Re: meeting Australian hippies/flexibility

[Guest guest]

Hi

Thanks to the Aussie hippies who sent me emails about my August

trip to Perth and the East Coast. I did hear from a couple of them

that they had trouble getting their first messages through. Maybe the

internet was overwhelmed with SPAM last weekend! So if you didn't get

a reply from me, it means that I didn't get your email, and please

send it again. I've reprinted the gist of my posting below.

>I'm a middle-aged Canadian woman who would be happy to share

experiences with hippies or prospective hippies while I'm visiting

Australia. I'm almost 9 months post-op, and really pleased with my BHR.

I'll be in Perth by myself attending a conference from August

2-12, then meeting up with my boyfriend to travel the east coast and

visit friends and relatives, from Townsville and Cairns south to

Sydney, leaving for home on Aug. 25th. If anyone has any good ideas

for cheap places to stay in Perth (Aug.2-11), or Sydney (Aug. 23-24),

or is planning to visit Canada (Vancouver) and would like to swap

hospitality, I'd also appreciate hearing those suggestions.

You can email me directly at mledirect@...

Re Ivor's question about flexibility, I still struggle to cut my

toenails and tie my laces too, BUT, it's easier than before my

operation. I found doing squats (almost impossible unless I hold onto

a table or something, and use the table to help pull myself back up!)

helps loosen things up a little. Also, if I sit on the edge of the bed

and let my good leg dangle, then pull the operated knee up so my foot

rests on the bed, that helps stretch the muscles and allows me to cut

my toenails. My orthopedic surgeon and physiotherapist, plus some of

the other longer-term hippies I know, say that if you work at your

exercises you will probably continue to gain flexibility for at least

two years. On the other hand, after years of restrictions such as I

(and maybe you had), the muscles are programmed to go back to their

old patterns if you don't keep working to stretch and strengthen them.

Just walking, biking, and swimming, isn't enough for everyone, even

though it works for some young and previously very active types.

Massage therapy seems to help me somewhat, too.

So don't despair, you can probably get more flexible than you are

now, if you work at it. On the other hand, in my case, sitting in the

lotus posture (which I have never been able to do, even when I was

young) might be an impossible goal :-), so I'm trying to realistic.

Best regards,

n

rBHR Oct.2003 McMinn