Maria-Elena Kadala
Forum Replies Created
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Rune, I strained all the muscles from my mid-line (chest & back) thru wrist, including all the muscles that make up the rotator cuff. I went for physical therapy for all that. Where there's injury, there's scar tissue, and that's what massage can soften up. I've found the pole is a great massage tool, especially for those small forearm flexors and extensors, and the muscles in my back and shoulder where it's too hard to use the foam roller.
Back yourself up against the pole and wiggle around until you feel an area begging for release, and then press a little, wiggle a little, press a little more.
Note that using the foam roller on a tight or injured area is painful! procede with caution. But very effective, and got the PT's blessing for it. Also got her approval for doing some supported holds, the traction seemed to loosen things up. Requires "listening to your body" — and if you know how to do this, you might find benefit from constructive use of pole.
Veena's lessons were extremely helpful in my recovery … stretching, re-strengthening, re-learning everything! My PT recommended warming up an area with heat before, reducing inflammation with ice afterward. The hooping lessons Veena introduced a few days ago are also helpful! just a more interesting kind of warm up, if done with care and not too ballistically (ie, without momentum)
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When I seemed to be getting chronic "colds" in winter, my MD said that frequency is more indicative of allergies. Allergies don't cause colds (that requires virus) but secondary infections can arise from congestion.
I use Flonase, an anti-inflammatory, during high allergy season (also Zyrtec), occasionally during winter bouts. The most effective therapy my MD prescribed was saline spray (or Neti pots). Saline works WITH your body's natural defenses; Sudafed provides temporary relief, but is counter-productive, and can cause rebound congestion.
Also found great relief from ginger! started drinking ginger tea for arthritis, or grate it directly into my morning smoothies. Discovered that spring allergies (and accompanying asthma) were much less severe this year, even though it was considered *bad* allergy season.
I suffered 3-4 bad sinus infections per year until I started with the saline spray! if you have an infection, discard spray bottle after 3 days. Scimitar, you might be reinfecting yourself with the flonase!
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Webmaster, thanks for the clarification … wonderful that you were able to help the woman who inspired us so much. I was happy to renew my subscription in June, thinking it would count toward the effort … and I'm happy to have Veena's lessons, period, so I would have renewed (in June) anyway!
Chem, you're right that the original article was an FYI, relevant to all charitable giving. I haven't seen any of the "wrong information" or even harsh remarks posted anywhere, just plenty of harsh negativity directed toward whoever the "wrong informers" are.
I'm a bit out of touch at the moment, power is still out from the snowstorm.
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Yes, it feels so frustrating to be starting over … I had a fall last January, and still haven't recovered to where I was last December. But I have to remind myself, I did that before, so I can do it again. What we need to remember is how much we love it, and just do it for the love of it!
Runemist, tendonitis IS an injury — an overuse injury. I learned during PT for my fall-injury that tightness in my forearm flexors and extensors were causing my wrist pain, by pinsching nerves. So I've been massaging and stretching (Veena has stretches for that) the dickens outta'em! And it has improved, but recovering from that has taken longest of all.
For anyone who hasn't suscribed to Veena's lessons — they are a wealth of information, even if you are at a studio. And they are a bargain, a year's worth of lessons for less than what most of us pay for a month at a studio. Pay special attention to the progressions she teaches. There are multiple strengthening and stretching exercises, and well as instruction for beginner thru advanced moves.
The foam roller exerciseo alone are worth it! I've been using my foam roller for 4-5 years, and learned plenty from that series. The splits lessons is another treasure. The routines. And plenty of inspirations ne'm everyone's vids here!
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Webmaster,
There was no attack on Pink Pole Power or Sean (no one was "demonized", as you yourself put it) … a couple of people mentioned simply chose to spend their money differently, and the information they provided was from the web-site, not a careless accusation.
The vehemance of the defensive response still bewilders me. I saw this remark on Facebook:
"Somebody with the wrong information about Pink Pole Power spread this on facebook, Caution and go to Pink Pole Power wall."
and yet I have not seen any "wrong information" posted anywhere.
Veena donated 10% of her June subscriptions to this cause, and thus $1160 (thereabouts) went to help a woman whose story inspired so many of us! Terrific!!! No one is questioning anyone's right to make a living for him/her-self; as it is anyone's right to decide how to spend their donation dollars.
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Thank you, Judy, for the clarification.
At Studio409 … I don't know why anyone feels attacked, when they haven't been. I post an article
http://thinkbeforeyoupink.org/?page_id=13
which simply provides some parameters for making decisions on "pink" purchases. Some people have made a personal choice to use their donation dollars differently than they had previously, because they wanted to contribute more to charity than to business.
I don't know to whom this is directed: "And you, what are you doing free for your community?"
For me, it means many years of volunteering at the local non-profit for Community Services, hospice volunteer, making over 500 hand-knotted twine rosaries and sending them, at my own expense, to service members overseas (including Canadians), also coaching Special Olympic teams (soccer & swimming).
