Deep Woods Druid Cabin

[darkfoxx]

 

Hello and welcome! 

 

Come on in, grab a beverage of your choice, and have a seat by the fire. This is the place we can all chat and get to know each other. Questions? Ask away! 

 

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

A Ranger walks in, Grabs a One That is Cold (For if a One isn't cold, is it even a one at all?) throws a log on the fire, not because it needs it, but because throwing logs on is practically what fires are for, sits down, throws up his feet, and heaves a contented sigh.

[Zaphine]

Zaphine edges in and sits as close to the fire as she dares -- the warmth feels GOOD after a long winter in the Northlands.  

 

She's new to this company, but has heard it's friendly to travelers.  

[darkfoxx]

Hello and welcome @Zaphine! Are you by chance visiting from Prime? If so, I think we spoke yesterday - if not, welcome any way! 

 

/darkfoxx posts up in her usual seat near enough to the fire to almost burn with a tall whiskey & Diet Coke with a generous lash of cherry bitters. 

[Scaly Freak]

A tried looking half-orc Warrior strolls in, glares at the room in general, and goes to find a seat that is close to the fire but far from people. Finding one, to her great surprise, she leans back, closes her eyes, and lets out a contented sigh. This will be a good place to rest for a while.

[Zaphine]

I've been lurking around the forums for a number of years, and a client of NF coaching for two years now, spending a lot of that time just un-learning bad attitudes toward fitness and myself.  So I'm trying out Prime as a member of Coaching, and a post in Prime pointed me back toward the forums.  It's a twisty path to get here.

[Renate]

A hooded figure walks in, trying to be stealthy. Having never trained well enough to fully master the art, her presence does not go unnoticed. She shrugs, lowers her hood and nods a warm smile.

 

"Hello again! I'd like a sizzling hot rooibos tea, please. With a double shot of honey!"

 

After her cheerful order, she looks side to side to check if anyone has been startled out of their thoughts. Fortunately, it seems she has simply become so accustomed to silence that her own voice merely *seemed* disproportionally loud. She carefully takes her cup and finds a spot that is not too far off from the other visitors.

 

Whew, i haven't tried writing anything novelly in ages. Not that I ever was very good at it

 

Zaphine, I was going to ask about tae chi resources too I once tried to follow a video long ago and did this exercise where I had to half squat, making sure my back is straight. I believe the end goal was to find such a point of balance that I am not making myself tired when standing like that but I might be wrong. Never got myself to look for a teacher. I cannot find the video anymore. Going to check out the videos offered to you & follow your thread. Interested in how you like them

[Skywalker]

Skywalker takes a big breath of the forest air.  Ah, just what I've been missing.

 

I thought I'd drop by and get my virtual nature fix.

 

Placing a comfy chair near the fire she pulls her knitting out of her rucksack.

 

Do you mind if I spend some time here?  There's not a lot of adventuring going on in the world at the moment.

[darkfoxx]

On 5/5/2020 at 12:27 AM, Scalyfreak said:

A tried looking half-orc Warrior strolls in, glares at the room in general, and goes to find a seat that is close to the fire but far from people. Finding one, to her great surprise, she leans back, closes her eyes, and lets out a contented sigh. This will be a good place to rest for a while.

 

Welcome! 

 

On 5/5/2020 at 1:12 AM, Zaphine said:

I've been lurking around the forums for a number of years, and a client of NF coaching for two years now, spending a lot of that time just un-learning bad attitudes toward fitness and myself.  So I'm trying out Prime as a member of Coaching, and a post in Prime pointed me back toward the forums.  It's a twisty path to get here.

 

However twisty the path, it was the right one - welcome! 

 

On 5/5/2020 at 4:33 AM, analoggirl said:

A hooded figure walks in, trying to be stealthy. Having never trained well enough to fully master the art, her presence does not go unnoticed. She shrugs, lowers her hood and nods a warm smile.

 

"Hello again! I'd like a sizzling hot rooibos tea, please. With a double shot of honey!"

 

After her cheerful order, she looks side to side to check if anyone has been startled out of their thoughts. Fortunately, it seems she has simply become so accustomed to silence that her own voice merely *seemed* disproportionally loud. She carefully takes her cup and finds a spot that is not too far off from the other visitors.

 

Whew, i haven't tried writing anything novelly in ages. Not that I ever was very good at it

 

Zaphine, I was going to ask about tae chi resources too I once tried to follow a video long ago and did this exercise where I had to half squat, making sure my back is straight. I believe the end goal was to find such a point of balance that I am not making myself tired when standing like that but I might be wrong. Never got myself to look for a teacher. I cannot find the video anymore. Going to check out the videos offered to you & follow your thread. Interested in how you like them

 

Welcome!

