plane of my vision when I'm in glasses just won't happen (I think my brain didn't develop that, since I grew up in glasses).
So I love dancing. I love biking. I used to love sex in this way, but I've become super picky lately about my partners and so I'd say I do it less for the fact that I am good at it than that -we- are so good together.
And I took my first hooping class on Wednesday, and I loved it! The time was over super quickly, I was sweaty but not tired, I'm a little sore two days later but not badly, and I wish I had time away from moving to do it again. Christa also managed to teach me spatial stuff in a way I could comprehend. It was an intensely meditative experience for me, practice being aware of my body (one thing I've traded lately in exchange for greater strength and endurance is the ability to back off a little on my body's signals- sustained muscular effort no longer reads as low level pain, but maybe the volume was just up too high before, though there are also a lot of tricks to learning to use less effort effectively that I'm picking up)
Also, I am happy and still in love.
I've learned that my mental health is absolutely completely directly linked to what I put in my body and what I do with my body in a strange synergistic link with my situation. If I am biking to work most days, I will be so happy and so confident that I can deal my way through anything and even smile through most of it. If I keep gradually increasing the amount of exercise I do, I keep happiest (this begs the question of what happens when I run out of time to keep increasing exercise in).
If I don't sleep enough, I start proactively cancelling things because I become afraid I won't have enough energy to do them, and then I exercise less because I cancel things, and it all goes downhill.
If I eat bad stuff (greasy junky sugary stuff) but also eat good stuff (veggies and fruits) I'm okay but slowed down, though the longer I do it for the more I slow down. If I eat only good stuff, I'm good. If I eat only bad stuff (because I'm busy and trying to eat on the flu) I slow down pretty quickly, feel sluggish, and start to worry again.
Some things my body loves to do. I could bike forever if I took some breaks to eat and five minute breathers. At the end of nearly every bike ride I think, 'I could keep going...'
Some things my body hates to do. There are certain kinds of spatial/physical coordination I just can't get. I spent nearly 200 hours trying to learn three-ball juggling from someone who's good at it, and didn't manage it. Anything that involves calculating trajectories outside of the plane of my vision when I'm in glasses just won't happen (I think my brain didn't develop that, since I grew up in glasses).
So I love dancing. I love biking. I used to love sex in this way, but I've become super picky lately about my partners and so I'd say I do it less for the fact that I am good at it than that -we- are so good together.
And I took my first hooping class on Wednesday, and I loved it! The time was over super quickly, I was sweaty but not tired, I'm a little sore two days later but not badly, and I wish I had time away from moving to do it again. Christa also managed to teach me spatial stuff in a way I could comprehend. It was an intensely meditative experience for me, practice being aware of my body (one thing I've traded lately in exchange for greater strength and endurance is the ability to back off a little on my body's signals- sustained muscular effort no longer reads as low level pain, but maybe the volume was just up too high before, though there are also a lot of tricks to learning to use less effort effectively that I'm picking up)
Also, I am happy and still in love.
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no subject
Date: 2009-06-06 03:33 am (UTC)The trade off between subtle awareness and the fine control and coordination that can come with it and raw power is something I've had a hard time juggling for years. When I'm at my strongest I'm apt to miss subtle cue's and feedback that I would have noticed otherwise, and this applies in any spectrum... physically (power vs. dexterity), energetically (output vs. awareness), coordination (reflexes vs. fine motor skills), emotionally (intense emotion vs. self awareness and balance). SOooo many interesting ways to fall off the teeter-totter *laugh*
I also have a direct effect between the mood and the meat. Keep me in an annoyed state for a few days or more and you'll see a visible change in my upper body development and definition without any change in my physical activity. Other changes happen too but they're subtle enough I can only think of 2 or 3 people that *might* be able to spot them.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-06 03:37 am (UTC)How's stuff going for you? Got this weekend sorted? Have some free time to chat online if not? I'm feeling particularly low right now. :( Still dredging through some poly stuff, ironically.
no subject
Date: 2009-06-06 03:55 am (UTC)I'll be around the house tonight and tomorrow night for certain, Wilbur is in the Vet Hospital overnight tonight but should be home tomorrow morning (fingers crossed) so I don't think I'll be going anywhere tomorrow unless he makes an amazing recovery tonight.
I'd love to talk, especially since I can't make it to see you this weekend... ($400 so far on the kitty bill)