Anne Tyler Lord

Yoga & Writing Challenge: Creak & Moan

Last week I joined the challenge at BinduWiles.com called 21.5.800, which translates into five days of yoga each week and 800 words of writing per day for 21 days. This community project is still growing with over 470+ participants. I encourage everyone to visit the website for some very insightful and touching posts.

I have been doing great with the 800 words a day and I have done yoga each day. But the yoga is much harder for me than the writing. I am a fairly flexible person, but I have chronic pain, and when stretching this week, all I could hear was…

Crrrreeeeaaaaakkk (Creak) and then…

“Oh my gosh!” (Moan) (okay, you got the cleaned-up explicative)

Even though I try to be as gentle as possible in my yoga practice and do more warm up each day, I have chronic pain throughout most of my body from fibromyalgia. And, that is made worse in certain areas from previous injuries and surgeries. Yoga reveals each one and flares up lines of pain that travel in a path. I remember those well-worn roads and how they were formed.  I know it is time to address those problems areas again.

When taking up yoga again this week, I am reminded that I can’t do very much at a time or I will pay a huge price in pain and be unable to continue. I think that reminder is the most painful part of this process thus far. I would rather be able to push myself, make progress in leaps and bounds and to work my way to advanced yoga. But, I know that will never happen for me. The resistance I am encountering right now is to accept my limited physical capabilities and work at a pace that is comfortable and won’t injure me.

I am thankful for the 21.5.800 challenge and it has been good for me this week, despite the creak & moan. The challenge has provided a focus to get more writing done and it has revealed weaknesses in my body that I would rather ignore. I enjoy yoga because it is not only an exercise routines, but also an inner practice. As yoga will do, it is revealing stored memories in my body and negative thought patterns I need to address in order to move forward.

I hope everyone is enjoying their writing and yoga challenge!



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10 responses to “Yoga & Writing Challenge: Creak & Moan”

  1. Yoga & Writing Challenge: The Trip Thru 21 Days | Don't Fence Me In

    […] energy to start the new challenge, even though by the end of that week my body was feeling it with creaks and moans in my […]

  2. Sam

    As a fellow chronic pain sufferer, “creak & moan” really strikes a chord with me. I’ve never tried yoga as I’m about as flexible as a wooden board, though the 800 words a day challenge might be something I’d like to have a go at.

    I have to agree with Deanna about it not hurting when exercising, I was once told by a physiotherapist I ought to go running (and if you’d seen me you’d understand just how laughable that is!), it was a good job she could run faster than I could move, or I may have acted on the excellent motivation she afforded me with that suggestion! 😉

  3. judy

    I’m so impressed with you for moving your way through this. I think the easiest thing would be to back off the yoga because of the pain, or push yourself too hard because you don’t want to accept your limitations. This path your walking – moving forward but wisely – is the hardest and bravest one of all. Yay you!

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Thanks Judy, you are right, as long as we are moving forward, it doesn’t matter how slow!

  4. Olivia Tejeda

    Hug, hug, hug, and hug.

    Anne, you’re the one who got me involved with 21.5.800. Thank you for that, and thank you for sharing your struggles. Knowing you deal with chronic pain makes your humor, wisdom, and generosity even more incredible.

    You continue to be an inspiration. Thank you. ~ Olivia

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Thanks Olivia for the kind words. I hope you are doing great on your challenge too!

  5. Deanna Schrayer

    Anne, I know that you know that I know how you feel. I hope that makes sense. 🙂 For those of us with chronic pain, the simplest form of exercise – even just walking – can be tortuous. And it should never hurt, so just be careful and don’t take your body farther than it can handle. Listen to the mama hen! 😉

    I’ve not tried to stick to the 21.5.800 guidelines, simply because we have so much going on right now that I’m afraid my schedule would knock me off course, and I don’t fail very well. However, I have been writing every day, and I have gotten at least 800 words a day, but it hasn’t all been work towards my novel or shorts – some of it is just journaling. And I have been stretching daily, though not defined by the rules of yoga. At least I’m getting somewhere I suppose.

    I hope everyone is taking good care of themselves, and not pushing too hard. Don’t forget your reward for meeting your goal each day – whatever that may be. Just make sure it isn’t a huge piece of chocolate cake every day. 🙂

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Hi Deanna,

      Yes mama! And, don’t we know it with the pain situation! But you are doing this challenge if you are writing (any writing counts) and stretching. You hang in there this week! And, I will contemplate a reward – chocolate would be good.

  6. Juliana

    I love how you connect with your chronic pain through your yoga practice…that is definitely a part of the amazing healing that a yoga practice can assist with.

    Be gentle with yourself and just remember that you don’t have to be perfect at it, and that the creaking and moaning are a valuable part of the process too! 🙂

    Best of luck.

    1. Anne Tyler Lord

      Thanks Juliana. Yes, if I can get a good balance in my practice – just enough, but not too much, I think yoga will be very helpful for me.

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