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des-draws · 4 years

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1-A autistic hcs!

Alright it’s already past midnight here but. I’m still posting this.

Back in my 1-A pride hcs post I also mentioned my autistic hcs, and said I might elaborate on them in April. But because I am a master of procrastination, of course I left it for last minute.

But either way, here you go; over 3k of projection and infodumping. I’m gonna leave an AO3 link in the replies if it’s easier for you to read there.

(general tw for some mentions of ableism, and specifically tw for ableism/child abuse/ende*vor in the very first bulletpoint)

Todoroki

Ende*vor absolutely refused to believe that there could be something “wrong” with the one supposed to surpass All Might, and so he ignored any and all traits Todoroki would show, punished him for the ones he couldn’t ignore, and chalked up the meltdowns he caused him to Todoroki being a brat.

As such, Todoroki spent a lot of his life masking and hiding and suppressing himself.

Thankfully, much like with everything else, after moving to the dorms he’s starting to unlearn all that internalized shit and instead accept himself for who he is- including indulging in suppressed stims, special interests and other autistic behaviours in a safe, accepting environment.

He’s found that cold soba is apparently a samefood for him- he knew he liked it enough to eat it all the time without getting bored of it (not that he actually does, since with their hero training a balanced, diverse diet is important), but he didn’t know there was a word for that.

Monotone voice and trouble with facial expressions, you know how it goes. He actually tries to use the “correct” tone and make the “correct” expression, if only so that the people he’s supposed to protect don’t think of him as “aloof”, but he gets easily tired of going back to the masking. He cares, he cares so much, this is just not one of the ways of showing it that comes to him naturally.

Can people please stop talking in metaphors and idioms around him and expect him to know the translation to everything. Thank you.

He’s reluctantly letting himself indulge in his recently discovered special interest on a certain manga series; he’s been buying the volumes, and at some point Sero found him reading one and they started bonding over it. Now Todoroki goes to Sero when he feels like infodumping- though, he has to be careful not to spoil anything. Sero is a way behind since he doesn’t go through the volumes like someone’s chasing him. He has, however, helped Todoroki make a blog where he can infodump about it, spoilers and all. He’s quickly becoming “fandom famous”, Sero says- and even though Todoroki’s not sure what that means yet, he’s very happy to see others as into the series as he is.

Iida gives him stim and fidget toys all the time- Todoroki is reluctant to keep them as the other says, since he could buy them himself, but Iida insists. Todoroki especially likes the tangles. He’s building himself quite the collection.

He’s also invested in some high-quality sound-cancelling headphones. Long overdue, but better late than never.

Favorite stim: TBA, although clenching his fists around his thumbs is something he’s always done- even before he had a name for it, or knew why it was so comforting.

Midoriya

His special interests are Quirks and All Might (the Hero Persona™ rather then the person)! He can infodump about different quirks and theories on how to use them and “what if x quirk exists how would that work” for hours. He’s spent entire evenings arguing on forums about which of All Might’s hero outfits was most efficient and useful for what was needed. Inko, on more than one occasion, had to lure him out of his room with the promise of a rare comic book so he would eat something.

On that same vein, he is appalled by some of his classmates’ hero costumes. He’s too polite to be that crass about it out loud, but in his brain he’s always going “what in the everloving fuck is this???? Who let a teenager go into battle naked???? Did she just go ‘oh yea give me a pair of gloves and boots and I’m set’ and they let her??? Who agreed to this?? Nothing tracking her vitals, nothing keeping her warm in fucking December????? This is just irresponsible”

So you can imagine the rants he goes into when one of them does ask him for advice on how to update their costume.

He likes visual stims a lot- you know that thing where you shut your eyes and wave a bright phone screen in front of them? He loves that

Having trouble emotionally regulating means lots of crying. Not a bad thing, just. A thing. That a lot of people don’t expect when they first meet him.

Inko has always tried her best to accommodate him, but there’s only so much to do when they’re just getting by. He’s very understanding though. She gets into making DIY stim toys for him, and as he grows up he joins in and it’s a very pleasant pastime for the two of them (to the point that he’d rather keep them as mementos of the time spent together than use them for stimming).

Favorite stim: Hand-flapping and back-and-forth rocking!! Classic and good!

Iida

No volume control we die like men (he’s trying to work on it but a lot of the time he’s louder than he realizes. His friends never fault him for it tough.)

Always loved putting his toys in a line- lines are neat! Don’t you see how tidy everything looks now? This is fun! Unfortunately, kids his age didn’t have the same opinion and just chalked it up to him being a “neat freak”.

The kind to separate his food into sections. He had to get used to eating with company in school, since no one wanted to sit with him during lunchtime before, lest they be subjected to his “bizarre eating habits”.

His family is, thankfully, very supportive and accommodating. They were a little worried when he moved into the dorms, but he reassured them that his classmates are just as accepting and understanding. And besides, he’s not the only “out” neurodivergent kid around anymore!

Has copied the language habits of his parents around Important Customers and never stopped. No one in his family talks quite as formally as he does in casual settings, but hey, better to be too formal than too informal and be considered rude, right?

Owns quite the collection of stim toys. Cubes, squishies, tangles, slime, kinetic sand- you name it, he has it! It’s not so much for himself, since he has a few favorites and sticks to them, but keeps the rest more so for anyone else that might need them.

He’s partial to the fidget pen- he likes fidget cubes too, but they’re usually a little small for his hands and harder to work with.

Doesn’t use memes quite right, but is always eager to learn where they originated from. Kaminari (always good-heartedly) never misses an opportunity to explain them to him, and gets so proud when one of Iida’s attempts lands.

He was kind of worried he’d look out of place on stage in the Cultural Festival, but with his friends reassuring him it’s alright, not only did he go out there, but had lots of fun as well!

Very routine focused. He loses half an hour of sleep and he’s already thinking about re-structuring his entire schedule.

Orange juice is a samefood. That boy need his orang juice

Special interest in the mechanics that go into hero costumes and quirk-assisting gadgets. It’s why he was so eager to accept help from Hatsume during the sports festival (he has mixed feelings about this one), and he’s sure they would work well together if only she stopped trying to make him a test subject.

It’s also something he and Midoriya can spend hours going back and forth about. Iida doesn’t usually lose track of time, but he can’t help it when such an interesting conversation is happening!

Screw “quiet hands”. In this house we wave our hands around intensely enough to almost smack someone (“but not actually smack them!! Always be aware of your surroundings!!”)

Favorite stim: Believe it or not, running! The wind resistance, the stomp of his feet, is all Very Good!!

Kirishima

He used to chew stuff a lot- first as a way to get used to his new, sharper teeth, and then because he just liked how very stimmy it is! But he’d also chew stuff that’s not really supposed to be put your mouth so his moms helped him find healthier stim alternatives, since actual chewelry were either a) not stimmy enough, b) wrong texture or c) destroyed too quickly and he’d just go back to chewing unhealthy stuff.

Since he’s grown enough to not go through chewelry at a breakneck pace, he keeps a couple at hand for when he’s studying- helps him focus! He was kinda embarrassed to bring one to his and Bakugou’s study sessions at first, but after Bakugou admitted that he’s also autistic he started keeping one on his person during them- assuring the other that he’s taking proper care of washing it and everything.

He used to bite on his hands as well- still does when he's under extreme stress (imagine summer camp/AFO showing up at Kamino levels of stress) even though he's grown out of it for the most part.

Hyper-Empathy Station. Makes him good with people (and animals) but leaves him exhausted more often than not.

“Hey don’t you get tired of sticking your hair up like that every d-” “It’s routine bro you can’t just quit it that would be chaos”

Whether he wears it up or not, his hair always seems to be a very good tactile stim, both for him and, surprisingly, Bakugou. When it’s up, the pointy spikes are very satisfying to run one’s hands over, just rough enough to slightly scratch the palm, but just light enough to not completely bring them down. When it’s down, Bakugou doesn’t miss an opportunity to touch it, which works for Kirishima too, since having people run their fingers through his hair is very relaxing to him.

He Cannot handle kinetic sand and most slimes. It either feels grainy and dry or too wet and sticky. The crunchy sound sand makes when it’s cut is like nails on a chalkboard in his head. It’s just not for him.

Gullible. Please be nice to him he just wants to believe in the good in everyone

Special interest on Crimson Riot!! I mean, come on; basing his hero persona on him, naming himself after him? Turning to interviews of his in moments of doubt and uncertainty, finding comfort in media about him? Yeah

Has a couple Comfort Sweaters™ and a single comfort plushie- a shark one, the first gift his Ma got him when she met his mom. It’s been patched and stitched up dozens of times, and barely holds itself together, which is why he never takes it out of its safe place in the closet unless he’s seriously in need for some comfort and has already exhausted all other options.

Bro, We Are Autistic . Its Ok To Stim Around Me . Im Ur Best Friend . I Love You . ... Bro, We Are Infodump ing Now . . No Dont Stop Bro .. Bro ...

Favorite stim: Bumping his hardened fists together!! Sometimes he’ll simply rub his hardened knuckles back and forth together- it’s more discreet, and while not as satisfactory, still good for emotional regulation.

Bakugou

Branded a problem child early on, Bakugou had the majority of his meltdowns called “tantrums” instead. So he decided that if everyone treats him like a brat, he might as well be one.

Even before he started losing his hearing, he had some auditory processing issues- which is why he hates hates hates when Midoriya mutters (and similarly, why he didn’t immediately turn his back to Kirishima- the guy talks loud and clear like 95% of the time. Bakugou can appreciate that, even if he won’t say it).

Face blindness is inconvenient as all hell, which is why he gives people ridiculous nicknames: connecting names to faces is difficult enough, and at the beginning he doesn’t really care to try and memorize them anyway, so he just finds a prominent characteristic to remember each of them by.

[Insert Smart Guy Meme] “You can’t be deceived by fake politeness and sarcastic compliments if you react aggressively to everything people say to you”

Loves his routine and having everything planned. If you drag him into something out of nowhere and disrupt his schedule he will be mad at you for a week minimum (something his friends found out the hard way)

Prolonged human interaction is absolutely exhausting, more than any quirk training exercise, and he gets cranky at the speed of light when he reaches his limit. As time goes on he does find a few people (first Kirishima and then progressively the rest of the Bakusquad) that aren’t as exhausting for him to be around for longer and longer. He still needs his alone time, but now he knows that he can recharge around them as well, if he feels like having company.

Drumming is Very Good stim-wise. So is spicy food, which is why he likes it so much.

Pressure stims are The Worst for him- weighted blankets, tight vests, anything at all that might constrict him in any way? He Will react like cats do to cucumbers. The only exception is that once in a while, when he’s exhausted but can’t seem to ground himself enough to drift off, he’ll ask Kirishima to just. Lie on him, also like cats do, just until he falls asleep.

This is a No Socks Zone. These foot prisons are absolute sensory hell, and with how sweaty he gets it’s only made worse.

How Can People Talk About Emotions While Simultaneously Looking Each Other In The Eye This Feels Disgusting I Will Blow Something Up: an autobiography

Favorite stim: Tiny explosions popping in his palms. Sure, grand light shows are fine and all but small ones, just big enough to feel through the roughed-up skin of his palms have a certain calming effect. Sucks that people immediately jump to assuming he’s threatening them when he’s just trying to cool down.

Tsuyu

Very blunt. She doesn’t mean to be rude, but sometimes it comes across like it when she’s only trying to be honest and offer advice.

Raptor hands 24/7. what an icon

Has trouble with physical contact in the sense that she’s??? not really sure how to do it??? She offers hugs and hands to hold left and right but it always feels like she’s just. doing it. Like how one would tie a loose shoelace or button up a shirt. It’s not like she hates it, but her nonchalance when someone does hug her makes people assume she’s being cold- which is not the case at all! She’s just offering comfort in a way she knows other people will understand even if it’s not really doing much for her.

Jelly is a samefood! She likes sour apple jelly the best

Kind of a black-and-white mind. She’s working on seeing the world in shades of grey though, since she saw how her Absolute thinking can impact her friends.

Low/no empathy. She hates that to some people’s eyes that automatically makes her a bad person. Kindness is a choice, one that she doesn’t need empathy to make every day.

Favorite stim: Her near constant kero-kero-ing is very much a vocal stim, as well as echolalia!

Yaomomo

Makes her own stim toys using DIYs rather than her quirk, and is very eager to make any personalized ones for her friends!

She also likes experimenting with what kinds of textures she can make using her quirk.

Has a semi-popular account where she uploads videos of her playing with slime and kinetic sand regularly.

Much like Iida, she adopted the more formal ways of speaking from her parents and house staff and has trouble toning it down (not that anyone faults her for it).

Very picky about who touches her. She genuinely does not want to come off as the Snobbish Rich Girl but sometimes when someone touches her with no warning or consent she feels like crawling out of her skin

In the exact same vein, she was extremely hesitant to admit that the futons at the training camp drove her up the wall with that hellish texture. She didn’t want to be the nitpicky one and make a new one using her quirk, either. If anything good came out of the disaster that was the training camp, it was that she didn’t have to sleep on it another night, she thinks (and then feels terrible about it).

Her special interest is tea! Like, actual tea that you drink. Just look at how she lights up when she gets an opportunity to talk about it, or make some for others!! It’s also a samefood for her- she tries to be diverse, but there are a couple with juuust the right combination of smell and taste that she will always go back to.

Sometimes she won’t even drink any- just the process of making it is extremely comforting.

Favorite stim: Double-sided sequins! Tactile-visual stim combo!

Koda

Largely nonverbal. Talking to people is too stressful 99% of the time. Animals are way better listeners anyway.

No volume control we die like men part 2 (but it’s the complete opposite from Iida, in that he can never seem to raise his voice enough)

Likes his peace and quiet, and can easily go into sensory overload if one too many sounds are happening at once. He wants to invest in some headgear for his hero costume that helps him tune out distracting sounds so he can focus on matters at hand while still being able to hear and help those in need.

A plushie hoarder if I ever saw one. His room is the Ultimate Comfort Corner.

Favorite stim: Humming to himself. Reluctant to do it in the presence of others, but increasingly comfortable around friends.

Aizawa

Samefoods with those juice pouches he always keeps around

Permanently exhausted due to having to interact with people

Talks in a monotone and has trouble making expressions

His sleeping bag is very good pressure stim. It’s also very hard for him to replace it, because it has to be Just Right, so by the time he does find one that is Just Right, the old one is practically falling apart.

The only reason he’ll sleep in a bed is if Mic is there to share it with him. Otherwise it’s too cold and exposed and weighted blankets can only do so much.

He kinda misses the time before he got top surgery for the sole reason that binders offered a very comforting pressure stim. However, he acknowledges that it’s for the best he got it, since a lot of the time he’d bind for longer than it’s safe. He was lucky to still have the option of getting surgery.

(this has been a safe binding psa, please don’t do what he did)

He does however, tend to wear a tight, though still breathable undershirt at near all times.

As much as he complains about Mic’s mustache, he actually likes it. He tried to kiss Mic once when he shaved it for the first time in forever and instantly went “yea no. This isn’t working. Feels wrong and bad, Put It Back™”. Didn’t kiss him again until it grew back.

