Legend of Annyshay

[annyshay]

Why Hello There! I'm Annyshay. It seems you've stumbled into my corner of the Rebellion's forum, so please take off your boots and coat. Grab some comfy animal-shaped slippers and anything else that will make you feel cozy. This is a safe space, and everyone is welcome here. The tea kettle is on, so take your time reading through the tales of my awesomeness and feel free to add tales of your own.

 

I've been around the Rebellion for quite some time and have called multiple guilds home. I started with the Rebels and Rangers, but the Assassins were the ones that really showed me the ropes around these parts. You'll notice healthy amounts of gifs and silliness interspersed with the stories of my most recent heroic feats. I've spent a few challenges with the Druids and developed quite the mindfulness habit under their tutelage. More recently, I've made my home with the Adventurers. You'll likely run into Rebels from each of these guilds, as I tend to keep tabs with all of them.

 

There's a lot of backstory up scattered throughout the forums if you get really curious about the past twists and turns of my time here, but I'll keep most of those links further down for my own reference. Sometimes it helps to see where I've been in order to plan my next steps. The TL:DR version is that I grew up on a horse farm in rural Western New York. My parents got divorced when I was in middle school, so I launched myself into various forms of nerdery to cope. Science, literature, gaming, and music were my favorites. I slayed in school, which was my ticket out into the bigger world with all its fascination and pain. During medical school, I focused on my studies and my work so much that many of these outlets fell away. My depression and anxiety grew despite my attempts to protect my heart. I'm still in medical training, as an Infectious Disease physician, and I'm starting to slowly reclaim my freedom and realize that my career doesn't have to consume my identity despite the toxic environment in far too many American health systems. 

 

This community has been a big part of my recovery and journey to wellness. I've found new ways of eating and forever broken up with diet mentality. We share recipes so that with time I've come to be a decent cook with a solid repertoire of tasty fare. My home gym is growing, and more importantly I've reclaimed the joy of playing outside. I went backpacking for several days for the first time inspired by others in these forums. I meditate consistently. Momentum, games, and habits have replaced my previous failed attempts at discipline. I've done some crazy things too, like Wim Hof training with cold exposure and breathing exercises. I have a solid morning routine that breathes life into my chaotic days. I found coaches that have supported me as I deal with my emotional baggage and helped me find a helpful therapist in real life. I'm slowly opening up again and stepping out of the defenses that I've built for myself over the years, and as I open up I am finding the joyful song that was always in my heart is springing once again to my lips.

 

That brings you up to speed if you're new to my threads. If you're an old friend, I hope it wasn't too much to wade through. I'm coming into 2018 with a lot of support and hope compared to the past couple of years. For months I've felt like I'm on the cusp of some major transformation. You're welcome to join me in the process. This community of Rebels is such a blessing, and from it I draw courage, kindness, and curiosity to face new challenges. So welcome, Rebel, without further ado... let's drink some tea and then do something awesome!

[annyshay]

As I mentioned above, I've been a member of the forums for years. I try to keep track of some of my old challenges and battle logs. It's mostly for my own reference. My brain still has a tendency to forget how much progress I've made, and I've found this is best countered by good record-keeping. My brain can't argue with the fact that I can do 10 regular push ups now compared to the 2 that I could do in September 2017, for instance. Records and numbers can also be a trap for my inner perfectionist, so they are not my primary focus, but I keep the tales of yore in my battle log in case I need to remind myself of my legendary exploits.

 

Tales of Yore

(last updated 12/2/2018)

 

My NF Character and Epic Quest

 

Battle Log #1 - Hobbit's Quest

(5/25/2014-3/19/2016)

 

Battle Log #2- Hero of Time

(7/11/2015-12/31/2015)

 

Battle Log #3- Everything Changed When the Fire Nation Attacked

(5/30/2016-10/23/2016)

 

Battle Log #4 - The Legend of Annyshay

(10/23/2016-12/18/2017)

 

Battle Log #5 - Legend of Annyshay v2

(12/18/2017-present)

 

Also, I will use this as a sort of table of contents for ongoing thread management. My last battle log got up to 33 pages, so I may keep links to crucial moments here to make it easier for myself to navigate in the future.

