Things that affect health...

After spending thirty minutes in seated meditation every morning at taiji camp, I came back and found that I really missed it. So I've started my own practice, somewhat separate from my taiji practice. I had never before used a gomden (a solid pillow that elevatest the hips), but I found that it made it easier for me to keep my spine straight. I don't have an actual gomden, but my yoga bolster is about the right depth and is solid enough. When I make time for the morning meditation, I find that my mind and thoughts are clearer for the rest of the day, and that I have more energy. (Similarly, when I miss my more physical taiji practice, my body feels out of sorts and misalligned).

I also found out an annoying side effect of not replacing contact lenses in time: my left eye's muscles would start twitching. Not badly enough to effect vision, or to be visible, but very VERY annoying. I wasn't sure what was causing it until today, when I switched to new contacts and, lo and behold, the twitching stopped. On the bright side, it was an easy fix that did not involve anyone putting a knife into my eye.

Another health-related note... My body reacted quite favorably to having chili for one meal a day. I would get tired of chili all the time, but I think making a stew or similar dish to last a week would probably be good, using as many fresh veggies as possible. The food at Sunrise Ranch was nearly always incredible (exceptions were when there was little GF faire), and my body misses it. However, given my time constraints during the semester, a single dish that lasts the week would be best.