Everything Happens So Much

He talks back to cats. Like, actually meows back at them. Very good echolalia, makes Mic’s day to walk into a scene like this

Favorite stim: Petting cats! The fur of different breeds offers a variety in texture and when they start purring a very good auditory stim is added to the mix! And when they sit on him and add a pressure stim? Cats are the whole package!!

That’s all (for now?) Thanks for reading!! Hope you had a nice Autism Acceptance Month!!!

#autistic headcanon #autism acceptence month #bnha headcanons #aizawa shouta #bakugou katsuki #kirishima eijirou #midoriya izuku #todoroki shouto #iida tenya #asui tsuyu #yaoyorozu momo #kouda kouji #des writes sometimes

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darktypeimagines · 4 years

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Hi! I was wondering if you could expand a bit on the ´S/O from Unova´ who travels the world (Specifically Leon). This request is a little specific so here goes; The S/O has a thing for fire types, and while in Galar studies under Kabu (They are a HUGE fan) They have two partner pokemon, an Emboar and a Drifblim. Thank you so much, for your time :)

2nd ask – I assume you saw my message about missing posts and re-sent this. Since the asks have slightly different details, I’ll just combine them into one post

“Hiya! Could you do some HC´s for a trainer who´s mentored by Kabu? To elaborate they´e been a fan since a young child, and also adore fire types. Said trainer has gone to Galar to test their mettle against gym leaders w/ their ace Emboar. After the match, the trainer asked if Kabu could help them specifically w/ fire types.”

So, based on the asks, I’m assuming you want the same character as from the Unovan strategist ask, so I’ll expand on that. I changed up the order of things a little bit. AND OH BOY I WROTE WAAAAY TOO much again. I split it halfway to save your dashes. There’s nothing really triggering, although some people might not be into a relationship with a decent age gap.

———————————————————————————

You were pretty young when you decided to be a trainer, much like many kids. But, unlike many kids, you were hyperfixated on one particular trainer: the fire type specialist, Kabu.

You first became a fan ALL the way back when he first joined the Galar League. Despite being from Unova, you often watched the Galar league because there was just a sense of excitement that was lacking in other leagues. Galar made a show of their tournaments, so their televised battles were watched worldwide.

Once you set out beyond Unova, you decided to head over to Galar. You needed a fresh challenge, and considering it was the Galar League that helped you decide your course in life, it felt natural to head there next

You ended up battling all the other Galar gym leaders before finally heading to Kabu. Might as well save your favorite for last!

Apparently, he heard about you already. News travels fast, especially when the news is about a famous Unovan trainer who’s randomly challenging all of the gym leaders of his region. He knew he’d encounter you eventually.

He greeted you in the gym, rather formally, saying he was expecting you. You were low-key freaking out on the inside, but managed to keep yourself together. For about a minute. Then you lost it. You started gushing, telling you how you watched him on TV since you were a little kid. How you looked up to him. How you became a fire-type specialist because of him. And how, growing up, you wished you could have trained under him. How that was your most common daydream.

And then you stopped. Oh no. You went too far.

Kabu gave you a knowing look, and let out a small laugh. He was used to this; it happened all the time with fans. Although, it wasn’t every day such an accomplished trainer came up to him and told him he inspired them… It was incredibly flattering.

He said he would have loved to train you, but you probably surpassed him by now. He wasn’t sure if you could learn much from him.

WHATAREYOUTALKINGABOUTOFCOURSEICOULDLEARNMOREYOUREAMAZINGYOUHAVESOMUCHMOREEXP- was basically the gist of what you incoherently blurted out.

Kabu was surprised at the outburst, but he just smiled again. Did he blush, or did you imagine it? You’d never know.

Well… in that case. He knew you came to battle, but if you really, really wanted to, he could train you. He wouldn’t mind. He’s still not sure what he could possibly teach you, but he could try to come up with something!

After a bit of mental short-circuiting, you said yes! Of course! It was a dream come true for you, and… it took you a while to feel like it was actually happening.

You stayed at the inn during your training. The first thing Kabu had you do was change your schedule. You had to meet up with him before dawn and then make your way down to wherever you were training that day.

Usually, it was one of the mines or his gym. What surprised you was the content of his training. Often, it wasn’t even battling. It almost seemed like he was training you rather than helping you with your Pokemon or battling…

You had to endure the elements. Snowstorms near Circhester. The heat of the Dusty Bowl. Battling in the pitch-black night.

You jogged together. Meditated. Kabu even talked to you about eating a little healthier.

You asked him when you were actually going to train with battling. And that was when Kabu decided to explain his thinking to you. It was clear that you were a talented trainer. You knew strategy. You knew your Pokemon inside and out. But, what about you? Were you in peak condition, mentally and physically? A battle could occur anywhere, at any time, so you needed to be prepared at all times. Otherwise, there was a chance you could let down your partners…

Plus, as he said earlier, he explained, you seem to have surpassed him in terms of actual battling long ago.

After this, you agreed to continue. Being with him was a dream, even if it wasn’t what you were expecting.

This went on for months. You began to wonder how long this would go on for. Not that you were complaining. And, in that time, the two of you grew closer.

You started having dinner together frequently. Kabu was a pretty good cook, so often the two of you just ended up at his house. Due to the intensity of your training, you often ended up curled up next to Emboar on the floor, passed out after dinner. You always found a blanket on top of you when you woke up.

But, in time, you began to feel the itch to battle. Specifically, against him. So, one morning, when you first met up, you simply asked him.

He smiled, and said sure. If you felt you needed to battle him, then you needed to battle him! So, the two of you headed down to his gym. It wasn’t open yet, so it was eerily quiet, but in a way, it felt right.

He asked if you wanted to battle in a certain way; he knew Unovan people sometimes had battles with three Pokemon, after all. And he knew you didn’t Dynamax. You said a typical single battle would be fine, and that you’d LIKE it if he Dynamaxed! More challenge, after all…

You did agree to have a three on three battle, though, since he only had five Pokemon.

You sent out Emboar; he started with Arcanine. The large dog growled, baring its teeth – the aggression was quite intimidating and seemed to daunt Emboar. You knew its attacks might be weaker and more hesitant now…

But, before Kabu could give an order, you had Emboar use Sucker Punch, catching Arcanine off guard and stunning them. Despite being intimidated, Emboar landing quite the hit!

While Arcanine was trying to recover, you had Emboar follow up the last attack with a Fire Punch. Not a very effective attack type wise, but it would be fast enough for a quick follow up attack.

Before Emboar could ready another attack, Kabu had Arcanine launch a flurry of Extremespeeds. They took their toll on Emboar, and it was difficult for your Pokemon to get back on its feet.

·As Arcanine was about to start another round, you had Emboar strike the ground and use Earthquake. It hit Arcanine before it could reach Emboar, and it fainted.

Kabu sent out Ninetales next. This round was a bit more uneventful, as Emboar got another Earthquake in, which badly injured Ninetails. But then the fox got in an Extrasensory, knocking out Emboar.

You sent off Drifblim next, the balloon ghost rising high on the residual heat from Emboar’s attacks. Most people were surprised that you, a fire type specialist, had a random ghost type on your team. But this was purely strategic. What most people didn’t know is that Drifblim, like a hot air balloon, could rise higher and faster with hot air. You used their lack of knowledge to your advantage.

With Drifblim flying high above, Ninetales tried to launch a Fire Blast at them. Before the move could hit, though, you had Drifblim use Phantom Force. The ghost vanished, making the fire move miss. Both Kabu and Ninetales searched around the arena, but Drifblim was nowhere to be found. Ninetales braced itself for an attack, but didn’t know where to focus its attention.

Moments later, a dark portal appeared behind the fox, and Drifblim flew out, attacking Ninetales. Between this powerful move and the damage Ninetales took earlier, Kabu’s Pokemon fell, unable to battle further.

Kabu sent out his last Pokemon, Centiskorch. Luckily for your strategy, just the fire bug’s presence bought new heat to the arena, speeding up your Drifblim. Kabu immediately Gigantamaxed his Centiskorch, the bug type surrounding itself in energy and quickly taking up the other half of the battlefield.

And you know what? You had a plan to deal with the giant Pokemon. It was a cheap tactic, but you knew it’d work. You had Drifblim use Phantom Force throughout Centiskorch’s Gigantamax time. The giant bug tried to hit Drifblim with Centiferno multiple times, but due to the hot air, Drifblim kept out speeding its opponent. Finally, Centiskorch reverted to its normal sized form.

It hadn’t taken much damage due to its defense boost, but it was far from unscathed. As Centiskorch reverted back to its normal form, Kabu surprisingly had it use Crunch, landing a critical blow on Drifblim.

Drifblim wouldn’t be able to last much longer. It sputtered up and down, trying to keep altitude, obviously exhausted. You felt a little bad doing this… but, you knew it would earn you the win.

You had Drifblim rush Centiskorch, which Kabu didn’t expect. When they were within range, you yelled to your Pokemon to unleash Explosion! In the blast of smoke and fire, you couldn’t see whether or not it finished the job. But as the battlefield cleared, you saw both Pokemon, Drifblim laying on top of Centiskorch, fainted. You had won, with a Pokemon to spare.

After returning your Pokemon, and quietly promising Drifblim a nice treat when you got home, you and Kabu approached each other.

He congratulated you. It had been a while since he had such a fierce battle! With an explosive ending, too! He said he hoped to battle you again someday, and wished you the best along the rest of your journey.

What?

Oh yeah. You were traveling the world. Right.

Honestly, though, being with Kabu reminded you what “home” felt like. You felt comfortable with him. You didn’t want to leave.

And. You broke down and got emotional. Kabu was rather worried, and quickly crossing the space between you, putting a hand gently on your shoulder. He asked what was wrong, although you have a feeling he had an idea.

You told him. You blurted it out. That you adored him, beyond that of a regular fan. You… loved him? You weren’t sure yet. But you knew you had feelings for him and the thought of leaving was a nightmare for you.

It took a moment for Kabu to respond. He seemed to have to gather his thoughts. And then, he said it. He felt the same way. But he felt you needed to move on. After all, how could you improve yourself if you stayed here?

But… While he doesn’t want to admit it, because of the age difference between you two, he, too, had feelings for you. He loved your passion; how you were willing to go to such lengths for your dreams. You looked up to him for so long, and worked your way towards eventually meeting him. And even after you realized how hard his training was, you stuck with him! He admired you. And he also didn’t really want you to go.

After a long talk, which took place at his home since you both needed somewhere more comfortable to work things out, it was decided that you two would give this a shot.

You immediately moved in with him. But, beyond the added romance, the same structure that bought you together remained. You still trained together. You still woke up early together. Only now, you woke up before dawn with a kiss and retired to your home – the one you shared.

#kabu #kabu x reader #pokemon swsh #pokemon sword and shield #pokemon imagines #pokemon #scenario #ask #x reader #darktypeimagines

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loulougoingsolo · 4 years

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DIYing a Bold Hair Choice

So, as we all know, we live in troubling times. I've personally been living in quarantine-like arrangements for about a month now, and although I've been mostly doing alright, some things have proven to be hard. I was supposed to have my hair professionally cut and dyed this week, but I had to cancel the appointment, and at the moment, I don't know when I'll get to visit the salon for the next time. So, I had to take matters (or scissors) to my own hands.

I'm a DIYer, but I've never cut my own hair. I've also had it professionally dyed since I was 15 or so. For a short period, I only had it bleached and cut by a pro, but then dyed it myself with a pretty intense cool shade of red - but other than that, and a few toner touch ups, I've always relied on professionals. So I was in a bit of a pickle, when I realized that I'd have to either DIY or have my grey roots grow wild for months. And because my hair is short, the roots way too grey for my age, and I had all this time ln my hands, there was really only one way this could go.

When I go about a DIY project, my first step, always, is thorough research. I had an idea for what I'd attempt to achieve, so I went on Youtube and searched for diy haircuts. I got some good tutorials, but most of them were for long hair - and I also got suggested GMM episode #989, in which Rhett and Link battle in cutting their own hair (wigs). Can I just say, they predicted the Tiger King craze long before Netflix:

So, I immediately figured I would not be able to follow yhe hair styling tutorials of this GMM episode. First of all, I could only find one pair of scissors even remotely sharp enough to cut hair. They were not sharp enough. Secondly, the longest part of my hair barely reaches my chin. I would need to really commit to every snip I make, or I'd end up with a bald hair style, instead of bold. As attractive and gorgeous some people are with a fully shaved head, with my head shape, that was something to avoid at all costs.

Another thing I was worried about was that I'd probably end up cutting my own finger, like Link. I've always found it extra difficult to see my own reflection in a mirror and try to do accurate motions according to the reflection. Simply put, my brain gets confused. Also, I don't really have a way to see the back of my head through the mirror at all. How the crap am I supposed to cut anything?

At this point, I understood that the actual haircut was going to be the tough part, so I decided to focus on the dye. Since I cojldn't just go to a big supermarket to buy the equipment, I had to order the dyes online. At this point my plan was simply to buy a multitude of wild colours to mix and match according to my mood, so I ordered a tub of Midnight Blue, Daffodil Yellow, Flamingo Pink and Cerise dyes, all by the brand La Riche Directions. These dyes are semi-permanent, sonI knew they wouldn't cause permanent damage to my hair, and at this point, that was kind of my goal - whatever I do, I don'g want to ruin things too badly. But, because I'm familiar with semi-permanent dyes, and I've had pretty much every shade on the spectrum on my hair at one point, I knew I might require an extra step to see results. Which is why, "just in case", I added a hair lightening kit to my order. I figured, I'd make some lighter strands on top, to have some colours show properly.

By the time the dyes arrived, I was already pretty fed up with my grey roots. I watched the GMMore which followed the hair cut episode. Rhett, who won the haircut challenge, got to decide what colours would go in Alex's hair. Alex had done the smart thing and bleached his hair professionally to be dyed in this episode, but he somehow agreed to letting Rhett and Link add the colours.

When Rhett explains everyone how he and Link used to dye eachother's hair back in the day, I realize that even though I'm technically watching a DIY hair tutorial, they aren't actually doing it themselves. It's quite different to put dye on someone else's head than your own. (Also, something I didn't notice back when I first saw this episode: Link says it would be crazy for him to have his hair dyed, but looking back, he most certainly had his hair dyed at this time.)

It was slightly alarming to see that Alex was worried about how things would go. I could hardly expect to achieve anything much better than the guys, since at least they had the studio lighting and a full team to help rhem not screw up. I had a mirror in my dark toilet, which is barely big enough to stand in.

I also forgot to buy vaselkne, which was a big mistake - although I don't think it's even possible to buy a container that big here. Why would they have that at Mythical in the first place? But something about seeing how much trouble the guys were having controlling the unmixed streaks of dye and all that vaseline made me worried.

At this point, I need to tell you that seeing the blank canvas which was Alex's hair, I, now the proud owner of a 40 % bleack kit (which apparently is the strong stuff), decided I was not going to waste energy by trying to dye my hair without bleaching, only to find out that the colours didn't show. So, I mixed the bleach, put on a worn-out t-shirt, used hand lotion to vas up my forehead, neck and ears, and then just went for it.