 

21 hours ago, Skywalker said:

Skywalker takes a big breath of the forest air.  Ah, just what I've been missing.

 

I thought I'd drop by and get my virtual nature fix.

 

Placing a comfy chair near the fire she pulls her knitting out of her rucksack.

 

Do you mind if I spend some time here?  There's not a lot of adventuring going on in the world at the moment.

 

Welcome! Good to see you in these parts. 

 

[Terinatum]

Seems the fire has burned down some by the dimming of its light in the branches above. Terinatum leans down to investigate. Ah, Druids! And others, fantastic! She smiles at the thought of wanting company for a change and hops downs lightly next to a half-orc warrior of great stature and grace. Noticing her placement around the fire, Terinatum steps away quietly with a nod if the lady happens to be watching through hooded eyes. 
Near the fire, but not so close as to feel too much of its heat, she sits cross-legged and feels the air move across her skin. It's been some time since she felt her body. It is time to reconnect.

[fearless 2.0]

fearless stumbles through the dark woods. how long has she been limping along? And what is that little light she sees glowing on the left ...? fearless takes off into the direction of the light and the first thing she sees is some kind looking people  drinking together. grateful and relieved she enters and she's even more relieved when someone hands her a hot cup of strong coffee. Who are those people? She thinks she found the rare kind of Druids, people have been whispering about in the old days at the scouts fire.

[Zaphine]

I feel like if I stay here long enough, I might just turn into a fox and be able to lay a brushy tail across my nose while I snooze.  Life goals!  

[darkfoxx]

On 5/9/2020 at 10:02 PM, Terinatum said:

Seems the fire has burned down some by the dimming of its light in the branches above. Terinatum leans down to investigate. Ah, Druids! And others, fantastic! She smiles at the thought of wanting company for a change and hops downs lightly next to a half-orc warrior of great stature and grace. Noticing her placement around the fire, Terinatum steps away quietly with a nod if the lady happens to be watching through hooded eyes. 
Near the fire, but not so close as to feel too much of its heat, she sits cross-legged and feels the air move across her skin. It's been some time since she felt her body. It is time to reconnect.

Hello and welcome! Taking the time to reconnect to your body is kinda the one fundamental thing that will help with /waves hand around generally, encompassing ... all of it 

 

On 5/10/2020 at 2:40 AM, fearless 2.0 said:

fearless stumbles through the dark woods. how long has she been limping along? And what is that little light she sees glowing on the left ...? fearless takes off into the direction of the light and the first thing she sees is some kind looking people  drinking together. grateful and relieved she enters and she's even more relieved when someone hands her a hot cup of strong coffee. Who are those people? She thinks she found the rare kind of Druids, people have been whispering about in the old days at the scouts fire.

Hello and welcome! You’ve found the right place! 

[Terinatum]

Terinatum has been shaking out some of the pain in her hip by taking short walks. She didn't think to wonder how far she was going, just following the chipmunks and the woodchuck. Soon her curiosity peeked and she played with a magic device to find out just how far she was going. Thinking she was lucky to get a half mile, she was set back on her heels when the one-way distance was .55 miles! "What, I've been walking a mile everyday!" Her voice startled the woodchuck and got a few squeaks out of the chipmunks. "Sorry, sweeties." She walks back to the fire, waving to those around the clearing and jumps up onto her branch in the canopy. Very cool indeed.

[darkfoxx]

Whoo hoo! 

[Zaphine]

A question for you all -- who are your druidy role models?  I could use some inspiration, both among real and fictional beings.  

[darkfoxx]

Hmmm ... that’s a good one, and I don’t have a great answer that will point you toward a person. 

 

I approach Druidy-ness as more of a feeling. Still/silence. This is a feeling I’ve been searching for and cultivating within myself for as long as I can remember. 

 

Generally when I’m thinking of that feeling (which is generally either when I can identify it or my brain is in crisis mode and needs it) I think of: sitting on the bank of a babbling brook under a weeping willow watching the water burble around small rocks; stepping into a clearing in the midst of pine woods - a swirl of purple (vapor? Fabric? Depends) and a breeze blowing in Queen Anne’s Lace; a pulling up from Root chakra when seated in lotus; sitting on a large flat rock near the ocean; a single flame in the dark ... 

