Ned

Today was the first time my knees touched the ground (with both shoulders down) in the spinal rotation exercise of the daily five. I don't do it as often as I probably should, but today my body just kind of spontaneous turned into a close enough facsimile of it that I did it. I was pleasantly surprised with where I ended up and found it gave quite a nice working of the muscles along the spine. LRP in the mornings. I'm learning a lot about myself by sticking to it at that time of day. Some mornings I'm more pressed for time than others and observing my response to LRP and just how much less inclined to relax I am because of the imminent deadline to leave right after an LRP on those days is insightful. Despite not really considering myself a morning person, I find myself waking up earlier to build in more time to remove the rush in the mornings so I can relax into my days. Metta in the evenings is still quite sporadic. I've been considering some form of indoor cardio for a while. Reading Kit's comment here and having made multiple attempts over the years to start skipping that didn't stick, I decided to finally just embrace the learning that comes with picking up a new skill. I'm planning on a pretty gradual increase to avoid shin splits and aggravating other old injuries, so did 5 minutes of 20s on 10s off to start. --- Pullups 6x1 +10kg neutral grip (did one regular grip--markedly harder than the others in the upper back) One arm hangs 2x10s/side I tried the tucked ow + front lever tuck variation. I will keep it in mind and come back to it when I'm stronger than I am now or when the weighted pullups feel easier than they do now. That is a brilliant combination though. Wrist warmup - supporting the bad wrist with the good hand through the awkward palm up variations to warm into it. This is one of those things that like physio is quite painful until I eventually get used to it. In this case, it's, I assume fascia running along the ulna and some tendons on the inside of the wrist where I seem to be feeling it. I had the same general problem with pushups early on, and again when trying to do diamond pushups Yesterdayages back. I'm going to keep working at it. Calf stretches + hamstring limbers - preparatory for the L-sits so I'm not limited by any tightness in the back of the leg. Chest stretch - I usually follow it up with some wide grip on a stick (my rod of correction is a 4' length of dowel) overhead and then let my chest relax as my straight arms fall and stretch backwards. L-sit 10s full today. The rest were one leg up one leg down. Still more limited by the pressing myself off the ground for that length of time than by core strength with these. Gracilis is tight on the right side with these today. I had planned to go through the rest of the Monkey gym circuit 1 and I should have started with it instead of the pullups or skipping. Sandbag (really a 20kg sack of wood pellets, but I'll refer to it as a sandbag since that's what it resembles) split squats 2x10/side. I'm not sure how I'll react to these, so I erred on the side of caution with the volume but after I started to feel them. I'm not used to the form with these, but I'm trying to keep the weight forward. 1x10/side ATG split squats (trying to keep my front heel down, hamstring to calf, feel the hip flexor in my back leg to get low enough). I may need to do these on blocks to get full range before my back knee hits the ground if I keep my front heel down. I'll stretch tomorrow or Sunday unless I'm too sore.

Thanks Kit, I'll give that variation a try the next time I do them.