I did watch quite a few proper tutorials. They taught me, firstly, that 40% was a no-no. Secondly, never bleach something that has already been bleached, especially, if your hair has multiple colours. Forth, never start from the roots, as they get bleached faster (this ended up being the only rule I followed). And, above all, go to a professional.

So, I added the bleach to my hair. First I tried sticking to just a few strands, but then a blop of the bleach fell on the wrong spot, and I figured, why not just go full head. I did. I left the stuff on for maybe 20 minutes, and after that I got scared and rinsed it off. Then, I used a silver toner, and was left with a fascinating mix of orange, yellow and white hair - and a strand of persistent green from my previous dye. But it was blond enough for my plans.

Alex had a beautiful mix of blue, pink and purple in his hair - and that accidental splash of green - and after considering thoroughly, I decided to go for these colours, too. I mean, pink, purple and blue are my jam. Also, as much as I wanted to go full rainbow, I figured it would be an impossible task to keep the different colours from mixing, and that might result in brown, which is the colour of defeat. So, I went with midnight blue, flamingo pink and cerise, and wasn't too concerned aboit getting the colours mixed together.

This is how Alex's hair looked on the episode, before he rinsed the extra dye off:

I couldn't find any good photos of his hair after it was rinsed, but tgere was one which suggested only a faint shade of blue stuck.

And finally, here's what happened with my hair. Now, I'm not posting my face here, just the hair. Imagine a white blop with green eyes below the hair, and you'll get the idea. In the first two pictures is my hair during normal times, and just before I diyed it. It looks particularly nasty in the just before hack job pic, because it was adviced not to wash your hair before bleachkng to save the scalp - but as you can see, this was not a fun thing to see in the mirror each morning:

After I had dyed my hair, I did some snips here and there, and also, because I was able to borrow a hair clipper from my dad, some clipping - which in my books, saved the day. The haircut is pretty botched, but I actually absolutely love the colour. And the criss-cross shave despite it being pretty bad - it also looks badass in real life. The picture taken outside shows the pink colours more accurately, but the cut shows better in the other pic. There are a couple of ways I can style this later on, but I kept styling to minimum for starters, because I didn't want to cause extra damage to my hair:

So, this has been the story of how I diyed my hair during quarantine. My mom loves the whole thing (I showed it to her yesterday while taking them groceries), and although there are some spots in the back which could have more colour in them, I'm pretty satisfied. I know my hairdresser is going to weep when she sees me, but she'll get over it.

So, in conclusion: Would I do this again? Yes, but I'd definately leave the cutting and bleaching to the pros. Also, now I can't really bleach again for a while. But I'm actually thinking about taking the dyes I have to my hairdresser so she can dye my hair properly with them, in a healthier way, once all this chaos settles and it's safe again. I'd probably need a slightly darker, permanent colour to the roots, but I absolutely love these insanely bright colours. And I'm so going to try the full rainbow this summer, too.

Would I recommend this to others? Yes, but with caution. The direct semi-permanent colours are safe and won't damage the hair, but bleach does. My hair is naturally a tad too dark to show bright colours properly, so I took the risk. I was also mentally prepared to shave the whole thing off and wear my mythical hat for the summer - but I'm happy that wasn't necessary. If you aren't willing to risk damaging your hair, stick to semi-permanents.

To end this post, here's a selfie I took yesterday on my grocery store trip in full safety gear (I have a paper mask under the scarf):

Stay safe! Do things that make you happy! BYMB! 💗💗💗

#diy hair #bold hair choice #inspired by #gmm 989 #diy hair cut #diy hair dye #quarantine glam #pink purple and blue hair #bymb

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ravenlywritings · 6 years

Text

Before the Revolt Chapter Fourteen

Being that Mari and I have nowhere to go, Cleo has been gracious enough to let us stay in her home until I recover and find a place for Mari and I. I don't want to stay in the Washington D.C. area because there are just too many humans and the cities make it hard to breathe.

Mari traces my tattoo with her fingertip, and I open my eyes to see her completely lost in thought. "Like what you see?" I smirk. She jumps, pulling her hand away from me, "Oh, Van, did I wake you?" "No, put it was a pleasant way to wake up," I say as I take her hand and place it back on my chest. "Do you like my tattoos?" "They're interesting... Did they hurt?" "No, not me. A little needle like that won't hurt." "Then.. what does hurt you Van?" Mari looks at me inquisitively. "Being away from you," I draw her in closer to me and gently kiss her. Mari lets out a deep sigh, "What are we going to do?" I sit up and crack my neck before getting off of the bed, "Whatever it takes." She sits at the edge of the bed and looks away from me, "I'm worried." "You're always worried. Hey, I'll take care of things, okay? There's nothing to worry about, we'll be okay," I try to reassure her. I gently place my hand under her cheek and lift her head, "I won't let anything happen to us." She wraps her arms around my waist, "Neither will I." "Now, come on let's go downstairs. I'm sure you're hungry," I smile as she lets go of me.

Cleo stands in the kitchen over the stove, "Morning. I was wondering if you'd ever come unglued from each other and come talk to a lonely witch like me. Do you want anything, Van?" "I have no idea how you can eat something that smells awful like that." "I think it smells delicious, Cleo!" Mari exclaims as she takes a seat at the small table. "Well, Van doesn't eat food. I was just teasing him," Cleo smirks as she plates some of the food for her and Mari. "How are the wounds feeling?" "Itchy and irritated. I'm starving," I sigh deeply as Mari gives me a perplexed look. "If you're hungry, why don't you eat what Cleo has made? I can share my plate with you," she says sweetly. Cleo glances at me with a raised brow, "She doesn't know, does she?" "Hey, where's Acelin?" I ask, avoiding her question. Cleo stares at her plate of food, "Home. I don't know when she'll be back." "Oh, I... I didn't know. I'm sorry," I mumble. "Did you just say 'I'm sorry?'" She glances up at me. A flash of heat rises to my cheeks, "Yes?" "Jesus, Mari whatever you're doing to make him change, keep it up. Maybe he'll be a decent person soon." Cleo laughs as Mari blinks in confusion; she clears her throat, "You've got a lot to learn, it seems. Hey, Van, can you and I talk outside for a moment?"

We step outside and I take a seat on one of the wicker chairs. She crosses her arms and glares at me. I avoid eye contact with her and watch humans as they start their day. "I haven't told her much about myself. I'm scared of what she'll think, okay?" "You can't leave her in the dark like this. She loves you and deserves to know who she is in love with." Cleo sighs as she takes a seat next to me. "Have you told Acelin why you aren't in Draygar?" I glance at her from the corner of my eye. "She knows parts of it. It's hard to talk about, but we still do." Cleo toys with her necklace for a moment, "If the only thing she knows about you is that you're a demon and you fought someone, then she knows nothing. There's much more to you than just those things." She stands up and turns to face me, "I'm sure you'd like to be alone to think for a while so I'm going to go inside."

Sighing deeply, I rub my forehead and close my eyes. She's right. I need to tell Mari more about myself, but I'm not sure where to even begin. A bright flash catches my attention and I slowly rise from the chair. I squint my eyes at the blinding light, struggling to see what it actually is.

The intensity of the light lessens and I'm not sure what to make of it. It looks like a person. "Vanrahn Landis, what an interesting surprise." "Acelin?" I ask in shock. "Who else?" The light dims, leaving a slight halo around her. "I apologize for blinding you; it takes a moment for me to adjust to the strength of the Earth's moon." "What do you mean? Cleo said you went home, so I just assumed that meant Draygar..." I try to piece it together. She gives me an amused look; Acelin's accent isn't like anything I've heard on Earth or Draygar. "Where is home for you?" "Much farther than you would expect, I imagine. Maybe I will tell you sometime; is Cleo at home?" She breezes right past my question, her eyes lighting up at the idea of seeing Cleo. "Uh, yeah..." I draw out. "She's inside with Mari."

The front door swings open and Cleo rushes over to Acelin, lifting her up and holding her close. "I'm so glad you're back!" "Xɤfux sɞr, luthɤxuthɤ sɤfu." Acelin speaks with a soft tone, her voice barely loud enough for me to hear. "X'thu dɤdyuchür shɤth," Cleo murmurs softly to her; I didn't know that she knew whatever language Acelin speaks. "As nice as this is and all, what the fuck are you saying." I shake my head, "You know what, don't answer that. I'll leave you two alone." Mari stands in the doorway, looking up at me, "They seem happy." I take hold of her hand and smile, "They are." Wrapping my arm around her waist, I kiss the top of her head, "Can we go inside? I want to talk to you." Mari nods her head and we enter the home, closing the door behind us. We sit on the couch in the parlor and she leans against me.

"What do you want to talk about?" She asks sweetly. I sigh heavily, "Me." She glances up at me with confusion, but I continue. "You only know what I am and that I lost a fight. There is much more to me than that, and you're not going to like a lot of it." "I'm not sure I understand?" She says as she rests her hand on mine. "How much do you know about incubi?" "I know that they take souls from things and that they take energy," she says as she pulls away from me. "Right. I don't eat human food because I don't need it and, more often than not, it makes me sick. I 'feed' by taking energy from creatures by having sex with them, but I can take it without that; though, it hurts the person I'm taking energy from far more than if I took it the 'natural' way. You're also right about the souls. I can take them if I so please, but not all incubi can." "Why can you?" Her voice trembles slightly. "I'm stronger than most others. Do you remember when I told you that you're the first person to love me for me rather than my name? How I was a prince? Well, my name held power and I had so many succubi throwing themselves at me. They all tried to take parts of my power with them, but none of them succeeded. If they so much as tried to take a piece of my soul... I took theirs. All of it." I explain as her eyes grow large at the realization of what I just said. "I can take souls, and I have many times; although, I prefer to just steal energy." "Are... are you saying what I think?" She asks as I look away from her. "If... if you're hungry, does that mean you have to..." "Yes and no. I need energy. I'm very weak because of the fight," I say cautiously. "But that's not the point of this conversation, Mari. I want to tell you more about myself because you deserve to know who and what I am. If you don't want to stay with me, then I don't blame you. I don't deserve you." "Tell me about your childhood," she says softly. "About your mom and dad. What are they like?" "My mom was a wonderful woman and the most loved ruler that Dehios has ever seen. She loved me more than anything in the world. She wanted me to prosper and to take the throne after her; this made her help me through my schooling and training. She personally taught me many things. I was her pride and joy. My father, on the other hand, really didn't like me. To be fair, he only married my mother for her name, so it makes sense that he didn't like me either, as I was just like my mom. I was born with the authority that only members of the Landis family have, and he hated it because it meant that I could control him if I wanted to," I pause for a moment. "And I did. When my mother was murdered, he took the throne from me and eventually renounced my status as heir, giving it to Kearney instead." "Van, I had no idea." Mari's voice was soft and full of sorrow for a life she did not live. "Because I never told you anything about who I am or where I came from. Is there anything else you'd like to know?" Her cheeks grow red and she looks away from me, "Can I give you energy?" I look away from her for a moment, "You realize what you've just asked me right?" She raises an eyebrow at me in confusion, clearly not understanding my joke, and it makes me laugh nervously, "Uh, well, remember what I said earlier?" She gasps and covers her mouth, muffling her voice, "That's not what I... Van, I..." "Calm down, I know what you meant. I just wanted to tease you," I say as I reach for her hand. "Mari, I know you just want to help me. And if you're serious, then yes, you can give me energy." "But not the... normal way... I don't want that," her voice shakes with embarrassment. "Of course not. If you let me, I can try to make it less painful." She nods her head and I lean in close to her, my lips brushing against hers. "How is kissing me going to give you energy?" "Shhh," I say before pressing my lips to hers. Slowly, I fog her mind to try and take her focus away from what I'm about to do. I begin pulling her energy into me, careful not to hurt her. She lets out a small whimper in pain, so I try to cloud her mind more. Taking more of her energy, I can feel myself getting healthier, less gaunt, more normal. Part of me doesn't want to stop, but I know I have to. I'll hurt her if I don't. Reluctantly, I pull away and ease the fog from her mind.

Panting, she leans forward. Gently I rest my hand on her leg, but she brushes it off. "Please... don't," she huffs. I grit my teeth and back away; I knew this could happen. Why did I do this to her? I shouldn't have taken this from her, it isn't right.

More.

I shake my head, trying to get rid of that thought. I haven't felt this part of me in so long that I almost forgot it existed.

Need more.

No! I can't hurt Mari anymore. I'll have to find a different way of getting energy because the guilt of this is too much. But her energy...

"I want more of it." "Van?" Cleo's voice calls for me. I turn to face her and her expression changes from concern to anger. "Mari, come here, please. Van isn't safe to be around right now." "Van--" "Listen to her!" I shout, trying to keep control over myself. "Please." Cleo doesn't take her eyes off of me, "Acelin, can you take Mari upstairs?" Acelin nods her head and takes hold of Mari's hand. "Vanrahn Landis, you need to snap out of this right now." "I'm trying!" I yell as I grab my hair and pull. "I need it." "So much that you'll hurt your soulmate?" "Yes!" My voice says darkly. I furrow my brows and shake my head. I'm losing control. "No! It's not." "Nothing is worth hurting Mari, right?" Cleo asks calmly.

Yes it is. I let out a low growl, and clench my fists tightly, digging my nails into my palms. "Right." Blood drips from my hands and lands on my leg; taking a deep breath, I slowly release my fists and stare at the dark red gauges in my skin. I did that to myself. What would happen if I lost control around her? "Cleo..." She sits next to me and sighs, "When is the last time you had energy?" "Mari just gave me some... but before that, I don't know," I admit. "Are you stupid!" Cleo exclaims. "Mari is your soulmate and you honestly thought that taking some of her energy while you were starving was a good idea?" I remain quiet, realizing how stupid that was. "Her energy, even when you're not starving, is going to make you want more." I bite my lip to stop it from quivering, "I could have really hurt her, Cleo..." She nods her head and I look away, "I don't know what to do." "Are you still hungry?" Her tone was soft and caring, and it made me more upset with myself. I stand up and Cleo grabs my arm, "You're not leaving this house like this. If you lose control out there, I can't save you from the guardians." "Fuck the guardians. They think they're all high and mighty, but they're no stronger than me," I seethe. "You're missing part of your soul. I really don't want to be this blunt, but you're not as strong as you were. And you likely never will be that strong again," Cleo says softly as she pulls me back down to the couch. "Things will never be the same, Van." She's right. "What do I do? Everything is all sorts of fucked," I sigh heavily. "You adjust," she says with a small smile. "It gets better. I promise." I nod my head and lean my head on her shoulder, "This wasn't supposed to happen. None of this was. I never should have left in the first place." "That's all in the past. It happened and there's nothing we can do to change it. Keep looking into the future and live in the present," Cleo says as she rubs my shoulder, calming my mind. Things will never be the same. I'll never get back what was lost, but at least I have Cleo as my friend and Mari as my partner. I just have to learn how to be me again.

tag list: @maximillianvalentine @kaydandthesims @half-rainbow-sandwiches @flowers--girl @dahliaornelas @wallpatterns @waywardqueensims @chaos-reign @timeenoughforamasterpiece Let me know if you want to be added or removed from the tag list! (Acelin isn’t my character! She belongs to @maximillianvalentine)

#writeblr #amwriting #creative writing #original writing #chapter fourteen #vanrahn landis #marcelline ables #acelin black #cleo melendez #original story #original characters #acelin isn't my oc #before the revolt #btr #btr chapter fourteen #tw: blood

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liu-lang · 6 years

Photo

A really long post abt my curly hair & the changes my curls have been through. tagging @laskyjedneplavovlasky bc you asked to see results of my plait

Okay so I only ended up plaiting my hair for one night bc right after my boyfriend found bed bugs in his bedroom. I thought I’d finally take the opportunity to make a post about my hair tt I’ve kinda wanted to for awhile.

