No painkillers, and some Tai Chi

Yesterday, after a comment from Alex that maybe I was taking too many painkillers, I tried to tackle my migraine via natural remedies. So I drank lots of water, had some caffeine because I know I am addicted and my brain needs it, had herbal teas, used my migraine stick and played with the skull pressure points. What I normally do, but I did more of it, and without the help of painkillers to actually take the pain away.

Was I successful? It certainly dimmed the pain, but it was always there. I found that noises bothered me more than lights and the computer screen (which was good, because I still needed to work). I also felt fairly sad during most of the day. I know that the main reason for that was being told off when I was just trying to help, but being in pain couldn't have helped that.

I ended up just curling up in the sofa with knitting and a movie, Enchanted, and that cheered me up a little bit. And I am now half-way up the back of Sizzle, which is coming on very well, and very red.

Going to Tai Chi did make me feel a lot better. It lifted me, and it also made me the good kind of tired. I have noticed that I better at my Tai Chi classes the more depressed I am when I go. Being down makes me concentrate on the movements, and it makes me push through the pain (ok, to enjoy the pain, fine), and reach a bit further, hold my back a bit straighter, hold the positions a bit longer.
However, half way through concentrating on the pain because I am down, I change to concentrating to hold the position, and then I forget that I am low, and just feel the Tai Chi. And the water; I see water everywhere when I'm in class.

So I think this Tai Chi is helping. If only, it lifted my mood yesterday. It also helped to make me tired, and then I had the first half-decent night of sleep in several weeks. Sure, I am still tired, but not as much. It feels niiiiiiiiiice.

I am learning waterbending

I am learning waterbending Tai Chi!

As mentioned last post, I am starting Tai Chi. The sort-of-first lesson was on Tuesday. I dusted my tracksuit (and by gods, it was dusty), and made it, despite being terrified.
I had found out about the class online, where it said that demonstration classes were on the 13^th, 20^th and 27^th. What it failed to say was that it wasn't OR, as I read it, but AND, and it was a little three class course, for a small fee. So I turned up for the second class, with not enough money to pay the lesson. I think I started panicking, because the instructor said that it was ok, I didn't need to worry, that I could pay next time. So it was all ok, but I kept wanting to run away for a long time. Similarly, it took me a while to relax when we started the class, although after about 20 min I finally got the flow of things.

I enjoyed Tai Chi. It reminded me of fencing and ballet (both of which I've done), together with waterbending (which I've watched plenty of; see end of the post for an explanation on what I'm going on about). The feet position is very similar to fencing, so I can just default to it without even thinking about it, and the arms move delicately, like in ballet.
It didn't feel like exercise as I'm used to, mainly because it wasn't aerobic and I didn't end up sweating and out of breath (my heart beats stupidly fast, so I get tired really fast). However, holding some of those positions is tiring, and my legs started shaking towards the end, so I'm gathering that's good.

There isn't Tai Chi next week, because it's half-term and the school we do it in is closed, so I'm very glad I didn't pick next Tuesday to try it, it would not have been good for me. After that, the course proper starts the following Tuesday, lasting 16 weeks.
Now that I have overcome the initial fear, I think I'll be less scared next time I go, especially because I know I can do it (both going there and the actual martial art). When I go to the doctor next Thursday, I can finally tell him that I'm doing some exercise and, as it focuses on control and relaxation, it should be double bonus to help me heal.
I just need to be good and don't ask too often when are we getting the buckets of water!

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In the cartoon Avatar, some people can control the elements, and people who control water are waterbenders (see them in action!). The bending of each element is based on a different martial art: waterbending is based on Tai Chi, earthbending on Hung Gar, firebending on Northern Shaolin and airbending on Bagua.
I really enjoy Avatar, despite its apparently random schedule, and would really recommend it to everybody. Waterbending is what I hope to achieve with my Tai Chi classes when I get good enough!