Last week I accompanied my sister to her music lessons. It was interesting to just sit and watch. She's very good and learns fast.
As I was sitting there watching and listening, there was this slight shift in perception -I was still in the room, but the sunlight shining in the room seemed to take on a mystical quality, the room became more cozy, the notes more melodious. It was as if the beauty of the music was opening up a space in my heart.
The following week....
I just got back from my first lesson with my sister's instructor, Michel. Very interesting. He spent about 10 minutes showing me the notes and how to move my fingers to hit the various keys. (I didn't realize there was a proper way.) Then we went right into playing major chords: C, D sharp, E sharp, F and G, all in the space of 45 minutes.
His approach is to get the student playing as soon as possible and get them hooked. The theory will come later. Next week we start on a tune of some kind. This could be a lot of fun....
Nov 17, 2009
Nov 15, 2009
Week Two Summary
Here I am at the conclusion of Week Two. I'm glad I've made it, but there isn't the same sense of celebration as last week.
Overall the week went well, but yesterday and today I've been struggling. I'm tired. I ache. My back is bothering me, something I've (thankfully) never experienced before. There' a kind of brain fog that makes thinking difficult.
Yesterday it was raining hard but went out for a walk anyway. Got to Tim Hortons pretty much soaked, and cold. I really wanted a bowl of hot soup and a cuppa coffee to warm up. It really got on my nerves that I couldn't. I settled for a cup of mint tea and some grapes I brought along, but it wasn't the same, not by a long shot. It's funny -or not so funny- how some things, even small things like not getting to eat soup, can get on a person's nerves.
I feel more irritable, short tempered, out of sorts. I've gone from about 8 hours sleep a night when I first arrived to about 11 hours recently. Even so I can feel myself getting tired around 5 or 6 p.m.
Quite frankly I'm tired of the pills and potions, the restricted diet. I just want to sink my teeth into something decadent. A latte would be nice, too.
11/05/09 11/15/09 Change
Weight 157.2 lbs. 152.6 -4.6 lbs.
Almost five pounds is great. Significant without losing weight too fast.
Body Fat 35.7 lbs. 32.4 -3.3 lbs.
That the large majority of the weight loss is fat is another good sign.
BMI 22.6 21.2 -1.4
The weight loss is reflected in the Body Mass Index.
Body Fat 24.6% 23.9 - 0.7
Same as above but as a percentage.
Water 56.5% 57.5 + 1.2%
Up slightly which is great. Drinking sufficient water has always been an issue, and there hasn't been much of a change in behaviour as yet. The modest increase is most likely because of the water content of the vegetables I've been eating.
Bone Mass 6.6% 6.6 No change.
Bone mass takes time to modify.
All the indicators are going in the right direction, so that's encouraging. Not that any of these have much to do with the cancer per se. Still it's good to see some results for my efforts.
I planning on doing a 3-day grape fast, possibly longer. That should be interesting....
All the indicators are going in the right direction, so that's encouraging. Not that any of these have much to do with the cancer per se. Still it's good to see some results for my efforts.
I planning on doing a 3-day grape fast, possibly longer. That should be interesting....
Nov 12, 2009
Do Re Me....
When I first signed on for this raw food experience, I figured I´d be cleansing, learning what foods to eat, maybe get into a little "cooking." Singing didn´t even cross my mind.
I´ve only been here a little over two weeks and I find myself enrolled in a voice class. How is the world did that happen?
It turns out that my sister is taking singing lessons. While I was looking through some of her material I came across a promotional piece from her school, Centre Option-Voix. It appealed to me on some level, so I asked my sister about her lessons. She was quite impressed with their work.
A few days later I had an introductory appointment with Daniel, the instructor. It was in interesting class. He put my body in a variety of awkward positions and had me sing "yeh, yee, you, yaa" over and over again. It sounds odd, but it felt right, in large part due to both the instructor's passion for his work and his compassion for the student.
Their wholistic approach resonates with me. I quote from their material which speaks of their approach.
Given that my cancer is located in the throat, one could argue that a blockage of energy in that chakra may have contributed to the cancer. (Certainly expressing myself in my family of origin was an issue.)
At worst, I will be able to sing "Happy Birthday" without feeling embarrased; At best, singing lessons may be -strangely enough- a significant part of my healing process....
I´ve only been here a little over two weeks and I find myself enrolled in a voice class. How is the world did that happen?
It turns out that my sister is taking singing lessons. While I was looking through some of her material I came across a promotional piece from her school, Centre Option-Voix. It appealed to me on some level, so I asked my sister about her lessons. She was quite impressed with their work.