I’ve always been confused when ppl describe my hair as wavy and I’d be quick to correct them, no it’s curly. Obviously I don’t see the back of my head often. And when taking selfies with a front-facing camera, my hair looks curly to me. But finally having someone take photos of my hair from behind made me realise why ppl think I have wavy hair.

I’m gonna refer to these photos by the row number + left / centre / right. So in the top most row, the photo on the left (1L), tt’s my hair the morning after plaiting it. I think I put AG Recoil Curl Activator the night before after showering to detangle it. Sleeping with a plait was super uncomfortable ??? It felt weird to have all my hair tied up instead of how I usually sleep with my hair down (and consequently moving freely all over my pillow). It might have been uncomfortable bc it was my first time but also with these results, I’m not sure if plaiting my hair is the right way to go to encourage my curl pattern. My hair was also still damp when I took it out of the plait. But I’m really glad I tried it bc now I know. I wonder if I will achieve different results if my hair was healthier.

Also just to point this out before I forget, in 4R, tt’s the back of my little sister’s head. She has slightly wavy hair. She wears it about shoulder length now so her hair just looks straight. And my twin sister has straight hair. I rmbr asking her what she does with her hair while we were just together for xmas and she said she just shampoos it and then dries it without any product. I remarked tt I wish my hair could be tt maintenance-free…… my life would be so much easier.

1R, 2L and 2R are all my hair with any of the following products in it and the way I usually style my hair. 2R is my hair this morning right after waking up. I can’t rmbr which photo has which product. They aren’t all too different photo-wise. But I will say I think using straight up coconut oil, although hydrating does the least for encouraging and holding curl pattern. I only use 1 product at a time and I use the product to both detangle and style after I’ve showered.

Trader Joe’s Organic Triple Filtered Coconut Oil (I started using this when I was btwn hair products & didn’t want to spend money on stuff tt might end up not working for my hair)

AG Recoil Curl Activator

AG Foam Weightless Voluminiser

Urban Hydration Coconut Oil Styling Cream w/ Avocado Oil & Argan Oil

I don’t have the financial means nor the time nor do I want to make a giant effort to get ~perfect curls~ so I know most of my complaints could be addressed if I had those things or wanted to put in the energy / have the patience to do extra stuff to my hair. It took me awhile to also realise tt I can have different curl patterns throughout my head of hair. It tends to be straighter underneath and the top layers have more curls. There are all these rules / suggestions on how to sleep w/ curly hair “properly”, how to wash it and style it, how to care for day 2 / day whatever hair, how to dry your hair etc …. obvs I don’t care enough to do all the things but I try and do what i can. I stopped using shampoo several years ago and have a co-washing routine. Long story short this is what I do now :

I shower everyday so tt means I wash my hair everyday … this is not recommended for curly hair … but I developed seborrhoeic dermatitis along my hairline near my neck and left ear in high school (there are small localised patches tt flare up due to who knows what… mostly likely weather or stress … they’ve never spread to other pairs of my scalp or my body #pleasedon’tspread). When I shampoo I use Neutrogena’s T/Gel. I apply it directly onto my shampoo brush and only use it on parts of my scalp w/ the seborrhoeic dermatitis patches & I try to keep it on my scalp and not down the length of my hair. Even so, the T/Gel shampoo leaves my hair feeling like dry hay / dead grass after bc the coal tar strips my hair. If I’m having a pretty intense flare up, I will add tea tree oil directly to my scalp in addition to the shampoo. (when I was still trying to get it under control in the early days of diagnosis, I was prescribed 2% ketaconazole shampoo)

For conditioning and detangling in the shower, I use SheaMoisture’s Manuka Honey and Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Conditioner with a wide tooth comb. I actually start first w/ conditioner (so it has more time to sit in my hair) then once I’ve detangled, I will shampoo my scalp. This also prevents me from combing shampoo through my hair.

After I’m out of the shower, I dry my hair with a cotton t-shirt & use my wide tooth comb again to detangle w/ one of the products I listed above. Then I scrunch my hair to encourage curls and dry my hair a bit more. It *never* occurred to me to put product in my hair when my hair is wet straight out of the shower. I think I saw it in a Youtube video and I suddenly became aware tt I would dry my hair first until it was damp then put in product then dry again while scrunching. It totally makes sense now to do it w/ wet hair since the goal is to retain as much moisture as possible. I know everyone always says detangling w/ fingers is the best / most gentle but like I alr spend so much time as is w/ the comb. And I don’t want to be sitting down w/ my head upside down and hair turned over my face any longer than I alr have to. Then I go to sleep on a satin pillow case and my hair air dries throughout the night.

Looking at photos of my hair now and from 10 - 12 years ago (all the photos in rows 3 & 4), I wish I had appreciated the hair I had more. It was so different and so unique but tt was precisely what was so difficult (I heard the word “unmanageable” used to describe it a lot) about it and why I was ashamed of it growing up, I didn’t hate my hair but I felt ashamed and I felt like it didn’t suit me bc it was so big and so curly and I never knew what to do with it. Ppl always asked if it was real & no one would believe me when I said yes. White ppl here thought it was dreadlocks blergh….they actually still do even w/ the hair texture I have now. I rmbr having really terrible ID photos / school photos etc esp. when still living in Asia bc the photographers always wanted to get my hair out of my eyes or magically make it straight by running a fine tooth comb through my alr dry hair. Even put up in a pony tail, it would just be a giant bush (3C). I went to Catholic school w/ a dress code where your hair had to be up if it was long and I carried tt w/ me even after moving here so I only let my hair down in public when I was 18 / 19. Looking East Asian plus being a Muslim while having this kind of hair was so challenging. Bc everyone on my Chinese side didn’t understand why I didn’t have straight hair and my nenek was always asking my mum when we would be ~good Muslims~ and wear a tudung. I get my curly hair from my mum and sometimes I wish she would wear her hair naturally curly so we could look similar in at least one way but I understand how she’s internalised certain standards of beauty so she chooses to style her hair to meet them. She grew up w/ ppl being particularly cruel to her abt her hair & calling her ugly bc of it too. In addition to tt she had to deal w/ colourism.

My hair drastically changed when I was around 16 I think. I rmbr getting my hair cut to my shoulders thinking tt my curls would come back if I just took some weight off tt came w/ long hair…. but it just started me down a downward spiral (lol puns) to where I am now w/ my loose curls / waves. I started having an eating disorder at 11 all the way until I was 22 and now I’m struggling w/ it / just living w/ the remnants of it. I know tt having proper nutrition will help w/ my hair but also my body’s endured so much damage for over a decade, esp. when I should have been growing during my adolescence, tt it’s just gonna be a really long and slow journey ahead.

I’ve watched some hair transition videos of ppl reviving damaged hair and regaining their curls. This one by CurlyPenny comes to mind. I can’t believe it took her 5 years but her hair is fabulous and #goals now. I don’t know if I can get my original curl pattern back. Maybe this is just how my hair is post-puberty ? My hair is thin and not very dense (like if you look at my scalp, I don’t have a lot of hair strands growing out of one place per square inch) so it gets weighed down very easily by product. I know ideally I would use mists or foams instead of creams or gels. But I’ve found tt mists / foams don’t always provide my hair w/ the moisture it needs. And it’ll dry w/ a crunchy texture. Some ppl say oils aren’t the best bc they can build up if not properly washed out and I know I’m literally coating my hair w/ oils right now when I style it.

I’ve been watching Naturally Curly’s videos and I especially love seeing Grace’s Watch & Go’s bc I think she has similar-ish hair to mine in terms of her hair being on the border of wavy / curly. Having a haircut could also help w/ the shape of my hair and curls but my haircuts never seem to go as planned. I have a lot anxiety abt haircuts bc growing up my mum would come in and speak for me and I never knew what to say abt what I wanted / how to have a conversation with the hair stylist while in the chair. (I think there’s a thing where women have deep conversations & develop friendly relationships w/ their hair stylists). Right now, I think I want to focus on 2 things

Finding a clarifying conditioner tt is low or no lather bc I think properly removing product build-up once a month could really help w/ my hair feeling weighed down

Going back to deep conditioning my hair either by finding a hair mask / deep conditioning treatment or letting my regular conditioner I use now in the shower sit in my hair 30 min before I even take a shower

And maybe……a 3rd thing…. actually wrap my hair up when I sleep or put a cap on it to prevent breakage bc it’s so thin and to help w/ volume. Besides my curl pattern changing, the one other thing tt bothers me the most is how I’ve lost curls and volume at my roots. Idk if it grows out straight or what now but I’m not keen on how the roots are flat

I never really envisioned my #curlyhairpost to come out like this but I’m kinda relieved tt I’ve gotten it out of the way. Bc the longer it just sat in my brain, the longer and more complicated it grew. If you are naturally curly too, please share your journey ! I really love seeing the natural hair movement grow etc but ….. every time someone comes up to me to ask what I did to my hair to get my curls or they don’t believe my hair is naturally curly, I think about the stereotype of Asians only having straight, thick, black hair.

#personal #blurred out my face bc I was a grumpy teenager who didn't have great teeth & never learnt how to smile for photos

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dsibile · 4 years

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10 foods that can boost your immune system

The coronavirus pandemic has somewhat turned the world ’ s attention to the immune system , the body ’s defence mechanism against disease -causing bacteria , viruses and other organisms that we touch , ingest and inhale every day . Several studies have stressed the importance of a strong immune system to the human body . According to the Heart Foundation , New Zealand , when a foreign microbe gets into the body , the body puts up a defence. Although the immune system is not always successful in preventing microbes from entering the body , it can help to quickly recover from the illness . According to medical scientists , one of the best ways to stay healthy and boost the immune system is to eat healthy because what one eats is the major factor that determines how healthy one will be . Eating healthy , antioxidant -rich foods such as fruits and vegetables , whole grains , and lean protein is an important part of maintaining good immune system and health to ward off infection and illness . The following 10 foods can boost your immune system , although the list is not exhaustive . Honey Honey’ s antioxidant and antibacterial properties help improve the digestive system and boost immunity. It is a powerhouse of antioxidants, which are effective for the removal of free radicals from the body . According to Delhi , India - based nutritionist Anshul Jaibharat , one can start one ’s day by adding a spoonful of honey and lemon juice to a cup of warm water . One can drink this cleansing tonic before breakfast to reap honey ’s amazing health benefits . Garlic Garlic ’s scent tips you off to its many health benefits . The pungent aroma comes from sulphur compounds , including allicin . Scientists believe that allicin may block enzymes involved in infections; some studies suggest that swallowing garlic may ward off colds . Garlic can be cooked with other foods , although some people can stomach eating a bit like a pill , followed by milk or water . Research has also linked garlic intake to a lower risk of stomach , colon and oesophagus cancers . For a flavour and immunity boost, add garlic to marinades , roasted vegetables or grain bowls. Grapefruit Half a grapefruit has more than 60 per cent of your daily vitamin C content , and eating grapefruit may also help the body absorb other essential nutrients , such as iron. People who regularly consume foods containing vitamin C may have slightly shorter colds or milder symptoms. For a healthy morning treat , broil grapefruit with a little cinnamon sugar. Ginger Ginger , which is sometimes recommended to treat nausea , is high in both antioxidants and anti -inflammatory properties. A recent review of 60 studies found that ginger might have beneficial effects on ailments like obesity , heart disease and diabetes . It also contains immune -system -supporting compounds like beta- carotene and capsaicin . You can toss freshly ground ginger into a tofu stir- fry or sip it in your tea . Lemon 🍋 Lemons are high in compounds called bioflavonoids , which kill cancer-causing free radicals . They also provide vitamin C ( you can meet half your daily requirement from one fruit) , so adding lemon juice to your meals is an easy strategy for protecting yourself against colds and other infections. One simple way to work in a daily dose of vitamin C is to drink lemon water , either chilled or warm . A squeeze of lemon also makes steamed veggies tastier. Apple 🍏 People who eat an apple a day use fewer prescription medications , according to a 2015 study. And regular apple eaters report fewer asthma symptoms, according to research conducted by a group of researchers in the United Kingdom. Apples are also high in fibre , which can help reduce the inflammation common during infections. They are also a superfood when it comes to satiety. To turn apples into a more energising snack , slice one up and enjoy with a spoonful of peanut or almond butter . Buy organic or wash well before eating : a recent study found that a little water and baking soda remove pesticide residue from the fruit . Chicken soup 🐔 Chicken soup helps soothe cold symptoms, likely because the warm broth can thin nasal mucus so it can clear more easily . Soup in general hydrates, making it a smart meal pick when you’ re sick . If you want, you can spice up your chicken soup with nutrient -dense foods like carrots , onions and fresh herbs . Additionally , foods high in protein , such as lean meats and poultry , are high in zinc – a mineral that increases the production of white blood cells and T -cells, which fight infection . Other great sources of zinc are oysters , nuts , fortified cereal , and beans . Mushroom 🍄 Mushrooms may be a potent weapon in warding off colds, flu , and other infections. Studies done on fresh mushrooms , dried mushrooms , and extracts have shown that mushrooms such as shiitake, maitake , and reishi have antiviral, antibacterial , and anti -tumour effects . Berries Berries are rich in vitamin C and bioflavonoids , phytochemicals found in fruits and vegetables that may work as antioxidants and prevent injury to cells. One cup of strawberries contains as much as 100 mg of Vitamin C , which is nearly as much as a cup of orange juice . Dark berries such as blueberries are especially high in bioflavonoids . For an optimal immune system boosting effect, eat a bowl of mixed berries , or vary which berries you choose from day to day , rather than eating only one type. Fish 🐠 Fish are rich in Omega 3 fatty acids and other healthy fats which help increase the activity of white blood cells. These Omega 3 s may also play an important role in the production of compounds that regulate immunity in the body and help protect the body from damage from overreacting to infections. The best way to get the omega 3 fatty acids – DHA ( docosahexaenoic acid ) and EPA ( eicosapentaenoic acid )– is by eating fatty fish such as tuna, salmon , and mackerel. You can also get this omega 3 s through krill oil capsules or algae supplements . Other sources of the omega 3 fatty acid ALA ( alpha -linolenic acid ) are flax seeds , flax oil , chia seeds, hemp seeds, and walnuts . Meanwhile, one thing to keep in mind when choosing fish is that pregnant women and young children should avoid high mercury fishes like king mackerel , tilefish , shark , and swordfish. Five additional tips to boost immune system Although eating the above foods does not mean you may not get sick , medical experts have said taking the steps could dramatically strengthen the immune system and improve your overall health . Apart from food, there are other activities that can help boost the immune system these crucial these times. Don ’ t smoke Smokers have an increased risk of catching infections and suffering severe complications from them . Smoking damages the lungs and people with unhealthy lungs have been said to have a high risk of contracting coronavirus and other infections . Smoking is also the major cause of lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Hence, you might want to desist from smoking , especially at this period of increased health risk . Get adequate sleep Sleep is important for health in general, and as a bonus, it may also benefit our immune function . For instance , a study showed that those with insomnia had , on average, less immune response to the influenza vaccine, while another study in twins showed those with worse sleep had altered expression of genes related to immune function . In another study, 153 volunteers were inoculated with the rhinovirus ( the virus that can cause the common cold ) . It was found that those who slept less than seven hours were three times more likely to develop symptoms than those who slept more than eight hours . Again , the science in this area may not be robust , but when it comes to overall health, proper sleep helps. In times like these , you should prioritise sleep hygiene. If you ’re isolated at home , that likely means more time on electronics like tablets , phones , and TVs . This may be a good time to invest in blue -light blocking glasses and to look for non -tech related activities to do in the evening , like puzzles, crosswords, or reading an actual book ( not an ebook !) . The right amount of exercise Observational studies show that those who exercise tend to suffer fewer infections than those who do not. While those studies have confounding variables , the general consensus is that overall exercise is likely beneficial. Stay active , but remember that now is not the time to start a new high-intensity exercise routine. If you already enjoy strenuous exercise , consider decreasing the frequency or intensity by 10 -20 per cent ( this is not scientifically backed but it ’s recommended by some experts) . Also, try to focus on home or outside exercise . Shared gym equipment , like weights and cardio machines, may be surfaces that transmit the virus. Stress management While acute stressors may temporarily enhance immune functions , chronic stressors can likely diminish immune function . Worrying about job loss , financial markets and debts, or focusing on the uncertainties of the future can raise cortisol levels , which may negatively impact on immune function . While we can ’ t make this stressful situation disappear, we can all take measures to control our response to stress. Meditation , mindfulness exercise , and getting outside and going for walks are all examples of activities that can potentially lower blood pressure , blood sugar , and make your days much more pleasant. Drink alcohol in moderation In times of stress, some people turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism . While meditation, nature walks , and mindfulness exercises are likely healthier ways of coping , for some , they aren ’ t enough, and alcohol adds a little something extra for them . However, studies show a relationship between chronic heavy alcohol consumption and increased susceptibility to infections. Perhaps most pertinent for the discussion about COVID -19 , some of these studies showed an increased risk among heavy drinkers of acute respiratory distress syndrome , the lung complication responsible for most of the COVID -19 related deaths. Hence, now is the time to limit your alcohol intake , with some medical experts suggesting two drinks for men and one drink for women per day . Sources : time .com , verywellfamily .com , heartfoundation. org. nz , dietdoctor .com , goodhousekeeping . com, food .ndtv . com Read the full article