LRP in the mornings and mindful breaths through the day are both working well. I finally got around to listening to Patrick Kearney's Mindfulness Immersed in Body talk (SBS 2015), fascinating listen. The timing and length of metta in the evenings is more sporadic than is ideal, but reasonably consistent overall. Quite a bit of fatigue from the last session. I expect there will be a fair bit of that from today's session too. I'm tentatively planning on alternating between sessions like today's and the Monkey Gym circuits, but I'll see how things feel and what progress is like. I don't think I can combine the two without a hefty drop in intensity somewhere. One arm hangs (2x10s/side). Towel hangs (2 hands) 1x10s, some slipping toward the end, but not enough to slide off. I'm not sure if it's because my towel is too thick, but I find the towel hangs significantly harder in terms of grip strength--more practice needed. Pullups 4x1 +10kg, 6,5,4,3 at bodyweight. I did the last 3 with a palms in grip and was surprised how awkward it felt since I used to prefer it many years ago. Some strange sensations in the front of shoulders when hanging in it (disappeared when I started pulling up). I'll play around with that a little more to see what's going on there since it might just be related to my hand position on the bar. More core and chest involvement than I've noticed before. Wrist warmup, I spent a good couple minutes working on palms up, fingers in, make a fist exercise and was pleased with how much it limbered with working into it using my other hand on it for stability/preventing pulling sensations in the back of my hand. Still not comfortable, but markedly better than the last session. 3x10s band holds in the top of an L-sit (heels on floor). Uncomfortable for the wrist from the added force, better on fists with this one. 2x20 leg raises - adding a brief pause at the top and trying to avoid momentum. My legs are a bit above horizontal at the top. 2x25 pushups - slow and controlled. 1x10s tuck front-lever holds. Difficult and very lat intensive at this point in the session. More core involvement this time than previously. I did a few more (less horizontal than for the holds) after as tucked inverted rows rather than holds to work on horizontal pulling a little. 1x5,4,3,2,1/side single leg squat (slight pull backwards at bottom for assistance on the way up). These are getting (slightly) easier. --- Skandasana - Feeling easier, less stretch on the right than the left side, so I'm not 100% if that's just looser today or if I'm cheating myself out of the stretch on that side somehow, but the depth is quite low and exploring that side didn't seem to increase the stretch sensations at all. Reaching triangle - Very intense in the inner thigh, but it feels like I can do this one correctly now, whereas previous attempts I found too intense. I will add it into the rotation more regularly. The sensation of pulling forward myself with the groin muscles feels unique. Lots of hamstring stretch with this one too. I noticed the calves were tight, so I stretched them (included some more side to side/rotation of the torso to work different lines), before repeating this one a few more times on each side. Wide legged elephant walk - more stretch through the lower back with this one as I work to figure out how to unlock the folding the pelvis forward in that movement. I took a more relaxed approach that I have lately and it makes quite a difference. Half pancake - Onto the floor with this one. Quite intense hamstring on the right side when sort of over the leg, and more intense gracilis/inner thigh today on the left side especially when I move towards the center. Marked improvement in comfort and range of motion compared to previous sessions, some asymmetries between sides are becoming clearer. Top of the ankles need some stretch for this to be entirely comfortable--even using seiza as a bit of a warmup. More sensations in the low back as the pelvis starts to tilt. I'm being diligent about keeping the movement there rather than rounding the back forward. Tailor pose - I revisited soft supports under the knees with this one since my knees are now low enough to rest on things of reasonable height. No real difference that I can tell which is good to know too. I am much more aware of what's going on in this exercise than I used to be too which is nice, and my contractions are definitely getting stronger. Single leg dog pose - My approach to this one is more as an exploration than a stretch. I've had it in mind to try again for months and haven't until today. I don't have ladder bars, so I improvised a bit (partially successful) and will try to see if I can wrangle some kind of better support to make it a little less taxing on the shoulders. More intensity in the calves than the hamstrings today, but also some hamstring. The calves are mostly feeling it in the outside at the top. It'll be good for me to practice this one. I'm planning to work through the foot sequence tonight or tomorrow to work on flexibility through the top of the foot/ankle and counteract the effects of too much time spent in winter boots.

I still wish you well with your hamstring recovery and I'm glad that counting breaths is working for LRP.

I found it on the way back machine here: https://web.archive.org/web/20220308043353/http://gallery.mailchimp.com/4d79ab6c551903a4c00d4ba5b/files/The_Daily_5.pdf

One practice at a time until we've made them habit.