 

Houses of Healing (this same page, silly)

 

2018

Annyshay's Intentions Wrought with Ws

 

Annyshay Parties with BB8

 

Annyshay Rebuilds the Shire

 

Annyshay - Concerning Ents

 

Annyshay Plays

 

Annyshay Takes Hobbit Breaks

 

Annyshay Tunes In

 

Annyshay Explores Oge Mai

 

Annyshay is Feeling Festive

 

2019

Annyshay - PENGUIN!

 

Annyshay's Antarctica Travelogue

 

Annyshay Reboots Her Sheikah Slate

 

Annyshay: Endgame

 

Annyshay Leaves the Great Plateau

 

Annyshay Resettles

 

Annyshay Covers Her Bases

 

Annyshay Settles In

 

Annyshay Writes Like the Wind

 

annyshay gets cozy

 

2020

Annyshay in Terre d'Ange

 

Annyshay Returns to the Shire

[annyshay]

Glossary

Despite my best attempts, I use many abbreviations. Feel free to ask me to clarify at any point, but here are some of the ones that I use commonly. I'll add as I find new ones.

 

NF - Nerd Fitness

RH - Rising Heroes

NFA - Nerd Fitness Academy

GMB - Gold Medal Bodies

WHM - Wim Hof Method

C#W#D# - campaign number, week number, day number

4TW - 4thewords.com

[annyshay]

Epic Quest

This is a spot where I will keep a list of Epic Quest items that I'm currently working on. The list will be organized roughly by time with smaller, faster quests at the top and longer range quests towards the bottom.

 

[] Refine Handstand Prep Plan (HPP)

[] Emergency Meal #3

[] Memorize Apostle's Creed

[] Try 10 New Hot Plates

[] Delivery 4 Times in One Month

[] Read The Total Money Makeover

[] HPP 3-peat (aka three weeks in a row)

[] Publish

[] Walk All the Way to Mordor

 

[annyshay]

Hero Toolkit

I was first introduced to this idea by Headmaster Amy Clover at Camp Nerd Fitness 2016. Since that time, I have continued to collect tools to use in my recovery journey. Most good games have an inventory of some sort, and this is mine.

 

Meditation Tools

- Surrender Meditation

- Body Image Externalization Meditation

- Emotional Connection Meditation

- Self Worth Meditation

- Forgiveness Meditation

- Light Bath Meditation

- Out of Control Tapping

- Embarrassed by Body Tapping

- Chakra Healing Meditations

- Body Scan

- Noting

- Sitting

- Creative Spark

- Sunshine Visualization

 

Journaling Tools

- Food and Thoughts Journal

- Break the Trance Prep Plan

- Free Write

- Healing Mantra Worksheet

- Love Response Exercise

- Forgiveness Exercise

- Worst Case Scenario Exercise

- Extremes Exercise

- Setting Boundaries Worksheet

- The Seven Pillars of Freedom PDF

 

Physical Tools

- Mindful Eating Manifesto

- Move Through Overwhelm Workout

- In case of emergency, break this email.

- Burpee Tabata

- Walk Outside

- Sun Salutation

- Drink Water

- Drink Tea

 

Articles

- Mental Optics

 

Miscellaneous 

- Dragon Snuggles

[annyshay]

Let me expand on how this battle log will work day to day. I'm not exactly sure how I will decide what goes in here versus in the challenge thread of the moment, but I will make sure to link any moves through the various forums that come and go. Plus my signature is an up to date source for where I am currently active. My post types will include: goals, story, rambles & rants, and silly filler. I reserve the right to add or remove post types as I see fit. This is my own fiefdom after all.

 

Goals - descriptions of my progress towards my current goals

- may shift depending on whether or not I am currently in a challenge

- daily, living posts with edits marked for reference

 

Story - this is a new part of my challenges and will hopefully grow with me

- currently aiming for at least weekly

 

Benchmarks - these will be posts describing some sort of evaluation

- will serve as ongoing reference for my growth

Rambles & Rants - a fan favorite that will show up intermittently

- these are longer posts where I babble about something that has been on my mind and may or may not be related to anything in my current challenge 

- definitely related to my larger wellness journey

 

Filler - whatever random silliness I want to share with you

[annyshay]

Benchmark #1 - 7/15/2015

AMRAP in 1 minute of the following exercises followed by 4 minutes rest.