A few days later I had an introductory appointment with Daniel, the instructor. It was in interesting class. He put my body in a variety of awkward positions and had me sing "yeh, yee, you, yaa" over and over again. It sounds odd, but it felt right, in large part due to both the instructor's passion for his work and his compassion for the student.
Their wholistic approach resonates with me. I quote from their material which speaks of their approach.
"Beyond breathing, there is the deep breath, source of life. The Optio-Voix method uses specific, tailor-made exercises to help you experience the increased power of breath and sound....
The Option-Voix method also helps participants find and maintain a presence to themselves, a balancing and centering weight (strength in the hara) which gives birth to a truer posture and leads to real comfort.
A global undertaking of mind, body and soul harmonization, source of an increasing and accessible well-being. The voice then becomes the tool for our reconstruction and the living witness of our development."
Given that my cancer is located in the throat, one could argue that a blockage of energy in that chakra may have contributed to the cancer. (Certainly expressing myself in my family of origin was an issue.)
At worst, I will be able to sing "Happy Birthday" without feeling embarrased; At best, singing lessons may be -strangely enough- a significant part of my healing process....
Nov 7, 2009
Week One Summary
Made it. Seven days! A whole week! Feels good to look back and know that I stuck with it.
The first day, (See "Day One") was a difficult day, especially physically. Interestingly, the physical aches and pains that were so "in my face" at the time cleared up almost over night. It turns out, the physical challenge morphed into a psychological one.
Every Dunkin Donuts, Harveys and McDonalds sign seems bigger and brighter than I remember them. Even though I rarely frequent these places, they seem to jump out of the background and wave at me, inviting me to come in for a bite, or a cup of coffee.
Food is a very powerful symbol of so many social gatherings and connections:
Eating raw means that a lot of the time, I´m eating on my own, or watching others eat all those foods that are associated with the good times mentioned above. I feel left out and alone. (Thankfully my sister is accompanying me, but she doesn´t always eat at the same time.)
I still feel hungry from time to time, but that is remedied easily enough. The psychological withdrawl from cooked food and all it stands for has -and continues to be- the biggest challenge.
The first day, (See "Day One") was a difficult day, especially physically. Interestingly, the physical aches and pains that were so "in my face" at the time cleared up almost over night. It turns out, the physical challenge morphed into a psychological one.
Every Dunkin Donuts, Harveys and McDonalds sign seems bigger and brighter than I remember them. Even though I rarely frequent these places, they seem to jump out of the background and wave at me, inviting me to come in for a bite, or a cup of coffee.
Food is a very powerful symbol of so many social gatherings and connections:
- be it a babe nursing at their mother´s breast,
- a family picnic with hot dogs and piping hot corn on the cob,
- a birthday party with cake and ice cream,
- pizza with the office staff on a Friday afternoon,
- a cold brewski with the boys after the game,
- a cup of coffee with a good friend,
- celebrating a special event with a steak dinner and all the trimmings,
- chicken noodle soup when you´re not feeling your best.
Eating raw means that a lot of the time, I´m eating on my own, or watching others eat all those foods that are associated with the good times mentioned above. I feel left out and alone. (Thankfully my sister is accompanying me, but she doesn´t always eat at the same time.)
I still feel hungry from time to time, but that is remedied easily enough. The psychological withdrawl from cooked food and all it stands for has -and continues to be- the biggest challenge.
Nov 5, 2009
Baseline Stats
Today, I took my measurements.
Chest 40 inches
Waist 37 inches
The Chest-to-Waist ratio should be a minimum of 1.0. At 1.08 I´m doing OK, but like most guys my age, it would be nice to move a couple of inches from my waist to my chest. A chest measurement of 42 and a waist of 35 would give me a much better ratio of 1.20.
I also picked up an electronic scale to keep track of my progress. Four days into my program here´s where I´m at:
Weight 157.2 lbs.
(A drop of about 6 pounds since I left Edmonton 10 days ago.)
Body Fat 35.7 lbs.
(Tracking body fat in pounds makes it easier to see one´s progress.)
BMI 22.6
(Body Mass Index)
Body Fat 24.6%
Water 56.5%
Bone Mass 6.6% (On the very low end of the range for my age.)
All of these values fall within the normal range (for my age group) according to the information provided by Weight Watchers. It appears I´m normal.
Not everyone would agree, but here´s proof that I am. (smile)
Chest 40 inches
Waist 37 inches
The Chest-to-Waist ratio should be a minimum of 1.0. At 1.08 I´m doing OK, but like most guys my age, it would be nice to move a couple of inches from my waist to my chest. A chest measurement of 42 and a waist of 35 would give me a much better ratio of 1.20.