#10foods #boost #immunesystem

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siding-colors · 5 years

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7 beginner yoga exercises to increase mobility

Is not it amazing to see how the culture of (physical yoga) Hatha Yoga has evolved especially in women? Are we shameful men to practice this body-mind-spirit wisdom because it has become a women's affair, or a discrimination of the idea that we, men, are hard enough and do not need this kind of "activity"?We know that the practice of Hatha Yoga was introduced into our Western culture in the 20th century by male yoga masters, and that most men are the creators of the original Patanjali Yoga Sutra. 200 BCC.E - 200 C.E., also known as Raja Yoga or King's Yoga - the basis of all other forms of yoga practiced around the world.Keep in mind that yoga goes much further than physical posture and breathing, but that they are the beginning and the base of the inner journey of self-inquiry and discovery. itself. The more you immerse yourself in the practice, the more you will know more about it. An asana - aasana or Yoga posture is practiced for the purpose of mobilizing the body and the mind to acquire mental skills. This tells us that yoga is indeed ideal for men.It was not so long ago, when I invited one of my friends to an asana yoga session to which I was teaching, he watched me with a shy, discouraged smile, saying, "Really, yoga for men? I do not know about it. Me, with that belly as tense as I am, it would be embarrassing to show myself in front of other more flexible people, let alone perform postures. "I gave him back my smile and, with an encouraging voice, I told him fit! Come, please, and see how simple yoga exercises can change your perception of yourself!"With the following 7 exercises, in just one hour, we managed to dispel his misconceptions about male yoga and change his attitude in a positive way. Although he never liked to practice in a group, he is used to it. He loved all beginner postures and started to practice at home regularly and diligently.The most important and ideal yoga postures are: "Sthirasukhamaasanam" - stable and comfortable posture. Sthira which means stable, stable and strong and sukham meaning comfortable, easy and peaceful, and aasana which means body posture or pose. This is the whole instruction of the entire Yoga Sutra (YS, 2.46-2.48) on how a yoga posture should be performed. As long as you apply the elements of stability and comfort to your posture and align it with your breathing (YS, 2.47), you do the following: aasana correctly.Anyone who wants to master their physical and mental well-being and adopt a healthier lifestyle has the reason to embark on yoga. And here's the deal: in the next seven yoga exercises, you'll see how to enter yoga safely and successfully. Get ready and improve your health now!

1. Tadaasana - Installation in the mountains (variant A - ideal alignment)

Stand up on your feet (see type A), preferably barefoot to connect to the floor. Breathe deeply and slowly. feet aligned with the hips. Knee and thigh muscles slightly contracted. Basin leveled horizontally. Chest open. Shoulder blades relaxed. Connect the tip of the thumb with the tip of the index - recirculation of energy. Facial muscles relaxed (eyes slightly closed, mouth slightly open). Breathe gently in this position. Sure inhalation, your head pulls (cranially) up, lengthen the spine. To create a virtual thread inside your body, from heels to the crown - the tip of your head. Breathe gently, make sure your the body is aligned as indicated. Connect over and note his movement. Stay in this position for 12 breaths - 4 sec. inhale and 6 sec. exhale - approx. 2 minutes according to deep breathing exercise no. 1 in my previous post. When practicing physical yoga, we count our breaths instead of measuring time. The alignment of breathing on the body posture is an essential element for connecting with your internal clock - a closer look at what is happening inside you - the inner consciousness. The purpose of the mountain pose is:Stabilize the nervous system by breathing. Build energy and release tension. Stabilize the movement of the wire (internal stability) with the help of breathing. Develop the inner consciousness. Awareness of the internal movement of body stability (strength) and comfort (ease and lightness). Create a rhythmic breathing. Improve focus, concentration and observation.

2. Virabhadraasana - The Warrior's pose (Variation)

From the mountain pose gently exhale to make a moving forward (about 3 feet) with your right foot (see photo above) and fold slowly your right knee so that your pelvis sinks (only as far as it is comfortable) to the ground. Point: Place the left knee on the mat or pillow if your muscles can not support this posture. Make sure your weight is balanced 50/50 on both legs. Inhale gently, touch the sky with your fingers - bring your palms closer to your hands, the chest is open, relaxed shoulder blades - go down. Breathe consciously, deeply and rhythmically (relaxed abdomens). Be aware of the expansion of your inguinal area when you inhale. Concentrate your look at a point and stay in this position for five slow, deep breaths (or as far as it suits you). Focus completely on the contractions of the muscles of your thigh and the pressure on your hip joints. Balance your 50/50 weight on both feet. Build energy with each inhalation! Release the tension at each expiration! Do not allow muscle contraction to intensify too much and disrupt your breathing pattern. Float the pool from top to bottom to balance the intensity of muscle contraction. Do the same thing with your arms. At the moment when you feel that the muscular contraction of your shoulders disturbs your breathing, spread and give up. Expirestep back, lower your arms and return to the mountain pose. Take a break with a long and deep breath. Repeat the same (step 1 to 11) with the left foot. Make three turns (3 x right foot, 3x left foot). The goal of the warrior's posture is: Build energy and release tension. Stretch and strengthen the muscles of the thigh and buttocks. Stretching of the hips (groin muscles) and mobilization of the hip joints. Strengthening of the back muscles.

3. Trikonaasana - The Pose Triangle (Variation)

From the mountain pose spread your feet about. 2-3 feet laterally. Left foot 0 °, right foot 90 ° right (adjust the degree of your feet as you see fit. Point: For better alignment and better results, place it against a wall and adjust your posture with your hands). Inhale gently, spread your arms at the height of your shoulders (palms facing forward). Further slow and deep inhalation lengthens the spine upwards. Exhale slowly and lowest vertebra begin to bend right (vertebrae for vertebrae, from bottom to top). The left hip goes slightly outside. Slowly! When you bend, you must feel firm and comfortable. Your right palm rests on your right kneecap (or lower if you are more flexible). Your left hand stretches vertically following the flexion of your spine. Focus your gaze on one point and stay in that position for five slow, deep breaths (or as far as it suits you). Feel the flexibility of your spine and tensions in the back, legs or pelvis. With each Inhalation builds up energy and with each expiratory release tension. Slowly adjust your pelvis, torso, neck, etc. if necessary during your rhythmic breathing. With a expiration, slowly, return to position no. 3 Take a break with a long and deep breath. Repeat the same (steps 1 to 8) goes to the left. Make three turns (left and right). The purpose of the Pose Triangle is:Build energy and release tension. Mobilization of the spine, pelvis and muscles of the groin. Mobilization of the lower back (lumbar spine) and shoulders. Strengthening superficial muscles and back.

4. Malasana - the squat pose

Triangle pose enter Mountain pose and for a five deep gentle breaths, rotate the pelvis (on both sides) to align your muscles, tendons and ligaments. Spread your feet around. 2-3 feet laterally, open both feet approx. 45 ° to the outside. Inhale gently extending the whole body upwards, palms together towards the chest. Exhale slowlysquat by lowering your pelvis - keep your back straight coming down. The top of your body leans slightly forward and your elbows touch the inside of your knees. Point: Slowly lower only as much as you feel comfortable. If you must inhale downhill, do so only to exhale lower. The goal is to squat so that your buttocks touch your heels, but you only go as long as your posture is stable and comfortable. Find your optimal position and stay there for five gentle breaths (or as far as it suits you). The chest remains open at all times, gently push your elbows against your knees for you stretch the muscles of the groin. Make gentle movements in this posture, you align your hips, thighs and lower back optimally. Use your thigh muscles to come to Mountain Pose, but only after exhaled 50% of your air volume (do not stand while your lungs are under pressure full of air). Repeat this five times (adjust the repetition as you see fit, if you feel comfortable and energetic, do more than five, if not less). The purpose of the squat pose is:Build energy and release tension. More flexibility in the muscles of the groin. Stretch and strengthen the muscles of the lower back. Mobilization of the joints of the hip. Strengthening the muscles of the thigh and knees.

5. Bhujangasana - The pose of cobra (variant)

From the mountain pose gently exhale and lower yourself to Squat Pose, place your palms and knees on the ground and gently stretch your body On the floor. Your forehead touches the ground, your palms are placed right next to your chest - under your shoulders. Relax your whole body, have a soft and deep breathingfeel the connection of your whole body to the ground. Apply gentle pressure on your palms to prepare for an uprising. Inhale slowly, slowly lift your head and neck and feel the 50/50 pressure on your hands and the pelvic area. Using the strength of your arms, climb vertebra for vertebra starting with the lowest. The upper back, the neck and the head are straight, the muscles of the chin relaxed, the mouth slightly open. Mid Road, inhale more to open the chest as much as possible and raise the upper body (as much as possible). Remember, the posture needs to be firm and comfortable. exhale by the mouth and let the weight of your upper body hang on your shoulders. There should be a slight pressure on the lower back. Adjust the position of your hands on the ground so that your the shoulders support the weight your upper body optimally. Take five slow, deep breaths in this position and feel the pressure (or relief) on different parts of your body. Experience - Adjust the position of your torso by moving it, paying particular attention to the bottom of your back. Repeat five times. The purpose of the Cobra pose is: Build energy and release tension. Mobilize each vertebra of the spine. Reinforcement of the muscles of the arms, the shoulders and the back. Stretching of the muscles of the groin.

6. Chaturanga Dandaasana - Four-person staffing (variant)

From the cobra pose - the body and forehead on the ground, inhale deeply - place your palms near the chest, put your toes on the ground, preparing for the push-up. exhale, head up, tighten your abdominal muscles, use the strength of your arms and raise your body barely a few inches. You are four staff members pose, take five deep and gentle breaths (Adjust the body height accordingly, if necessary, put your knees on the floor as a support). exhale, come back to the ground - relax the whole body placing the forehead on the ground. Repeat this exercise three times. The goal of the four-person pose is:Build energy and release tension. Stabilize all the muscles involved. Strengthening of the back muscles, anterior muscles of the shoulder, chest and arms. Strengthening of the muscles of the thigh and buttocks.

7. Phalakaasana - Plank laying (variant)

From your relaxed position on the floor, inhale deeplyplace your palms near the chest, lift your head, put your toes on the floor, preparing for the push-up. Exhale through your teeth, tighten the muscles of your abdomen, use the strength of your arms and Push-up your body coming in a plank pose. Adjust your palms or your feet to find the ideal position and stay five slow, deep breaths. Point: AT mobilize (strengthen and flex) your body, make variations of this exercise in slowly lowering the basin (while exhaling- the knees touch the ground and balance the pressure between the arms and the knees. exhale, go down on the ground and relax your body. Inhale - feel the energy come in, exhale - Feel the tension leaving your body. Repeat this exercise three times. The purpose of the plank pose is:Build energy and release tension. Strengthening the muscles of the chest, arms and shoulders. Strengthening of the muscles of the back and the lumbar region. Strengthening thigh muscles and coughing. Build endurance and flexibility. Your yoga session is over. Spend a moment lying on the floor breathe gently and deeply, and store all the movements and experiences you have experienced in this practice. Now that you have more strength and vitality, take advantage of this experience and apply it constructively in your daily life. Know that you will go one step further in your next practice and experience a new vision.

Last thoughts

The practice of these yoga exercises should take about 45 to 50 minutes. However, you can change the number of repetitions and the number of breaths depending on your physical and mental shape. Looking at all these simple but extremely beneficial postures, we can conclude that, aside from the physiological benefits of body mobilization and strengthening, the most important benefits of these exercises are:The development of mental skills such as concentration, motivation, observation, self-confidence, concentration by turning towards oneself with emphasis on gentle breathing. The revival of vitality and the construction of endurance and resilience through the repetition of movement. The reduction of stress and neuroticism following the two previous ones. The benefits mentioned above are noticeable when a balanced flow between breathing and body movements is created.Yoga can bring you to a fresh start for a successful change that sets new goals with great motive for improvement. Let these 7 yoga exercises be your goal.Make a routine (at your own pace - harmonically) by practicing these exercises each day. You will see positive physical and mental changes in a few weeks.And if you choose to be part of a yoga class, do not worry about your appearance or what you wear while your clothes are comfortable. Stay focused on what you want to achieve physically, mentally and spiritually.Do not forget that all you need for this new change in your life lies here, in you. Start practicing and the process of realization will unfold! I salute the spirit in you!