LRP in the mornings. Metta in the evenings. Mindful breaths in between to make it habit. Calf stretches + elephant walk - mostly limbering for the L-sits. Monkey gym circuit 1 - Each time I do this, I think that I should probably do it more frequently. It does get easier each time I come back to it though. I'm much more aware of the whole body tension through these than I used to be and it isn't quite as desperate feeling as it used to be either--but I know my form is also improving just from the added awareness. Wrist warmup - tight today but they warmed up nicely. I'm going to try the back of hand down fingers pointed in, elbows straight make a fist against a wall to see if I can improve that range of motion. I'm noticing the effects of the asymmetry between sides more and more, but I don't want the pulling in the back of my hand with the floor version. L-sits - 12s hands flat on floor full version. These are limited more by my upper back strength than my core. I'll try to do some holds in the pressed position (probably legs down) using a resistance band to work on that weakness The rest were one leg up one leg down on my fists with an emphasis on really pressing the floor away to work the part of my back that needs it. Open tuck hollows - I did a more open tuck than I have previously to work on the progression towards doing them all straight legged. Straight leg hollow - These ones are less intense, but I struggled with the full version at the end. Close tuck hollow - Much burning in the abdominals by the end of this one. Especially with the arms out overhead. Gymnastics planks - Focused on pulling the navel into the spine with these and pressing away with the arms. Elbow planks - I felt the first few of these as a pleasant stretch in the upper part of my lats as well as my core for some reason today. Difficult by the end. Upper body arch - difficult today--especially with my arms out beside the ears. Reverse planks - glutes are working as they should with this one. There's a little bit of discomfort in the right wrist (not unexpected) by the end. Not my favourite exercise, which just means I need to practice it more. Lower body arch - More glutes. I did the last second to last as a full arch with arms in the aeroplane positions, and the last one as a full arch with the arms beside the ears. Intense. Crocodiles - Noticing more asymmetry between sides relating to the wrist situation. Did the press up out of the bottom position with these too. 2x1 pullups + 10kg (~115% of bodyweight) - as fast up as possible (takes a second or two so I'm not worried about relying on momentum), pause at the top, slow eccentric to a still dead hang. I'd planned on a third, but after everything else it wasn't happening. --- Half pancake - onto a lower board than my yoga block today. Right side is much tighter than the left through gracilis. Skandasana - getting deeper into it with practice. Ankle sensations from a few sessions ago don't seem to be present any more. Tailor pose - I'm enjoying this one more and more even if I've found another wall, consistency is the key. It's nice just to sit and relax and experience the stretch today too. I wrote most of this log in the end position again just to spend time relaxing in it again. I did some weighted bounces in the middle somewhere before the pelvis movements. Wall quad hip flexor - lovely to see the range of motion increases and the falling away of tension after the contractions. Intense, but very pleasant. Hamstring lunge - also quite intense, but gratifying to see the expanding range of movement. I feel well worked today and very relaxed at the end.

It's likely not the most helpful thing to say, but trust the process. It does work and it does get easier over time. Kit's advice above is spot on in my experience and applies just as much to dealing with boredom as all the rest. It's still LRP, but if I recall correctly the Govinda Valley 2014 recordings are a little more active than some of the others in terms of movement.

LRP this morning. Pullups - 7,6,5,4 with a light assistance band to see if higher volume works better than grinding at bodyweight for increasing the number of reps I can do with those. Finished with 4,3,2,1 unassisted. This volume is sub-maximal, but I can tell that I did them. 1x10 feet elevated (about 24 inches) pushups. I did these on a whim and found that it's a range of movement that's going to be good practice for my wrist--a bit of discomfort during the movement, but no linger effects. I'll take it slow and see what happens. 1x10 regular pushups with a light resistance band (same band, two uses). 2x20 leg raises (not hanging), feet past my hips, legs straight. One of the reasons I started stretching is that I couldn't get my legs level with my hips when my legs were straight because of poor hamstring mobility, so it's fascinating to see that I can get them comfortably past that now. I think these are quite a bit easier than the L-sits, but work enough of the same muscles that I imagine there will be carryover. Front lever tuck holds, 2x10s, but it's mostly limited by shoulder strength right now as far as moving my legs away from my body. They do feel better than when I played with them before Christmas. I felt these in my lats quite a bit as well, I'm not sure if it's because this is a lat heavy exercise or because they were already a bit tired from the pullups. 1x5/side single leg squats, slightly assisted by pulling backwards at the bottom (comparable to using weight to move forward I think). Significant core activation with these today. The feel more authentic to the movement pattern when I do them this way than with a weight since my center of gravity stays the same. Calf-stretch then Elephant walks - mainly just limbering with these to make sure that tight calves/hamstrings aren't limiting the range of motion with anything else. Skandasana - I still feel this predominantly in gracilis. It's easier to get into it than it was a few weeks ago. Lying leg circles - growing familiarity with these. Much easier for me to do them in terms of control and coordination on my right side which is an interesting asymmetry. I'm more aware of the sensations and different muscle activations as I move through them overall. Very pleasant. Gracilis is quite tight on the right side like usual (much less than it used to be though). Wide legged elephant walks - these feel good today. I like morphing them into both Sumo and Cossack squats while keeping my torso bent way forward. Interesting to explore the sensations. Chinese Hip Grinder - I like this one more and more as I practice it. The region of my mid-back that was limiting before seems to be fine now, it's active but not limiting. Pleasant stretch in some muscles in the side/above the hip today. That particular area is one I often want to limber and this is the perfect movement for it. Tailor Pose - I've hit a bit of a plateau with this one. I was expecting that to happen at some point so I'm not upset. Stretching always seems to happen in jumps with me so long as I stay consistent with it. I did do 50 bounces with 10lb plates at the bottom of this one (not sure if that is going to be something I regret in the morning or if it isn't anywhere near enough), easier than using kettlebells though. I wrote a good chunk of the stretching part of this log sitting in the end position just to spend time in it while staying relaxed. The muscles are trembling now that I've come out of it though. Standing hip flexor - This one always feels intense, but it's an intensity that's pleasant now that I've done it enough to be used to it. I limbered into it again, then I pushed it quite a bit more with a series of C&R because it felt right in the moment again and saw a significant increase in my range of motion when I relaxed after the last contraction. I finished off with "Rod of Correction" on my calves because it's been months since I've used it for that.