Knee Push Ups - 16

Kitchen Table Rows - 9

Bodyweight Squats - 21

Burpees (mod - step, knee push ups) - 8

Wall Sit - 43 seconds

Plank (mod - elbows) - 35 seconds

Kettlebell Swings (mod - 2 hand, 20 lbs) - 44

 

Benchmark #2 - 12/14/2017

AMRAP in 1 minute of the following exercises followed by 4 minutes rest.

Push Ups - 20

Kitchen Table Rows - 10

Bodyweight Squats - 26

Burpees (mod - step) - 8

Wall Sit - 50 seconds

Plank (mod - elbows) - 35 seconds

Kettlebell Swings (mod - 2 hand, 20 lbs) - 39

[annyshay]

 

I find myself awakening in the houses of healing with the sweet scent of Athelas on the air. My loved ones look down at me in relief. I open my mouth to comfort them only to find that I cannot speak. A healer places a hand on my shoulder, "you are still quite ill, my lady. Please try to rest. Your voice will return with time." The healer hands me a book and a quill with a smile, "don't worry. We won't make you wait entirely in silence." She gives my shoulder a squeeze and leaves me with my retinue. Their eyes whisper a clear question to me - well? So, I open the book gingerly and begin to write. What happened? How long have I been here? Their eyes respond with pity that chills me. 

 

Mercifully my brother's voice drifts towards me with a playful sneer. "You got hurt, idiot. We found you unconscious in your study. Some of your beakers were still smoking, so I'm sure you'll figure out what you shouldn't have mixed once you return to your recordings. Next time make sure you blow things up properly or don't bother." I can see his shoulders slowly releasing the tension they've held for... how long... I underline for emphasis. "Ah, I beg your patience, sister," he barely suppresses a chuckle, "you've been out for three days." He can't contain his mirth any longer, so he turns to leave with his laughter echoing behind him. The others's fears ease somewhat in the echo of my brother's levity. Slowly they leave me with well wishes and kisses lingering around me.

 

The healer returns with a sparkle in her eye. "I'm glad they won't stay to plague you, my lady." A laugh attempts to escape my mouth but falls flat without the help of my vocal cords. The sound is unnerving, so I quickly nod her direction to acknowledge the pun. With a smile she lays a paper on my lap, "these are instructions for your time here. Satisfy your curiosity, but don't analyze them too much. You are here to rest after all, not to devise the most efficient way to regain your voice." It's my turn to smirk as I nod in submission to this wise woman. "If you need anything, my lady, just ring this bell. Please don't venture off on your own. You're not strong enough yet." Another nod from me was enough for her, so she wandered off to another bed. I picked up the paper wondering what doom awaited me.

 

Healer's Instructions

Write - at least 444 words per day

Savor - full permission to enjoy my food, avoidance of distractions encouraged for at least 2 meals daily

Move - some gentle physical activity each day with the assistance of the healers

Extra Self Care - this will look different each day but should be intentional activity meant to restore me

I swallow hard. These healers have no idea how difficult it will be for me to follow these very simple instructions. A familiar line of thought starts to form behind the words "what if..." in my mind. The healer glances back at me with a knowing eye. I sigh and place the paper on my bedside table. I roll over in bed and try not to worry about how long it will take me to fall back asleep.

[annyshay]

12/18/2017

 

Write

- 11 day streak on 4TW

- 4,128 words today

 

Savor

- breakfast: bone broth while reading NF posts and then yogurt, fruit, nuts at research meeting

- lunch: at table, no distractions, rushed

- dinner: at table, no distractions, enjoyed

- snacks: distracted snack in front of computer at 10:30am, rushed snack while prepping tea at 7:40

 

Move 

- Wim Hof "Go Deep" stretching session with the group video (~20 minutes of gentle sun salutation like flow)

 

Extra Self Care

- mid-morning journaling session about an incident at work 

- lemon essential oil in diffuser

[Mad Hatter]

Ohai.

