Hello Friends!
A recent study has shown that's doing Tai Chi twice a week drastically reduces the progression the progression of Parkinson's disease.
If you are interested in it, you can read all about it here.
It is by no means conclusive and is pretty much in the early stages of research but I am happy to try anything especially what are classed as complimentary therapies. I have found an instructor who is happy to come to my home so that I can try this out in private, one on one, without having to go and make a fool of myself in a public group. It would be quite embarrassing trying to learn this in front of other people because I am prone to falling and I am very slow so could not keep up with the group. I also tire easily so it might be that I can only do a few minutes before I need to sit down and rest.
She came to my house yesterday. After a brief assessment of my mobility, she suggested that Tai Chi is not the best idea for me as my balance is rubbish and as I am prone to falling or toppling over it might prove more of a hazard than a benefit. She did, however, suggest Qigong, a system of gentle movement and breathing, you can read about it here, I have since discovered several of my friends do this with good results.
Meanwhile, I made this little watercolour painting of a Prayer Angel of Peace as part of the annual Wish Upon A Star online course hosted by Atelier Ida Andersen Lang. I used Gansai Tambi, Chromoflow, and graphite. It is the job to angle the camera, to get the true colour of the picture.
As I put the final touches to this entry so Storm Ciarán, our third named storm, is beginning to make its presence felt although it's not supposed to be here until late Wednesday. The wind is definitely howling outside right now. Hatches are battened once more! We are under an amber weather. alerts for the next 36 hours. We are expecting torrential rain and winds of up to 90 miles an hour. And this is just the beginning of winter.
I had never heard of Qigong, but it sounds an ideal alternative. I did some Tai Chi classes in my 20's and it was relaxing, but exhausting. I can understand how it would help with the symptoms of Parkinson's though, so hopefully the Qigong be of benefit. Give it a go!
ReplyDeleteThank you Tracy. I have to be honest. I am stiff as a board and aching from head to toe this morning. I think it's going to have to be a rest day. in the same way you would if you were working out in the gym. Here is hoping it will work for me.
DeleteYou could try the Chair Tai Chi (YouTube) - you can't fall over then! We can't manage the full 15 minutes but do what Keith is comfortable with.
ReplyDeleteLove your set up for your art - how comforting that looks. Love your angel too. The older I get, the more intense I like colours to be. Like you, I don't care for a pale palette.
Sunny here, with showers. Waiting for Ciaran to arrive and think we will just cross fingers and hope that our B.I.G. fir tree stays put up on the edge of the top paddock.
Thank you Jennie. I do have some exercises to do in the chair, but I will check YouTube. I hope your tree stays up too. They can cause so much damage when they come down
DeleteI do think, though, in the last couple of hours, the coast around here has been downgraded. So just a normal Pembrokeshire Autumn evening now
I hope the Qigong helps Debbie. Lovely to see your art table and your wonderful Angel painting. I quite like the muted colours but I like intense colours when you use them too :) I hope the storm isn't too bad where you are. Read something earlier that they think it may now affect different areas - will have to check BBC Weather and the Met Office again. Stay safe and take care.
ReplyDeleteThank you Caroline yes, I wanted to share that small space because it proves you don't need a huge table You can just walk work even off a tray on your lap. Thankfully, at present, we have been downgraded. We are no longer under amber alert.
DeleteSorry you are having so much rough weather. I do like your Angel of Peace. We certainly need all the peaceful thought we can get.
ReplyDeleteThank you whoever you are.
DeleteI hope the Chi Gong helps. At the moment I have physiotherapy twice a week to improve my balance and movement etc. The instructor is very good, and we laugh a lot at some of my strange movements - like hitting him on the nose!
ReplyDeleteYour angel is lovely, we need angels just now. Stay safe in the storm, take care, hugs, Valerie
Thank you Valerie Oh dear. I'm glad your instructor has a good sense of humour Yes, we do need angels more than ever now. Hugs Deb
DeleteGoodness, 90 mile per hour winds are dangerous! Winter seems to be knocking at our door today with high winds. Our walk this morning, though bundled up, was quite cold. We have a freeze warning tonight.
ReplyDeleteI am not familiar with Qigong. I do hope your new exercise routine helps. Movement certainly is important for us all and particularly when the winter days close in.
The jewels tones appeal to me as well. When I saw your art table I couldn't help but think of the small table that Jane Austen wrote her most famous novels. No matter the size of your table, your talent shines through. xoxo
Thank you my friend Yes, I remember seeing the table where our dear Jane Austen wrote her novels. I think she might have been slightly less cramped than I for she would have only needed room for paper ink and quill, whereas I need room for paints, two pots of water, a miscellany of brushes and pencils and more. Not forgetting the wooden book stand with my tablet.
DeleteI'm so glad you had the instructor come to your house and then she could advise you to what will be best for you. I hope the Qigong works well for you.
ReplyDeleteYour weather sounds horrible. I am glad you were downgraded and I hope the worst of it passes you by. I woke to the ground covered in snow. Thankfully, it melted as soon as the sun hit it, but it was very cold today.
I do like the more intense colors, it seems so much brighter than the pastel. More alive looking, to me. She's a lovely Angel.
Thank you my friend. It turned out the weather was not as bad for us, as was originally forecast at last. At the last minute, we were downgraded out of the Amber Alert warning. However, they took a real pasting along the English Channel on both sides. I am warming very much to the stronger, more intense colours over the pastel ones.
DeleteI had never heard of Qigong, I hope it helps you.
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to see your art table and I like your Angel.
Storm Ciarán has caused problems, with many school closed, travel affected etc. I had to go out today and on some roads trees had come down, but thankfully they only affected one side of the road so cars were able to pass each other just using one lane. I don't think the storm in the UK has caused any deaths but my heart goes out to those whose properties have been damaged.
I hope you came through the storm okay.
Take care, my good wishes.
All the best Jan
Thank you so much Yes, the storm has caused a lot of problems, hasn't it At the moment the death toll is at 13 but I think that's across Europe. I think we tend to forget that because it was on the British side of the English Channel it was also on the French side and probably affected across Germany as well. My fear is that it is a taste of what is to come After years of our mismanagement.
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