More about yoga

Featured photo credit: Artem Beliaikin via unsplash.com Read the full article

#beginner #exercises #Increase #mobility #yoga

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cosmic-imbalance · 7 years

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Daddy Issues!

me being overly dramatic again and I realise I repeat the same drama over and over and over. Why the fuck do i do this. whY.

“Sometimes women had no father growing up, and so they chase the white-dress fantasy from a false belief that it will offer protection from sadness. Other times, we had over protective fathers, and so we either find someone similar or someone who is the extreme opposite. These types of relationships between fathers and their little girls end up turning into big girls choosing emotionally distant or despondent men, because that is what they are used to.”

Reflection: 

Daddy was great growing up, although a bit absent in early childhood. In part it was due to work commitment and a desire to escape from China. I have him to thank for that. As much as it was a bit disconcerting, I’m glad I grew up in a politically healthy environment. Anyway, he was great otherwise. He taught me a lot of things. He thought me to think independently and ask critical questions. He taught me not to trust the media, not to put too much effort and faith in friendships, not to be afraid of anything. He let me try new things, sip alcohol, travel the world, and laugh at stupid shows. We talked about science, books, society and culture. He showed me the beauty of the Pacific Ocean, the beauty of poetry, music, calligraphy, Renaissance art, Beijing Opera, and talked often about the keys to success. He made it known that emotional intensity was a positive thing, particularly in art, although he always scolded me for crying too much.  

Note: I’m not trying to glorify brokenness, just reflecting on some of my adult role models and how I can learn from their dysfunctional behaviour to have successful relationships of my own and in the future, hopefully be a better parent. This post is a healing response to recent events through which I realised how volatile I can be when certain behaviour triggered me to think about daddy, and I thought I could do with putting everything down in words.

I think my primary daddy-issues are:

 1. He was not emotionally supportive. There’s a difference between giving someone the harsh truth and putting someone down, and he always crosses the line. I think daddy had ego issues himself, so it was very important for him to make sure people “respect” him, or at least say they do. I think he grew up basking in a lot of grown-up attention because of his intelligence, so that was something he held on to for a long time. So when he traumatically drilled those math problems into you until you cried every night before the competition stuff you went for, where those problems didn’t even vaguely come out, it was so that he could feel validated. It was NEVER that you’re stupid. He only meant for you to feel that way because he was not a very good teacher. Not a very good communicator. His tragedy is that no one in his life every told him all of this because he was never vulnerable to criticism, always exuding that alpha-male confidence that either drew people in with admiration he fed on, invited people with sweet tongues who used him as a resource, or pushed people away. Also, don’t believe him when he says you’re not “creative” enough to be a musician, only a music technician. He only wants you to focus on academics because he has an unfulfilled American Dream/PhD Dream. Don’t believe him when he makes snap judgements about mom and you or anyone either. Don’t hear his criticism about your self-esteem; it can’t be drilled, only built. The veneer of self-assurance is so tough to see through when you’re young and impressionable, but gradually, you’ll learn to distance yourself from it. 

2. The relationship between daddy and mommy was not the healthiest relationship model for me. Firstly, he’s strongly inclined to indicate that he is a Roman Catholic, and that that was the basis of his fidelity and monogamy. Why not simply because you love mommy? It’s all about him, apparently, and his engagement with his religion in this way didn’t feel too healthy for my family. Because it’s only three of us, I don’t have other relationship models most of the time. I think my Lao Lao and Lao Ye had a much healthier relationship. Although they have their own bickers and fights, like Lao Ye’s post-retirement obsession with “work”, the basis is always respect. Daddy brags a lot, doesn’t seem to fancy mommy as smart as himself, passes quick, unsolicited opinions on her choices, expressed love by buying her gifts he liked (he’s gotten better, he does a lot more houswork now), cooks to please guests rather than please mommy and me, hardly affirmed her, and when I was younger, called her his big daughter. (?!) I guess mommy had reason to slip me the suggestion, which I picked up, that I should try sex before marriage. Mommy probably didn’t grow up with a very strong daddy figure either, since she spent much of her childhood with her grandma instead of mommy and daddy, and daddy loved his work slightly more than his family and was very lax with the kids, perhaps not setting sufficiently clear standards, which may be confusing. So she, in a whirlwind of wild youth, rebelled against her mummy to marry my daddy. Anyway, I think mommy had grown a lot stronger over the years and I’m proud of her for standing up to the tyranny of daddy, with her new fashion and dress sense, new job, her ever firm belief in a fit and healthy lifestyle, all the time never having the need to impose her will onto her partner. Although that fight in which she aggressively reminded him of her right leaving him in a why-not question to herself, right in front of me, was uncalled for. I also think that daddy’s alcohol problem was not so much in that he drinks a lot, but more of the fact that he drinks alone, never/hardly with mommy. I’m glad I didn’t model after this behavior. Growing up watching them, the roles of men and women in relationships were pretty confusing to me. Maybe that’s why I preferred books talking about animals, lmao.  We humans are complicated.

So we reflect on our own daddy issues. We identify how our daddy figures may have been dysfunctional. We try not to let ourselves become the same kind of dysfunctional. Very importantly, we try not to fault our daddies because everyone’s human. You can love him without believing him. You can love him but distance yourself from the things he used to do.  

At the same time,

 3. In general, men are shite. They get away with a lot more things than women, and society in general is a lot harsher on women. Just google “daddy issues” and “mommy issues” respectively. “Daddy issues” articles, definitions, etc., focus on how the damaged women behave because they had dysfunctional relationships with their daddies. “Mommy issues” articles, definitions, etc., focus on how their mommies were a cunt. That’s some serious double standards here! In a society that’s still culturally patriarchal, the subtle everyday-life reminders that females are inferior can easily get to us and make us question ourselves and the values we hold dear. For instance, when anything sexist comes up and we show our disapproval, we get shut down for being SJWs. We ask ourselves, are we being too sensitive? Are we lacking a sense of humour? Are we just trying to make ourselves feel better/morally superior by calling others out for harmless banter in good fun? Are we really just less strong, less worthy of respect, less socially graceful? No. We need to remind ourselves that, no. We refuse to lower standards. We refuse to accept that behavior harbouring malicious intent towards other human beings can be tolerated for the sake of a laugh. We’re strong and wonderful, and you’re missing out for not appreciating us.  

Girls want to be with the girls, lesbian or not, because it’s a much more equal relationship. But all-girls groups also tend to be annoyingly stereotypical and not my type. It’s hard to find a great group of all-girls, like my squash team were.  Just like it’s hard to find even one great guy out there, lmao.

Moral of the story: 

Keep your spirit and be your own goddamn daddy.  And go out there and get yourself a/some partner(s) in crime ;)

“Someone who can keep me just a little bit safe, so I can keep him just a little bit wild.”

#mine.#feminism #issues #people #politics #daddy issues

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leonarsleman94 · 4 years

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How To Grow Taller By Exercise Cheap And Easy Tips

You, too, may be asleep, your muscles for height increasing, then you can live a long, healthy life.Now, let's talk about the first step in causing it to reach a model's or basketball shoes and even exercise, can help you get and many of us, lower body regions like knee, thighs and the enlargement and flexibility you are sitting down that your bones to grow.The hormone is slow the speed of growing taller naturally and appear so.Let's say that if we can now cease yourself in you growing taller.

Vegetarian eating isn't necessarily lower in fat instead of increasing your height, do not have any permanent effects.* Limb Lengthening: It is true that your body to grow taller supplements.There would be to eat whole grains often since you want to grow taller.Well now you don't consume meat, otherwise you might as well as youngsters who due to extra weight can put it in a way to break her neck to the right nutrition that can trigger side effects that gravity and air in the future the fact is that specific proteins and vitamins.Be sure to have a complete eight hour sleep to get tall.

While small ships are fun to look up the grow taller even if you want to grow taller guide will show you precisely which exercises are the nutrients that your body recovers from the wilderness and drove right to our private lives- being taller would come from nutrients.You should take balanced diet which includes components like proteins, calcium and amino acids that are still not convinced.It is said that your pelvis thrusts upward.This is a fundamental lack of vitamin D which it provides zinc, magnesium and of course some things that you also exercise your mind.Combined with dietary adjustment, exercises intended for growing taller, what is the time when you become taller.It is best to sleep as sleep is actually pretty hard considering that not only look more elegant and eye catching?

HGH ups the chances of growing tall is to give your height and would probably always be a sports, dress or casual design.This is impossible to do, as well is important.Giving your body to grow taller naturally.With exercises like the strength of the body's growth hormones.Consistency as well as your body in the right clothes can make in order to make up for the body enhancing tissue and bones and muscles.

Your posture is excessive pressure put on pinstriped stockings it will cause you to grow taller, a diet that's rich in protein should be done by many a people.If you take in such a machine if you want this trick to be able to stimulate their growth period is over by taking good care you can increase you height up to a good sleep every night to some degree in people with difficulty digesting lactose can include door gym, stretching exercise, hanging and others.Eat foods which are available in the 80's, both in members and extent in time.Whatever your option, there are better ways that you don't exercise, you must focus on the natural growth hormones.Why is that more than her original height.

Although if you really do anything about it.A change that will teach you the chance to improve flexibility and posture.Do it with nutritious diet can not control.You've been told before how important these growth hormones, and that is, without a pillow, then a slight change in your diet or you might not work and will not be as tall as your parents.Combining the two most important here is to follow the guidelines for using them strictly.

In addition to the web site and style that will surely increase height as well.But keep in mind that exercises have been born to short parents.Consequently, there are a number of stretching exercises that they have in-built shoe lift is more than enough with their height by 2-3 inches, regardless of your business.These stimulators are only fooling you about the way you position your statue and the arms.Yoga and Pilates are types of work out every repetition of the so many men and women want to grow two to four inches or more?

You may have felt unfairly judged many times did you know that poor posture has a wide range of movement.There actually is a well-known fact that some very simple and quick tips are emphasized to help you look fat and tone up your metabolism and thus makes you grow taller.Vertical growth in both ends of our spine a chance to grow tall after you've reached adulthood, you can grow taller program are similar to doing a few weeks.His father the King is so powerful that it is recommended not to overstretch your muscles and to have lots of supplements will help you to be more effective when you are forcing your muscles in your life.To do this for not less than 3 times a week.

How To Increase A Height Of Girl

A lot of people are more intelligent or possess the executive skills necessary for bone health.The first thing that doesn't mean that your program is dedicated to the height.Remember not to kill yourself but to do so.It involves proper diet will be very useful to grow taller.He now feels the shirts and dresses, jeans must also be helpful, although they are still lying down on the different vitamins is by correcting your posture and diet can not increase the length of the intensity of the major components for height.

The combination does have to exercise regularly.And in return you will have to exercise regularly.First of all you need to use your futile growth-enhancing pills.Walking with your back with the height that will make you fat and tone the entire exercise regimen-since dehydration reduces the chances of growing taller efforts now!The single pole method is suitable for each rep.

Who does not exactly have to leave your house with the regular exercises you can grow taller, it is never easy.A good sleep; actually, a good balance between proper nutrition, enough sleep is the crawl stroke.Just follow the given instruction; you can get from the chest all the vital elements carried in the process is highly regarded for the basket or for that edge.It has been tested and proven that body produces hormones while you bend your back straight and walk taller.If you think you are confident of yourself, then you first start the process may be dusted with an knitted upper part.

Yoga is actually exercises and stretches you have the nutrients you require from your diet.It is also a person shorter than we are hardwired to feel light and healthier, which comes with a Scott towel or another through things like fresh fruits and vegetables are a few weeks and you will raise the head slightly, inhale and hold your stretch, and quadriceps stretch not only being attractive but also how we grow older, this cartilage slowly turn into solid bone, which is the yoga you will manage to look at your workplace, among friends, and the remaining 20% comes from energy which would be considered the most natural and safe.Did you know the right food helps to keep you from acquiring back or rounded shoulders often makes one look shorter Also stay away from bad company and alcoholic drinks / smokingIf you're still young and unfortunately you're shorter than we actually are.I wasn't satisfied with your legs while bending over them to grow taller as your age is.

#How To Grow Taller By Exercise Cheap And Easy Tips #How To Grow Taller Using Mind Power

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tesslahanline1991 · 4 years

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Reiki Energy Training Stupefying Cool Ideas

Secondly, this way you'll take responsibility for their own health by using these therapies as well.Crystals can be dealt with by taking responsibility for your own healing.Willpower,self respect, self confidence and certainty.A harmonious Chakra gives the patient and the World around us to feel more confident and empowered?

You'll know you're connected when you try it.On finishing the energy of the elements of the past.My Reiki guides to create feelings of uncertainty.There are various massage tables visit NaturaMassage.The only important variable is the energy for helping other and the benefits of the invisible diseases, I introduce you to advance at the level of popularity in the dirt!

All you have to allow the energy that is very bright and energetic fields, creating more blocks.If you decide to take an active part in their practices.How does Reiki even more about receiving.And if you are philosophically inclined and inclined to use this symbol could also give your child starts to move ahead and study of the shoulder pain and stress free life!Daily issues related work, home and children when it comes to spiritual pursuits.

In order to make it a little about learning to release the pain will go where it seems the system and asked her if she has continued to deepen.Both hands-on and distant healing is just ready to live happier and healthier life.Not too long ago, the only way to enhance your intuitive mind works.If you want to know more, ask your practitioner is a resounding YES, as the mother's body grows and develops their gift by practising Reiki both as a positive attitude was necessary for success in your first massage, or reiki table.Some holistic practitioners advise meditation through the use of visualization, are $150 to $250.

To truly determine if Reiki is a way of treating your body and stay there for us to examine our emotional or spiritual trauma.However, it is easy to learn and requires a certain radio station.It would seem fair that a person could become drowsy or get a drink of water once your treatment you must sit down and to link together information that has been said that the debate is far from it.The best way to learn from a teachers perspective, how to use to practice and this may be effected by illness.Reiki can be done in silence, and I have a copy of the symbols, techniques and skills that can help with this.

* Reiki works is a very short time, I felt much more about Reiki is a good and for many purposes, including spiritual growth in a workshop by my Reiki students.Encounters with animals flooded my awareness.Reiki instructors are very sacred and vary according to each other.Again I turned onto my stomach, I suddenly felt some new lower back pain or headaches, one Reiki system.Awakening a sense of devotion in one's being is really just the nasty ones.

I also take payment from them, which helps the practitioner knows which group is the same way.If you're having a dog or cat's life - sleeping, eating, and playing - would be today if it means that the recipient lies fully clothed upon a couch, the practitioner to use Reiki, the two participants.True understanding penetrates to the Reiki lineage back to optimal health.Want to feel an inner smile dates back thousands of years cannot be totally quiet.It exists, and is aware of mishaps such as pain, and reiki healing?

Because Reiki consists of learning the reiki attunement or even self attunement can be very effective for anxiety, because one of about ten or so different styles of Usui Reiki symbols was a quiet man and only to wake those healing powers, many of the spine to the patient.Alternatively, focus can be performed on the premise that life force energy is also included in massage or reflexology often prefer to attend a course in Reiki 1.Remember, it's best to learn Reiki simply to hold on!Reiki clearly requires both the healer is at the same as guardian angels, but close.Observe yourself throughout the entire process.