[Sloth the Enduring]

Ummm, wow. That's quite the introduction.

Following to see how long you keep walking around outside barefoot.

[annyshay]

1 hour ago, Mad Hatter said:

Ohai.

\

 

1 hour ago, Sloth the Enduring said:

Ummm, wow. That's quite the introduction.

Following to see how long you keep walking around outside barefoot.

I've been... planning for a little while. Mwahahaha.

 

Haven't been doing that as much lately... but I did just restart Wim Hof shenanigans, so there will be more than enough cold to come. 

[annyshay]

Wim Hof! Woooohoooo!

 

I completed my last round of Wim Hof Method in mid November. During the program, I saw huge advances in my strength and my grit. My mood was also noticeably better than it could have been. My hands and feet weren't too cold. I was welcoming the ongoing winter. It got hard to maintain the daily practice for me with a lot of the chaos at work. I also got sick around that time, so I decided to listen to my body and take a bit of a break. Well, Wim offered an excellent deal on his new version of the course "Fundamentals", so I jumped at it as a reward for the awesome work I've done this year and an investment in awesome Annyshay heroics to come.

 

Today was my first day. This program is also grouped into 10 weeks with each week centered around a theme. This week's theme is "Go Deep". There is a group class for each week and then some audio assignments to use for stretching and breathing if you want throughout the week. The video quality is MUCH better than in the old method. Wim also has brought in an actual yoga instructor for the stretching portions, so it feels much more like yoga than previously. So far, the group has much more diversity (genders and age at least) and there form is not as atrocious. The workbook is much more aesthetically pleasing than the previous version as well. I plan to actually print it out instead of just free writing because it's so pretty. I'll keep you posted on my thoughts between the two courses.

 

For those of you new to this Wim Hof madness, it's fairly simple and also insane. He also has a new mini-class on his website that is free and will show you some of the basics. Link here (https://www.wimhofmethod.com/elearning/free-3-part-video-miniclass). I find the paid class helpful personally as it increases my commitment to the process, but there are many people that cobble together a practice from what's available online. Anyway, the method rests on three pillars of training that are combined in order to help you dive deeper into your own body. Physical movements, breathing exercises, and cold exposure are practiced and increased gradually over the course of the program.

 

At the beginning of the program, Wim asks us to write about our goals for the program with as much detail as we can muster. Here are my intentions for the course this go around.

1) I want to become more intimately aware of my body. Mindfulness and curiosity will continue to guide me as I learn what my body is truly capable of.

2) I want to continue to embrace the cold instead of trying to avoid it at all costs. This is an excuse I use for being sedentary, and I want to make it a ridiculous one.

3) I want to improve my comfort and consistency with the breathing exercises. These were the most challenging part of the method for me previously, and it is clear that my skill has regressed significantly in my month off.

4) I want to maintain my mental grit and resilience. Cold exposure and breathing retention are excellent practice for staying with uncomfortable sensations, which I have seen directly improve my experience of anxiety and panic.

5) I want to find a minimum effective dose for the method as well as ways to better incorporate it into my current routines.

 

So, today was day 1 of "Go Deep" week.

 

Physical Exercises - sun salutation type flow, butterfly

 

Breathing Exercises and Retentions - :28, :24, :23, :24 

- These are very similar to my start times from the first time through the 10 week course.

- I like Wim's new way of explaining the breath - belly, chest, head, let go. It feels more natural to me.

- Didn't get very oxygenated (barely lightheaded, no tingling).

- Slight ringing in my ears during the retentions but mostly had that "omg I'm not breathing my body can't survive" sensation that made me stop holding my breath. Unpleasant and similar to the first time through the course.

 

Cold Exercise planned for tomorrow morning. My hands have actually been freezing all day, so I'm hoping they remember how to work faster this time.

 

 

Has anybody else been keeping up with Wim Hof? Have I babbled at you all enough for today yet? No promises on how much I will or won't be posting on an ongoing basis. I'm sure it will ebb and flow, but I intend to post at least daily.

[Sloth the Enduring]

@Rooks are you still doing Wim Hof?  You might want to check this out. 