And to you Gareth, congrats on your 5k pb too! --- Fairly long drive today through some crummy weather (2h longer than normal from weather, 3 cars in the ditch, 1 deer moving on the side of the road which means there were likely more I didn't see). Full body limber and a few pullups (1,2,3,4) since it's been a little while since I've done any. Calf stretches, straight arm back bend, c-shape, lying rotations, neck movements (all planes). Just moving what's stiff, planning to do a longer stretch session tomorrow. LRP.

It always makes me happy to read this (not that it's a struggle, but that you come back to it despite that). I always figure that even a short one is better than nothing. I'm not sure if it helps, but anecdotally I find there is quite a difference in how relaxed I am through the days when I'm consistent with it compared to when I'm not. But getting back into it when I've let it lapse previously (even though I enjoy it and notice that difference) can be a struggle, especially if I'm tired or stressed. I sometimes find walking in the spirit of LRP--mindful of how my feet make contact with the ground and the sensations of walking, what my posture is like, noticing the breath, and the sounds/sights around me, and feeling and letting go of tension can relax me enough for LRP to be easier to do afterwards.

I have no plans to stop. Best wishes to you and Olivia for the New Year too.

Typo, but I'm glad to bring laughter.

LRP (some hours later).

I took some time off after the last session. I wasn't sore per se, but my body felt like it needed rest so I gave it that. My right wrist feels less stable than usual today for no reason that I can pinpoint (probably slept on it strangely), so no box bridges or handstands today. Skandasana - I took my time warming into this one today. Less strange sensations in the ankle today. I was more deliberate about keeping them active throughout that pose. I warmed into them deeper today than I have in previous attempts. Wife legged elephant walk - New sensations (or at least a new intensity) in the inner thigh and inside side of the hamstrings with this one today compared to previously. It's a good reminder that sensations change unexpectedly from day to day as tension in the body changes. Chinese hip grinder - I did the hands on head regression first and only went as deep as I could while keeping my back straight. Some tension in the outside of the calf when leaning away from it--I think from the inward rotation of the feet. Some new and interesting sensations with the more advanced version when deliberately keeping my back straight. Half-pancake - I'm still using the block rather than the floor. It's becoming more comfortable, but still intense stretching through the inner thigh and gracilis. On the right side, my foot started involuntarily moving back and forth, so I left it there for a while. I also spent a bit of time gently feeling around gracilis and the hamstring muscle it likely needs to be released from. Tailor pose - this is the first day I can remember where I can actually start the pose with my lower back has completely against the wall. A little deeper today both at the beginning and the end, but progress has slowed down (not unexpected). I used some kettlebells at the end, but it's awkward handling getting them onto my knees in that position, so I went back to isometrics against my hands/arms. E2 "Under-Butt" - more lower back stretch with this one than I thought there would be. I suspect that'll be helpful for tilting the pelvis forward eventually. It's new enough that I'll need to practice and play with it to understand where and how it fits into the bigger picture. Standing hip flexor - no shaking today. Pleasantly intense though. I warmed up into it again, I'm finding that idea of limbering into a stretch (obvious as it is) helpful as a cue since it forces me to deal with sensations and removes the desire to start in some particular position. It's just moving into and out of the stretch until it I'm relaxed enough and ready to start into it. I suspect it's also adding more internal heat and making the stretching more effective too. Seiza - just to work on the top of the foot/ankle flexibility a bit more.