The article was not directed at any pole organization or individual, so what personal history is really relevant? I'm bewildered by the volume of defensive explanations when no attack has been made, no blame assigned, nor has any one been "demonized" — neither on facebook or here.
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Great post, Veena!
When I first got my pole, I was using alcohol to clean it, just like at the studio. And it just got more slippery! I called Platinum Stages, and they told me to use a cleaner, such as 409, something that isn't "streak free" — the appropriate cleaning product depends on the metal in the pole.
As the pole arrived in rate October, the cold weather had begun; I learned here at SV that it's important to warm the pole, so I got a space heater for my pole room.
Amy's article is also helpful. With the array of different metals, grip aids, cleaing products, and individual skin types, it's hard to know where to start. Ultimately, individual experience is the deciding factor, but with the information within this thread, we can narrow down the candidate solutions!
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So it's been a month since Legzz ordered — is it there yet? my only concern with putting it up in a mobile home is that it needs to be located under a ceiling joist, and dont know how strong those would be in a mobile home. When my sister lived in one, a fan came out of the ceiling!
So tell us how you like your new pole!
Interesting about the PS connectors — I have a PS multi-piece pole (just had it's 2nd birthday!), and it's pretty easy to screw together as it is. Pretty funny when I went to Home Depot for a wrench for the big nut, and the very helpful HD guy asked what the large nut was for, LOL!
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My wrist pain turned out to be issues with extensors and flexors in my forearm (which don't hurt) which were pinching the nerves running thru my wrist. I learned this from PT (injured shoulder and arm falling down my stairs).
Solution … stretching stretching stretching! Veena has specific stretches for this, which I had ignored, thinking How big a deal can those silly little stretches be???
I use both Veena's stretches, and massage against the pole (same idea as foam roller) to iron those babies out!
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Karol Helms does a great tutorial on Superman Drop!
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This is an old thread, but it's what came up when I googled "hanging aerial silks"! Though not interested in silks right now, I am interested in getting this:
http://www.yogadirect.com/Anti-Gravity-Yoga-Inversion-Swing_p_1057.html
Just can't figure out what I'd hang it with??? have looked on several sites, and can't find the part that attaches to the ceiling beam.
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Think of impact on husband and children … if he's against it, it will be a sore spot, possibly destructive. Now is the age when the children need you available at home, and you hubby wants you there. You'll be strapped financially for a good ong time, and possibly financially devastated.
First, write a business plam! you'll need to for the loan anyway. And that will help you decide when the time is right.
Giving up a paying job in this economy … yikes! Because of the economy, people have less disposable income.
Plenty of studio owners have not competed, let alone won a competition. It's great that you set that goal for yourself, but is it really what you need? Maybe focus on getting a teaching certification first? Again, back to the business plan!!
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Acupuncture saved my life. I was on 5 presecription medications for allergies and asthma, on the verge of starting steroids. Since beginning acupuncture, was ablee to give up medication entirely, except during high allergy season, and then I take Zyrtec and use Advair inhaler for a couple of months.
Two years ago I started drinking ginger tea for arthritis. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory, and I was surprised that my allergies & asthma were less severe this year even though it was tougher than usual season for most. Now I grate it directly into my morning smoothie! keep it frozen to make it easier to grate. As tea, I would grate directly into green tea or yerba mate.
I did weekly acupuncture for a year, since then I do only a "tune-up" series prior to allergy season. It's been 10 years!
For allergy sufferers, trying avoiding wheat and dairy … after 3 weeks, add them back in, and you'll know right away whether it makes a difference or not. For me it does, so I tend toavoid as much as possible, although in summer it's impossible to stay away from the local home-made ice-cream place!
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Speaking of bean bag chairs … I used my dog pillow, but it's not always easy to predict when you're coming down. Then I got a folding mat at Target, which was easier to carry around (again, you have to be able to predict where you'll fall. Finally I got one of the mats from YogaDirect, thanks to the recommendation of Judy Jovanelly of The Girl Spot in CT.
It's important to progress to a particular move so you develop the strength necessary for the muscles involved; Veena's lessons always show a good progression. This preparation minimizes the possibility of one muscle failing and bringing you down completely or dveloping an overuse injury.
That being said, the first time for everything has a risk, so if you don't have a spotter at home, a crash mat is the back up plan in case of a fall. It's there for developing tricks, not dancing, it's almost impossible to dance on, even without shoes. I use my YogaDirect mat, just as a backup plan, when I'm working on something new, because I'm at the age where osteoporosis puts me at additional risk if I fall. However, I try to work the progressions the way Veena teaches them.
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I would like to see a "No Disclaimers" challenge … a month of posting any/all videos without the usual disclaimers "Well, it's really not good, cuz I was tired/sick, and I'd already been practicing for X hours, after not practicing for days/weeks, and my leg/back/arm/etc was sore …"
C'MON, ladies! if you can't say something nice about yourself, say nothing at all!!!