[Mrs.Nomar]

I like tea and your story telling! I'll be following

[Lara]

13 hours ago, annyshay said:

Grab some comfy animal-shaped slippers and anything else that will make you feel cozy.

Done!

 

8 hours ago, annyshay said:

Well, Wim offered an excellent deal on his new version of the course "Fundamentals", so I jumped at it as a reward for the awesome work I've done this year and an investment in awesome Annyshay heroics to come.

I've been thinking of it too. I was a bit worried that it would be just the same thing rehashed, though. Do you think it is worth it? Is the progression the same? Are there more insights about meditation, cold, etc. or more clear guidance (on the ice bucket exercise, for example)?

 

Following to see you bloom!

[annyshay]

1 hour ago, zenLara said:

Done!

 

I've been thinking of it too. I was a bit worried that it would be just the same thing rehashed, though. Do you think it is worth it? Is the progression the same? Are there more insights about meditation, cold, etc. or more clear guidance (on the ice bucket exercise, for example)?

 

Following to see you bloom!

Yaaaas

 

Only day one so far, so I’m not sure. I doubt there will be anything earth-shattering, but I will of course keep you posted.

[annyshay]

7 hours ago, Alis in Abernathy said:

I like tea and your story telling! I'll be following

Welcome!

[WhiteGhost]

I am also interested to see how the new WHM compares to the original.  

[karinajean]

hello old friend! 

[annyshay]

8 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

I am also interested to see how the new WHM compares to the original.  

Feel free to pepper me with questions.

 

7 hours ago, karinajean said:

hello old friend! 

[annyshay]

12/19/2017

 

Write - 12 day streak on 4TW

- 1331 words today

 

Savor - number of distraction free meals: two 

- breakfast: no distractions, at my dining room table

- lunch: no distractions, at a local restaurant

- dinner: ate home cooked meal in front of my computer (chatting with multiple friends), mild distraction

- snacks: two cookies at conference this morning

 

Move - cleaning workout for RH (10 elevated push-ups x2, front plank for :25 x2, squat hold)

- yoga stretches for WHM

 

Extra Self Care 

- made breakfast and dinner

- not forcing myself to cook lunch

- nap

- much texting and chatting with friends

- eucalyptus essential oil in the diffuser

My meeting this morning was every bit as stressful as I feared it would be. We have another important meeting on the work situation tomorrow afternoon. I'll try to summarize at that point, although I need to be VERY careful about confidentiality at this point. 

[annyshay]

Wim Hof - Day 2 of Go Deep Week

 

Cold Shower this morning was cooooooooold. I guess it really is winter now.  This was 30 seconds at the end of my shower.

 

I was feeling some resistance initially but did my Wim Hof session this evening. I'm going to play with doing it as a transition from the work day. I started with the yoga sequence, which is a very nice brief flow. It takes a bit under 5 minutes. I thought it was audio only when I played it yesterday, but there was a video today that went along with the voice over. It's basically a modified sun salutation and then some time in butterfly. 

 

Next I put on the one-on-one video in which Wim leads you through the breathing exercise without all the explanation and breaks that were in the group class. It lasted about 27 minutes taking us through 4 of the typical breathing cycles. He used the new explanation "belly, chest, head, let go" repeatedly. I felt much more relaxed today. For the first time (yes including my first go through of the course) it clicked that I didn't have to force more air into my lungs. I know he says this all the time. I'm a perfectionist, ok? Relaxing is hard work for me! Anyway, my retention times improved dramatically (0:31, 0:37, 0:43, 0:52) and were similar to where I felt comfortable during the last version of the course. More importantly, when I could actually stop using my muscles to get as much as air in as possible and breath slightly faster than was comfortable for me... it felt better. Shocking, I know. I didn't get lightheaded but my muscles definitely went loose and I felt some tingling in my fingers. If you were here for the last go around, you know that this wasn't a common occurrence for me. After the four cycles, there were a few minutes with just music playing during which I chose to meditate. I saw the stroboscope light! Basically, I think I was finally able to go with the flow. I'm looking forward to more practice!

[karinajean]

good luck today with your important meeting!

[Mad Hatter]

13 hours ago, annyshay said:

I'm a perfectionist, ok? Relaxing is hard work for me!

Relax better.