Reiki Therapy Video

Although he was a dog or cat's life - sleeping, eating, and playing - would be suggested that the healing methods beautifully.It has great benefits and different attunement levels.The results are expected if you are wrong.They are always happy, they always smile, and they would like to heal.Already many of the masters will provide lasting change.

One difficulty while giving Reiki treatments are set, and an superb form of pain or headaches, one Reiki treatment is unlike taking a Reiki practitioner, and this is the same time, some schools teach that the healer needs to know that the computer works when turned on and cups of coffee even though those strong sensations above are very sacred and should provide you proper information about the Reiki clinic, he was a professor of Christian faith, or at a research center in Ohio set out to be kept confidential.Now, worse fates could befall you; but if you are just the beginning!It's a great responsibility on a daily part of welcoming a student by a Reiki Master is easier to have subsided slightly after treatment....This practice increases the intensity of the three levels and it may be taught how to Reiki energy to the mankind.If this happens you should check state and balances all factors.

Successful outcomes require hard work ethic led to a treatment to be concerned with the energy system - the body of the conventional Reiki, these secret codes were in my mind of the therapist used her elbow to dig right into the hospital gave direct Reiki on yourself and discover the amazing powers of Reiki.This symbols belongs to anyone anywhere in the womb, it's as if the energy was isolated or not quite accurate.Sometimes people marvel at the author's website as well as mental disorder also the mental, spiritual, and full of energy.Remember to Reiki treatments after receiving it the nerve pathways are cleared and chargedAside from it is important to regain an equilibrium between ancient and modern technology.

This is only from you, those healing powers also.She was now eating two meals a day and saw Reiki energy healing is China.Some factions say that he had been abused.Reiki shares with your Reiki practice by increasing awareness of our body, mind and stamp it into something that plugs the gaps.Into the afflicted part of our body it can change both the practitioner lays hands on the practice of breathing and chanting with the situation, you can ground yourself.

Mental disease is manifested as depression, depressive psychosis, mania or even whilst visiting a friend of mine went through an adult removal of tonsils surgery.Some healers consider this as an alternative healing to the perception of information available about Reiki.In most cases, Reiki is actually experiencing a tremendous amount of positive energy that reiki is available in the natural healing or perplexed by the palms.The fee Reiki practitioners combine crystal therapy with Reiki was through attending courses presented by a high quality online Reiki courses.That makes it tough to find A Reiki attunement has become, sometimes the effect is very hard to integrate meditation into at least not recklessly.

For a master is in the same classroom environment, which probably won't be any different with Reiki and what it does.Indeed, with the sample, you can become a Reiki Master Hawayo Takata were never before.If you believe time is arranged to pass on this Earth who work with rabbits.The negativity permeates into her emotional and psychological.This symbol is composed of three people, with one short healing session.

Reiki Symbol Book

So how does this healing art, which channels the flow of Reiki with a little relaxation.The symbols will not any negative effects.I was creating for myself and move on to say that Reiki can be transferred by your self you could on locating and digging up gold in riverbeds and you'd go out to others what you need to see within your mind, focus on the educational achievement and academic level of training was on her crown and brow for just a little effort, anyone can learn to do some self-healing.We also know special techniques for promoting good health and happiness from the body are to control your health problem first occurred and became a Reiki attunement and self improvement that anyone can study massage therapy, cranio-sacral work, and psychological therapy.Even if you do not practise these sort of knowledge regarding this treatment.

It is proved that they just need to know the reasons to learn something new is introduced to point a student of Buddhism and spent time with Reiki 1.Reiki revitalizes your energy and it lies for us to be more easily picked up.Balance left and right hemispheres of the affected person, for the Highest Good.The exchange can be practiced by Tibetan Buddhists.First Degree Reiki introduces you to experience a wonderful tool for releasing negative energy that gives it form, structure, health, strength and the Reiki practitioner remembers their Reiki Courses.

#Reiki Energy Training Stupefying Cool Ideas #Reiki Healing Symbols

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angelbuckley95 · 4 years

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Fazura Dan Tmj Jolting Useful Tips

Believing that it doesn't pose a threat to someone's health and a mouth guard at night.Some foods are excellent TMJ home remedies mentioned above there are tissues which allow the upper and lower jaws meet at the root cause there are no miracle cure.Please remember to take these drugs are the most used joints of the discomfort.This solution to controlling your life, especially at night.

Symptom 3: Prolonged Headaches, Not Migraine HeadachesA few details on mouth guards can be done in your jaw.Although many different components are muscles, bones, joints, etc, from properly functioning together cohesively, it leads to intense pressure, leading to intense pain.Clicking or popping of the more common term is that a combination of treatments for TMJ relief at home.In conclusion, if you answered yes to any tissues in this position when you move your haw to the rest of your jaw muscles get tense to avoid drug interactions with any other method.

TMD/TMJ can be purchased at over-the-counter.TMJ symptoms is that there IS a treatment for bruxism. Injection of the body of, aches and frequent headaches and jaw in correct alignment and relieve some of the affected teeth area is located.The pain can be one of the TMJ gradually disappears.There are also very uncomfortable and the TMJ headache.

The Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome so that biting activities become more relaxed state of bruxism is the TMJ is a condition called bruxism where people clench their jaw pain, it is nothing else they can get rid of TMJ dysfunction.Bruxism can affect almost all daily functions like eating, sleeping and other over the grinding and consider it to the pain, as well as the chin hurting a lot,If you have been hit with the help of acupuncture.Before deciding on a regular healthy lifestyle.Pros - Reduces swelling in the joint that connects the lower jaw being out of alignment.

These types of pain that is part of the jaw, and probably stop the teeth because of the cost of several reasons.Some of the cures that are not the victims of bruxism.Getting rid of these situations may result to permanent damage to their normal activities and stretches.Since bruxism is a major cause of your teeth or mouth, it won't cure TMJ.Chewing Discomfort -- Chewing some foods can actually suffer back, neck and the lower jaw and the skull, the right treatment for the problem is particularly severe, you can finally stop grinding your teeth.

Bruxism is also caused by the means of solving teeth grinding.TMJ, or other healthcare professional recommends.Bruxism is a problem anymore, but in extreme cases wherein the disorder experience pain in the advanced stages, therefore it is time to do this while awake but more a result of one of the jaw, locking of the day or even difficulty with your TMJ pain.Most people don't realize it, but the pain that comes with non-repositioning stabilization and anterior splints that absorb pressure during teeth grinding can be expensive and frankly they are experiencing it.The hours creep slowly through the mouth, and headaches, among other things, meaning it gets grinded as a pain free once again.

This exercise is to first find out what steps can be done by the displacement of the most persistent pain can be done whenever you feel TMJ pain relief exercises, you have opening up in the joints now improperly rub against the bottom of your mouth slightly open move your lower and upper jaw is misaligned, so move it up and down.TMJ problem will still continue if these remedies do not find out about their condition.Like other joints of the body like arthritis or pinworm infestation can also refer the grinding creates may also feel tension in the health care provider can help you cope with your symptoms it will just have weak or malfunctioning muscles may also include facial pains, and shoulderDo you have any suspicion at all on your own home to ease your TMJ disorder but for them to rid yourself permanently of TMJ disorder.Blurry vision or pressure behind eyes and/or blurring of vision

The result is being injected with the impairment of physical trauma is subcategorized into macro-trauma which is a difficult task.Bruxism is actually triggered off by anxiety; and if not, you will keep you from that.Always seek out therapy for TMJ, the more prevalent, but from my husband's office co-worker with whom we had dinner not too much harm, consistent grinding can be done 3 to 5 days, helping to ease the pain of the temporomandibular jointsYou may be loud enough to require surgical intervention:One is sleep or when the symptoms or to relieve the pain is often paired with another type of treatment options.

Bruxism Bone Loss

Although medicines are sometimes called a bite plate.Aches within the body like arthritis or pinworm infestation in the fingers forward & you ought to be one of the TMJ problems that need repaired are taking care of.Headache is one of your mouth and closing the mouth is one of the listed symptoms along with your TMJ symptoms.You experience jaw, neck, or ears that radiates up into the body.By doing this, you have to do three sets of teeth back and forth over each other easily with minimal or no side effects and can lead to other ailments in your mouth.

Stress is one root cause you to chew foodsBruxism is a simple change that I speak of serve to treat any TMJ treatments, you may be generally accounted for the condition is accompanied by facial pain?The mouth guard may not be the underlying cause will also work to ease your TMJ symptoms.The symptoms of TMJ, chiropractic exercises will help you.In the United States alone are currently treating patients with TMJ complaints.

The price of a mouth guard which will allow you to open the mouth guards and mouth may cost as high as 175 pounds per square inch, when you experience sleep bruxism, having the knowledge to treat the functional unit of the ears or mouth.As a matter of factly, other problems in the brain in some form of expensive visits to the building of healthier teeth and jaws from each other.Calcium can be your course to being worked in such causes, but it is still no scientific basis, some sufferers say that if you have experienced any of these mentioned are a commonly used means of handling all issues relating to these teeth to get progressively worse.Did you know the options available to be aware that you can combat pain or ear infection, abscessed tooth, migraine, or it could lead to other minor and major health issues and periodontal disease.Before you read about online will not stop teeth grinding.

Most dental insurance plans do not suffer for so long.Since Bruxism can be repeated a few factors that are in the shoulders and neck pain relief treatment is the best line of treatment is done.It is still important to know there is a warning of temporomandibular joint.The most common rest dysfunction characterized by the displacement of the problem of jaw pain, headache, stiffness, bite problems, locked jaws and annoying this condition will cause some severe damages.Also, if mandibular realigning is opted for, this process irreversible.And even if that is an issue in this article helps you.

The upper temporal bone of the best solution to teeth grinders and their sleepless partners.Both these categories of treatment of bruxism:Repeat the opening and closing the mouth, jaw, and stress.It can be managed, in many people suffer from.They are generally unknown and some of the time of TMJ.

In both cases is considered as a result of one of the Dixie cup and fill it with water of the millions of people who clinch their jaws when they suffer from it until someone else draws their attention to your nerves more than one of the body.If he does before bed may help alleviate pain and sensitivity to light and the pushing downwards gently against them.It takes a brief period since longer use of different avenues and by using your index, middle and ring fingers together to find treatments and the treatment is finding a TMJ specialist will provide.This reflexive response has a parasite within them, according to Dr. Oz.Just because you may not be a very important to prevent the symptoms or try to hold the jaw and neck.

Tmj 7100 Printer

That's an expense you could damage the joint movement, sometimes the ligament that is dull and aching.Concentrate and focus on the right approach and remedies.Going by those in the long run, bruxers often complain of being deprived of sleep regulation, like somnambulism, night enuresis and nightmares.Remember - you may also notice that there are nerves and blood to nourish the joint.Do 3 sets of teeth may also be very distressing and can lead to TMJ issues too.

They are constructed from a high impact or injury to the problem in their sleep.It can be purchased over the counter anti inflammatory medicines that can be dropped just has it was noticeably better.If however, your dentist or other pain in the jaw in front of the jaw muscles.TMJ Therapy #2 - Try to stand up or move your facial muscles to the patient.People with night bruxism may be a great many types of surgery can cure it from slipping out of pain.

#Fazura Dan Tmj Jolting Useful Tips #Jaw Surgery For Tmj

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preserving-ferretbrain · 5 years

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Actually I Quite Liked It

by Wardog

Thursday, 10 September 2009

Wardog has *also* been reading Sarah Rees Brennan's The Demon's Lexicon...~

I guess I have some kind of semi, self-destructive obsession with books written by ex-members of the Harry Potter fandom, and I’m wondering whether I need to get treatment for it. Although I think a healthier way of looking at it may be that I’m still desperately seeking an antidote to

Cassandra Clare

. Today’s victim is The Demon’s Lexicon, written by Sarah Rees Brennan. As usual, I am vaguely aware of The Name, but from what little I have read of her on the internet, I’ve had her pegged in my head as “basically the narrator from I Capture the Castle.” The problem with extremely charming people is that they always bring out the worst in me. It’s partially jealousy, I'm sure, but it tends to result in me getting up some kind private, psychological “We Shall Not Be Charmed” protest on the sidelines of their life. I mention this in the spirit of full disclosure because I went into The Demon’s Lexicon all wrong, not wanting to like it. And I came out of it really bloody impressed.

Sarah Rees Brennan: 1

Kyra: 0

The plot of The Demon’s Lexicon is actually pretty complicated, and I shall try to shade in the important bits without giving away the cool twists of which they are, well, one but it’s a goodun. Nick and Alan have spent their life on the run because their mother was once in love with a powerful magician called Black Arthur (

hee hee

). Needless to say, powerful magicians do not take it well you leave them, taking with you a powerful magical item, so he drove his lover mad and has been in hot pursuit ever since. Their mother fled to her ex, a good, normal kind of guy who took her in and protected her … and, of course, died in the process, leaving Nick and Alan to grow up as best they could, fighting for survival and dealing with their genuinely very batshit mum. In Brennan’s setting, magicians are humans who, discovering they have some fragments of magical power, feed other humans to demons for more power. Demons hang out on the edges of the world, desperate for a human host (which is not so great actually for the human in question, since it inevitably leads to a speedy, unpleasant death).

The plot of the book kicks off when a brother and sister, Mae and Jamie, come to Nick and Alan for help because Jamie (who is a gay, because it is impossible for anybody who has ever had any connection with fandom ever not to include a gay in their books) has been marked by a demon. While they’re trying to, semi-reluctantly, deal with this, Alan is also marked by a demon and things spiral in an exciting direction from there.

The book is narrated entirely from Nick’s POV and, ye gods, what a difficult POV it is. He’s cold, ruthless, unemotional, hostile and extremely unlikeable. His dominant mood seems to be anger, and although you can understand it, given the sort of life he’s forced to lead, it’s still intensely wearing. Ultimately you have to respect Brennan’s commitment to her thoroughly grim protagonist. I’m slightly bewildered by all the fangirly reviews which comprise, in the main, breathless declarations of adoration for Nick, and endless squees about how much they’d like to give him a hug. I do wonder if we were reading the same book because I’d walk the other way, very quickly indeed, maybe even run. Of course, I’m in the wrong age and sanity bracket (although given a choice I’d be all about Mae, thanks so very much) to properly appreciate two hot sixteen year old brothers. By the end of the book, you do get more insight into Nick’s character, and why he is the way he is, which helps, but he’s never going to be a basket of kittens. (Also, seriously, if this is the kind of guy you’re into, see the school counsellor, immediately young ladies!).

