Anemia - Week 2

My second week started with a crisis caused by an activity I love but did not do much during the summer - and that is why I overdid it last week.  However, I learned a valuable lesson which I will end my post with. I figured it might be the last chance to be out on the lake this fall.  That weekend it was the kayak and the old and very heavy rowboat (family outing with R and Mowgli (the dog)- the row boat is perfect, unlike the canoe,  it does not capsize when Mowgli moves around too much - we learned the hard way, by the way at the beginning of the summer).

The L side of my neck and L shoulder were bothering me throughout the weekend.

the PA lake

I did Dien Cham even while I was out on the lake and once I got back.. it did work a bit, but the heaviness continued, and I continued, how could I not! I was out on the lake 3 days in a row for about one hour.  It was beautiful - cold and windy at times, then it was rather warm - I was dressed appropriately knowing how sensitive my neck/shoulders were.  There was wildlife, namely, the usual heron and two sets of geese.  

Only once I was back in the city and did a rather extensive yoga session including breath work, I felt I broke the cycle. (Fast forward: Today I saw my acupuncturist - I see her approximately once a month  to help myself with prevention - and I mentioned to her what had happened that weekend - overuse she called it, when I mentioned that I also started practicing Tai Chi. The neck/shoulder were the focus of the session (with lots of Small Intestine Meridian points). She did some massaging as well after the session - Tui Na, I believe - and put a patch on my L side which will at first cool the area, then heat it - it would last for 6 hours, she said.)
The remainder of the week was pleasant.  I used the protocol twice a day except once when I fell asleep.  Other protocols used as usual/as needed:

energy giving massage, at the first sign of a sniffle (onset of a cold), fatigue

Once I felt better and had some extra time, I treated myself to a fun project: I located all points on my face using Chapter 5 and discovered points I was particularly drawn to (due to how they felt), then zoomed in on their main functions/indications; here are some which seemed to apply to me: Point 20 (some of the main functions: relieves tension in neck, eyes, stimulates circulation around brain  - love that since I am working on improving my memory and concentration - soothes the throat; Point 19 (increases energy, one of many main effects) is by the way part of the basic session, Point 37 (main functions I am drawn to: promotes circulation of blood, promotes circulation of energy) as well as Point 45, Point 73, and Point 74. 

And here is the lesson I learned, it is related to my neck pain (cervical disorder): I somehow do not treat it always immediately (as I would a sniffle or a sudden headache, a funky feeling knee e.g.), since I know it is chronic; I make a note of it, but I do at times not interrupt activities.  In addition, due to the overuse, quoting my acupuncturist, I was not able to interrupt the cycle; it is happening now as I am typing: the L side of my neck feels slightly different, the top of the shoulder (trapezius) feels heavy, it is not "real pain yet" but I am stopping now although I have to finish this and then get ready to leave..(I close my eyes, take a few deep breaths, check my alignment, ground sitting bones, sit up with long spine, neck, checking the shoulders, etc.) I do the relaxation protocol and the neck/shoulder reflex areas....end each with the entire Point O zone; a quick check in: it has loosened up a bit...