Tag: exercise

Reason to Roam

Posted on by andrew

Simin Ghaffari (she/her/hers), Low Entropy Administrative Assistant

 

Walking has always been a great form of exercise, and it is a great way to boost your physical and mental well-being. Walking has helped me relieve my stress and find peace during a pandemic.

 

When I was 11 years old I read a book, a Bertrand Russell biography. He was a polymath, and worked in philosophy, mathematics and logic. He walked three kilometres a day and used that time to think and create things

 

My math was very bad at school, but I thought if I started walking like him, I would be great at math. 

 

I didn’t become good at math at all, nor philosophy, but walking became my habit. When I am sad, or need to think or plan, I go for a walk and it helps me mentally and physically by allowing me to focus on the beauty of nature.

 

I walk, and the benefit of walking helps me so much. Especially during the pandemic, walking in nature helps me to stay mentally and physically active, and also helps me see more beauty in nature and the people around me, and I start taking pictures of everything. These little things make me happy in those moments, and I forget all the problems in the world and in my life

 

Now, as I am getting older with osteoarthritis in my knees, sometimes I have to beg my legs to cooperate, but walking is still joyful. 

 

Walking can help your mental health. Studies show it can help reduce anxiety, depression and negative mood. It can also boost self-esteem and reduce symptoms of social withdrawal. To experience these benefits, aim for 30 minutes of walking, three days a week.

 

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I am a person who doesn’t give up easily. I stand up when things are not right, no matter what I have to lose. I am friendly, minimal and concerned about the environment. I enjoy photography, dance, music and nature. I enjoy everything, and I am eager to learn new things. – Simin Ghaffari

A Quiet Fix: Holistic Healing through Yin Yoga

Posted on by vwideski

What started as a quest for increased flexibility led Low Entropy Volunteer Writer Kathy Woudzia to emotional sanctuary via breath and meditation. 

As a person living alone, I have had a difficult time coping with the social isolation associated with COVID. Before January 2020, I spent my time raising a family and all duties that entailed. For 18 years I was a stay-at-home mom, spending my days looking after the household. I worked out, shopped, cleaned and prepared dinners, finding little time for building friendships.

In January 2020, it all fell apart. I found myself newly single, and with all of my children having flown the nest, COVID was the icing on the proverbial cake.

In order to cope, I would do an intense workout everyday. Fitness was not only a great way to keep fit, but more importantly, helped me keep my sanity. There is a feeling of euphoria after each and every workout. It’s not just the endorphins that course through your body after an intense fitness session, but also the general sense of accomplishment that would carry me through the day.

Unfortunately, I overworked my body to save my mind, and my body rebelled. The frequent workouts were taking a toll. I got to the point where I could barely walk without pain.  

Even worse than the physical pain was the emotional despondency of not being able to work out anymore. The fact is that I don’t feel good about myself when I don’t perform a fitness activity daily.  In too much pain to do another workout, I resorted to something I never thought I would ever do, much less enjoy: Yin Yoga.

Yin is a type of yoga where you hold poses for a minimum of three to five minutes each. I was reluctant to try this because I knew it was going to incite a different kind of physical pain from my current injury.   I’d neglected stretching for a good portion of my life, which is exactly why I was now having problems with my IT band. With a background in kinesiology, I knew about the three components to physical fitness: cardio, strength, and flexibility. I possessed the first two but I was sorely missing the third. If I wanted to repair my injury and work out again, I would need to improve my flexibility. 

I looked up Yin Yoga online. I found it to be equal parts science and spirit. Combining the practices of Yin Yoga and mindfulness meditation creates powerful possibilities for transformation and holistic healing in all layers of our being: body, mind and heart. I knew there were obvious benefits to Yin Yoga for the physical body, but it would be a very welcome surprise if it were to have a positive effect on my mind as well.

I began with some deep breathing and found that this immediately relaxed me. Next were some poses, which could be potentially painful, but the instructor said something important: only go into the pose deep enough so that you are feeling a five out of 10 in the stretch and, above all, stay present.

This made a world of difference to me. While in each three-minute pose, I focused on my breath and on being in the moment. I do not usually take the time to meditate, but I found that for three minutes at a time I could be in a complete meditative state. The video was 45 minutes long, which provided me with almost a full hour of meditation. By the end of the Yin Yoga session, not only did my body feel better, but I felt a sense of calm that regular exercise didn’t provide for me. I am now going to stick with Yin Yoga even when my body no longer needs it for repair. For me, Yin Yoga and meditation is a repair of the mind.

Where do you find your inner peace? Let us know in the comments section, or attend one of Low Entropy’s supportive meetings to exchange ideas and experiences.