I also picked up an electronic scale to keep track of my progress. Four days into my program here´s where I´m at:
Weight 157.2 lbs.
(A drop of about 6 pounds since I left Edmonton 10 days ago.)
Body Fat 35.7 lbs.
(Tracking body fat in pounds makes it easier to see one´s progress.)
BMI 22.6
(Body Mass Index)
Body Fat 24.6%
Water 56.5%
Bone Mass 6.6% (On the very low end of the range for my age.)
All of these values fall within the normal range (for my age group) according to the information provided by Weight Watchers. It appears I´m normal.
Not everyone would agree, but here´s proof that I am. (smile)
Nov 2, 2009
Day One
Well here it is. Day One of a 3 to 6 month program dedicated to eating only raw food. I´ve spent the last week, getting ready, eating healthier, eating more raw food than I normally would.
At the close of the first day it´s been a good news, bad news kinda day. The good news is that the food has been all organic, raw and tasty. Unfortunately, it already feels boring -tasty but boring. I miss the condiments, I miss the coffee (see previous post), I miss whatever everybody else is eating. Stuff I wouldn´t normally eat, looks soooo inviting.
I´ve started taking the drops the naturopath prescribed to assist in the cleansing. The bad news is that they taste awful. Worse yet, I feel awful. I feel lousy like I´ve go the flu, my body aches, my head feels like it´s in a fog, I´m thinking this is the first day. How am I going to hang in there for another 179?
At the close of the first day it´s been a good news, bad news kinda day. The good news is that the food has been all organic, raw and tasty. Unfortunately, it already feels boring -tasty but boring. I miss the condiments, I miss the coffee (see previous post), I miss whatever everybody else is eating. Stuff I wouldn´t normally eat, looks soooo inviting.
I´ve started taking the drops the naturopath prescribed to assist in the cleansing. The bad news is that they taste awful. Worse yet, I feel awful. I feel lousy like I´ve go the flu, my body aches, my head feels like it´s in a fog, I´m thinking this is the first day. How am I going to hang in there for another 179?
Nov 1, 2009
Tim Hortons
Over the years, I´ve gotten into the habit of setting Sunday afternoons aside for reading and reflection. I head out looking for a coffee shop where I can grab a cuppa joe and read the paper or a favourite book.
This Sunday afternoon while exploring my new neighborhood here in Montreal, I came across an old friend -a Tim Hortons (TH). Long before Starbucks and the whole upscale coffee scene, THs was a familiar hangout, a place I could get out of my room and cram for an exam, or meet a friend for coffee and a chat.
Tim and I go way back. Over the years, I´ve stopped in at a Tim Hortons in the majority of Edmonton´s 83 stores, and in every major city in every province, except Newfoundland.
Today, I set up shop with a newspaper and a couple of books. I order my usual -medium coffee with two creams and an oatmeal, raisin cookie. Ahhh, the good life.... As I sit down to my weekly ritual I realize this staple in my diet is about to disappear. Gone forever! I´m surprised at how strong my reaction is.
A cuppa coffee and the newspaper are permanently paired in my mind. Like Pavlov, when I buy the paper, I can imagine the smell of a freshly brewed cup of coffee; when I buy a coffee, I start looking for the paper to read. What will I do without my daily "fix"?
I know they have herbal teas, but I can´t bear to look today....
How about you? I´d be interested in your experience or story around letting go of a favourite food.
This Sunday afternoon while exploring my new neighborhood here in Montreal, I came across an old friend -a Tim Hortons (TH). Long before Starbucks and the whole upscale coffee scene, THs was a familiar hangout, a place I could get out of my room and cram for an exam, or meet a friend for coffee and a chat.
Tim and I go way back. Over the years, I´ve stopped in at a Tim Hortons in the majority of Edmonton´s 83 stores, and in every major city in every province, except Newfoundland.
Today, I set up shop with a newspaper and a couple of books. I order my usual -medium coffee with two creams and an oatmeal, raisin cookie. Ahhh, the good life.... As I sit down to my weekly ritual I realize this staple in my diet is about to disappear. Gone forever! I´m surprised at how strong my reaction is.
A cuppa coffee and the newspaper are permanently paired in my mind. Like Pavlov, when I buy the paper, I can imagine the smell of a freshly brewed cup of coffee; when I buy a coffee, I start looking for the paper to read. What will I do without my daily "fix"?
I know they have herbal teas, but I can´t bear to look today....
How about you? I´d be interested in your experience or story around letting go of a favourite food.
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