 

As for people, I’ve had a few that I’ve met that embody that feeling - mostly hella well-balanced people; a few of which were yoga instructors. One of which was suuuper insightful, saw things in me I heretofore didn’t know existed, and sent my brain on a whooooooooole other path than it had been on, which was super lucky because that path has served me well through some major life changes. 

 

So ... not terribly helpful? Maybe a little helpful? 

 

 

[Scaly Freak]

21 hours ago, Zaphine said:

A question for you all -- who are your druidy role models?  I could use some inspiration, both among real and fictional beings.  

 

Um... Ahem. Warrior over here, so... no one?

 

If I have to name a role model whose mindset I try to emulate... I like the martial arts and life philosophy Bruce Lee expressed in his writing and interviews. I'm also a huge fan of Musashi and the Book of Five Rings, but I don't think either one of these gentlemen would call themselves a druid or a person who strives for mental balance and stillness as their top priority. They saw it as a piece of the whole, and I see it that way as well. I got started with mindfulness because it helps me focus on lifting. I'm currently doing yoga to help me get back to lifting.

 

I think mindfulness is like happiness - fixate too hard on it, and you make it that much more difficult for yourself to attain it.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

21 hours ago, Zaphine said:

A question for you all -- who are your druidy role models?  I could use some inspiration, both among real and fictional beings.  

This is going to be way out of left field, but Mr. Rogers. I can think of no one more calm and secure.

 

[Scaly Freak]

A question for all your full-time druid-types who have lot more yoga experience than I do: Am I the only one who finds that the most challenging part of downward dog is to prevent my hands from slowly sliding forward on the yoga mat?

 

For obvious reasons it makes my arms very tense, which interferes with the pose in general, but it also feels quite unsafe. I've moved the bottle of liquid chalk into the yoga mat bag so I will remember to apply it before yoga tonight, which should take care of the sliding, so I am confident I have a solution for this. I was just curious if it's just me?

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

1 hour ago, Scalyfreak said:

A question for all your full-time druid-types who have lot more yoga experience than I do: Am I the only one who finds that the most challenging part of downward dog is to prevent my hands from slowly sliding forward on the yoga mat?

 

For obvious reasons it makes my arms very tense, which interferes with the pose in general, but it also feels quite unsafe. I've moved the bottle of liquid chalk into the yoga mat bag so I will remember to apply it before yoga tonight, which should take care of the sliding, so I am confident I have a solution for this. I was just curious if it's just me?

I have the same problem. There are two things you can try. One is move your arms a little closer to your feet. The other is to have the weight in the fingertips, rather than the wrist. Push down into the floor with your fingertips when in the position.

[Scaly Freak]

14 minutes ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

I have the same problem. There are two things you can try. One is move your arms a little closer to your feet. The other is to have the weight in the fingertips, rather than the wrist. Push down into the floor with your fingertips when in the position.

 

I have tried moving my arms closer, but I have very long arms and that makes the angle in my shoulders all wrong and hurting. (To give you an idea, to I sit up straight and press my palm against the floor on either side of my hips I have to bend my arms quite a bit. If I sit on a yoga block I can keep them straight.) I will definitely try moving my weight to my fingertips, that's something I have not attempted yet. 

 

Thanks!

[darkfoxx]

That used to be the bane of my down dog existence. 

 

There are quite a few cues and things to think about while holding that pose, and it may behoove you to look up multiple tips videos because every instructor has their own way of explaining. 

 

Things that have helped me but not necessarily all at the same time:

 

• A slightly wider than shoulder width stance with my arms - fingers canted about 45 degrees off of straight
• Concentrating on plugging the base of the pointer finger, the base of the thumb, and the base of the pinky finger into the mat
• Pushing into the fingertips (though this one doesn’t always work for me)
• Making sure there’s like a little pocket of suction (or at least working toward that) between the center of my palm and the mat
• Making sure my weight isn’t all forward 
• Pulling my hips back and up to help draw some weight backward
• Adjusting how long my dog is - all depends on what my wrists need today 
• And finally, using a good quality mat. Those cheapie ones are significantly harder to work with than my cushy af grippy mat - and my cushy mat doesn’t drop little plastic fragments all over the house if I look at it askance

There are also cues I’ve found helpful about wrapping muscles and elbows and back arching, but those I feel are less about the slippage. Slippage is kind of DD 101 and the easiest thing to fix. DD eventually becomes a resting pose - which is super hard to even believe when starting out on a yoga journey because it can be r-o-u-g-h. I know it is for me if I’ve been off the mat or if my body is wonky.