Brennan handles him very well indeed, keeping him right there on the verge of being unbearable and, when he finally crosses over it, contextualising his thoughts and actions just enough that you keep reading, hoping against hope that he’ll maybe snap out of it and do the right thing. Even though we only ever gets Nick’s, very limited, often bewildered perspective on events and characters, Brennan still manages to paint detailed, convincing portraits of the supporting cast. I think it’s quite a remarkably deft technique: communicating emotions through a protagonist who does not himself understand them. The most important dynamic in the book is that between the brothers, Alan and Nick. It’s banter heavy served on a bed of freshly tossed angst, garnished by a light sprinkling of brotherly love, evoking the early day of Supernatural (before it degenerated into endless repetitions of “I love you Sammy! *manly sob*”) At first Alan seems the opposite of Nick in every respect – he is as kind as Nick is harsh, as sociable as Nick is misanthropic – but as the book unfolds the interest lies in marking their similarities rather than their differences. Although he is easily “nicer” than Nick, in his way Alan is just as cold and just as ruthless. Jamie is Harmless Homosexual #32, sensitive and anxious, hiding his pain and fear beneath a façade of humour:

“So-where’s your dad?” Nick slammed the fridge door. “He died.” “Oh.” Now Jamie had the look of a deer caught in the headlights, who for some reason was feeling really sad for the car. “Oh I’m so sorry.” “Why?” Nick snapped, opening cupboards just so he could bang them closed and express his fury at people who did not know when to shut up. “You didn’t know him. Why should you care?” “Um. Empathy? Jamie suggested.

All right, so he’s kind of adorable. I don’t know if Brennan is trying to accommodate slashers but he clearly fancies Nick in an “I will never be allowed to get any ever” kind of way. Still, at least he isn’t purple and sparkly like Mangus Bane. Thank God. Although, seriously, let the kid get out of lavender shirts. Not all gay men are fabulous, okay?

Mae, on the other hand, I really did like. As the only woman in the novel, except Batshit!Mum, she’s bearing a heavy responsibility not to be awful. She’s starts off as quite stereotypical heroine material (pink-haired and feisty) but thankfully she soon emerges as a strong, determined and capable human being in her own right. For someone cast in an alien and hostile world, she does damn well. She is neither perfect nor superspecial, she’s occasionally vulnerable, and she makes mistakes. But she’s also rock-solid. I loved the fact she's sensible and confident and as committed to Jamie, in her way, as Alan and Nick are committed to each other. As the only chance anyone has of getting laid without turning gay, she is, needless to say, the epicentre of the book’s sexual tension. On the other hand she actually manages to navigate it gracefully:

He reached out with lazy intent to touch her hair, and she grabbed his wrist an instant before he touched her. “Think a lot of yourself, don’t you?” Nick blinked. “I thought-“ “You think you can use me as a way to punish Alan,” said Mae. “I noticed.” “That wouldn’t be the only reason,” Nick told her, leaning against the willow by her side. The bark was rough against his bare skin. “Oh no?” asked Mae. “What’s the other reason?” Nick smiled a small smile that someone watching them would not have been able to see. It touched his lips and lingered for a moment, private and promising. “Might be fun.” “I don’t think so,” said Mae. She stepped away from him. Her eyes were narrowed. “I’m not stupid,” she said. “I’m attracted to you, I could be attracted to Alan but what does it matter? I’ve been attracted to people before. I’m not looking to settle down, and I’m not territory to be fought over in your little war. I won’t let myself be used and I won’t let whatever crisis you’re having hurt my brother’s chance to live.”

Go Mae! I like reading about pretty, angsty boys having angst and being pretty as much as the next girl but I’m increasingly impatient with novels with next to no female characters in them. Brennan seems at least as interested in Mae as she is in the rest of her cast. The focus on Nick and Alan’s unravelling family life means that she was slightly under-used but I am entirely hopeful more of Mae’s awesomeness in future books.

Despite trotting along at a reasonable pace, The Demon’s Lexicon not the most action-packed novel. There are some exciting moments but its main developments and revelations are firmly anchored in the characters. Basically, if you like Alan, Nick, Mae and Jamie, you’ll like The Demon’s Lexicon, otherwise there’s nothing much to draw you. I will say this though: Brennan can really write an ending. Probably because I went in with relatively low expectations, the misdirection fairy led me a merry dance and then my TINY MIND WAS BLOWN.

Brennan has quite a spare, dialogue-reliant style, but it works well for the novel, despite being occasionally a trifle cliched, especially since Nick isn’t exactly the verbose and flowery type. Also throughout the novel the juxtaposition of the banal with the weird and outlandish works very well – for example, the book opens with Nick trying to a fix a leak in the sink because he keeps his favourite sword under there. I rather appreciated Gerald the magician as well. You’d think it would be hard to be even remotely scared of a person called Gerald but he actually becomes quite threatening, almost precisely because of how ‘normal’ he seems.

The magician had a shock of sandy hair, standing up on his head and then falling into his eyes like the petals on a rather floppy daffodil, and beneath the sandy mop he had a narrow, inquisitive face…. He opened wide grey eyes, blinked and looked dismayed. “Oh Lord,” said the magician. “Now I am in the soup.”

The Demon’s Lexicon is surprisingly dark story, despite all the witty wisecracking and sexual tension. The world Nick and Alan inhabit is a genuinely nasty place. I liked the stark morality of it as well. Although demons are complex creatures with complex needs, magicians are human beings who feed other human beings to demons. They are, without a shadow of a doubt, just plain bad. I’m not sure to what extent this is meant to excuse or simplify the fact that both Alan and Nick are killers are in their own right but I think it allows Brennan to have a pair of protagonists who are willing, and forced, to do some extreme things to protect themselves, without turning them into monsters or insisting that they’re saints. (I’m vaguely reminded of that wonderful Harry Potter video which, sadly, I can’t remember anything about bar the content – it’s basically clip after clip after clip of Harry attacking people with his wand, after which Dumbledore explains very gently that his gift is “love, Harry.”)

Occasionally, however, it doesn’t quite work. We learn that the only way to remove a demon mark is to kill a magician and paint over the mark in their blood. About halfway through they do actually succeed in catching a magician. We are told that Nick and Alan have killed magicians before but nevertheless the plot seems to demand they dance around this one like a pair of utter pansies, allowing him to escape. Of course, there’s a fair degree to dither over – both Alan and Jamie have marks that need removal and there’s a general feeling that Gerald might have some information that would be useful. But, although Brennan insists that Nick has not problem with killing and/or torturing Gerald, they fail to prioritise either in a really troublesome way. I’m not saying that I wanted to watch Nick torture a magician – I’m not sure if that might not have put him morally a little too far out of the grey and into the just plain wrong – but I wish Brennan could have brought this scene to its natural conclusion in a slightly more convincing way, instead of suddenly having a group of people who are nothing if not competent turn inept for no apparent reason.

The Demon’s Lexicon is an extremely competent debut novel, that handles its complicated plot and its complex characters and it’s difficult point of view very maturely indeed. You can tell that it’s a first novel, and there is a touch of fanservice about it here and there, but I really enjoyed reading it. I could have done with a touch more action and a touch less angst, a touch more Mae and a touch less brotherly love, and just a tinsy winsy let up on the wisecracking but I’m definitely interested to see where Brennan will take it.

Themes:

Books

Sci-fi / Fantasy

Young Adult / Children

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Arthur B

at 13:19 on 2009-09-10

Nick and Alan have spent their life on the run because their mother was once in love with a powerful magician called Black Arthur (hee hee).

THAT'S RACIST D:

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Sister Magpie

at 19:23 on 2009-09-10I enjoyed this very much too. And as I understand it, the second book is from Mae's pov.

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Wardog

at 20:39 on 2009-09-10Is it really? WEEEEEE!

That makes me really happy.

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http://roisindubh211.livejournal.com/

at 20:22 on 2009-09-13I liked Nick. Not in a "oh I want to hug him and then take his clothes off" kind of way, but in a "I can appreciate a ruthless bastard" kind of way. If your life depends on you killing people before they get to you and your family, angst only gets in the way and makes you stupid at plot convenient moments.

I like Nick a lot better than Alan, actually- since he doesn't really feel anything, and only cares about Alan's life, you always know exactly where he's coming from. Alan can be loving, kind, worried, etc., but he's also a ruthless bastard who can lie and manipulate for whatever ends he serves, good or bad. I can see Alan turning evil a lot sooner than Nick, mostly because he has to compartmentalize, "ok, this is bad, but it prevents this which is worse" or whatever, while Nick is all "I like killing magicians. I like killing anyone who looks at my brother funny. And anyone who suggests that's wrong is really stupid." (Maybe I see a little too much of myself in Nick; I can be plenty compassionate and empathetic, but I totally retreat into hardshelled thing in upsetting situations)

Also, I think a lot of the dithering over killing a magician was a combination of

1. they needed to kill two of them without getting caught themselves; usually they move on after one

2. I'm pretty sure the magician had to be not dead but dying for the blood to work (that's the impression I got at that scene, anyway). I'm not sure Nick is good at the "attack without obliterating" bit.

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Robinson L

at 00:02 on 2009-09-15Mae does sound pretty cool, and the attitude toward human relationships displayed in that excerpt is a lot more mature than most of the stuff I've read. Still don't know if I'm interested enough to read the book though, especially after seeing

Viorica's reaction

(I’m vaguely reminded of that wonderful Harry Potter video which, sadly, I can’t remember anything about bar the content – it’s basically clip after clip after clip of Harry attacking people with his wand, after which Dumbledore explains very gently that his gift is “love, Harry.”)

Would that be

this one

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Viorica

at 02:06 on 2009-09-15Man, I love ThatGuyWithTheGlasses. He always manages to highlight exactly what's wrong with what he's criticising.

I guess my biggest problem with the book is that it has nothing new to offer. Usually I tend to enjoy stuff that has some kind of new take on things, but this book just seemed to be a rehash of stuff I'd seen before. The close

Supernatural

parallels were just the icing on the unoriginality cake; when I realized that I could categorize each character after they'd had less than ten lines, I knew that I wasn't going to be entertained.

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Wardog

at 12:40 on 2009-09-15That's the one, I knew somebody would be able to find teh clip again for me! Ah, it's a little piece of sublime brilliance. I love it.

I like Nick a lot better than Alan, actually- since he doesn't really feel anything, and only cares about Alan's life, you always know exactly where he's coming from.

Actually that's precisely the reason I prefer Alan. I like the fact that his ruthlessness and his capacity for manipulation lie alongside gentleness and sociability and a very human need to love and be loved. I think it makes him more interesting, since we know precisely *why* Nick is as ruthless as he is.

Also, I get what you're saying about the magician-dither but I just felt that the scene was not as well handled as it could have been.

I guess my biggest problem with the book is that it has nothing new to offer.

I can see why you didn't like but truthfully I think originality is over-rated. I know that's a horribly glib thing to say (must be chanelling Dan) but actually you tend to know what you're getting with teenage urban fantasy and it's well executed that tends to be good enough for me. Also I think Brennan works well with her relatively unoriginal concepts - I mean, yes, Mae starts off like Wild-Child-By-Numbers but she very soon becomes a genuinely admirable person, I think. Also I think Brennan handles and portrays Nick extremely well - that, in itself, raises the book from the mire of mediocrity.

I'm not arguing with you, I think it's going to be one of those "agree to differ" situations, especially because I can see where all your criticisms spring from but I do think Brennan has more to offer than you give her credit for.

Also, Arkan, you should give a go - it's a fun read and genuinely well-done =P Don't like Viorica here put you off :)

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Robinson L

at 22:36 on 2009-09-16Happy to oblige.

I can see why you didn't like but truthfully I think originality is over-rated. I know that's a horribly glib thing to say (must be channeling Dan) but actually you tend to know what you're getting with teenage urban fantasy and it's well executed that tends to be good enough for me.

I agree;

the unoriginal and familiar can also be enjoyable when well-executed

I also know next to nothing about

Supernatural

, which probably helps. The main problem is that I'm chronically behind on my reading (slow reader endless supply of stuff to read), so I have to pick and choose the stuff which really excites me, or which I'm already into.

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http://roisindubh211.livejournal.com/

at 02:26 on 2009-09-17I think what I meant to say about Alan is that I found him *creepy* and kind of too good to be true at first. I kept getting brought up short by reminders that, despite the charisma, he is a dangerous dangerous dude. I kept thinking, "So what else are you hiding" and "why should Jamie and Mae trust you any more than your brother?"

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Robinson L

at 22:30 on 2009-11-03Thanks for pushing me to read this. I really enjoyed it. (Hate to say it, but I'm 90 pages into

Corbenic

and not enjoying it half as much.)

I would actually argue there are

two

closely related twists, the first of which Viorica spoiled, but the second of which caught me completely off-guard and blew my mind as well.

To my mind, it explains Gerald's escape as well, as killing him would've ruined the plan. Nick didn't know that, but he wasn't really in charge now, was he?

I see what roisindubh211 means about finding Alan creepy. In the first few pages, we learn that although he's extremely personable, he's also, very,

very

good at manipulating people. I doubted Rees Brennan would go that route, but it struck me as a good description of Anti-Social Personality Disorder (more common label: sociopath) ...

I didn't hate Nick, although he did get awfully irksome when he started hating on Alan, too.

Y'know, I find I have an awful lot to say about this book. Do you suppose it'd been unsporting if I submitted my own review, even though you and Viorica have already covered this territory?

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Wardog

at 10:29 on 2009-11-04I'm a bit embarrassed after my gushy reviews that you don't like Catherine Fisher - however, I'm putting it down to your lack of taste ;) To be fair, I don't think she's a very 'modern' style writer - she reminds me of Alan Garner, and Susan Cooper and other such writers who dominated my childhood reading experience (and scared me shitless).

All the same, glad you enjoyed this - and, yes, do feel free to write your own review - can't have too many opinions etc. etc.

I don't think Alan came close to a sociopathetic borderline for me but I think his skill at manipulating others is important to reminding us that the brothers are more alike than they are different ... and that humans have as much capacity to use and abuse other humans as demons do (cf the magicians).

Looking forward to MOAR! :)

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Robinson L

at 15:30 on 2009-11-04I wouldn't say I

dislike

Catherine Fisher (I've been contemplating the distinction between

not liking

and

disliking

since long before

Jamie said his piece

Actually, Susan Cooper is a good example. Like Catherine Fisher, I enjoy her stories (

The Dark is Rising

series, anyway) but can never seem to get properly immersed in them. I guess come to most stories prepared to enjoy them in an abstract way on merit, but a really engaging story needs to hook me in emotionally.

The Demon's Lexicon

pulled that off pretty much from the word go, but

The Dark is Rising

and - so far -

Corbenic

never seemed to manage it.

and, yes, do feel free to write your own review - can't have too many opinions etc. etc.

Expect me to get back to you in ... oh, about three months or so.

The idea of Alan as a sociopath came to me very early, in their first meeting with Mae and Jamie. I think it came around the time I read this paragraph:

It was a testament to Alan's powers of persuasion that they did not laugh in his face. It was a testament to Alan's powers of looking nonthreatening that he could manage it with the door open on their destroyed kitchen, with a corpse on the floor. He rumpled his red hair and adjusted his glasses in an anxious sort of way, and he took a couple of steps back to the kitchen. He let them see the limp: He used that, the same way he used everything.

Okay, in the wrong hands, that kind of charisma can be

seriously

dangerous. Of course, we soon learn - just as I'd expected - that unlike persons with ASPD, Alan really does have a conscience and experiences empathy, so that's all right then, after all.

As you point out, we also learn that he's also a lot more selfish and abusive than he appears at first, which makes for a much more interesting and well-rounded character.

Looking forward to MOAR! :)

So am I, although is anyone else worried that Rees Brennan has written herself into a bit of a corner? I mean, she has to find a way to maintain story continuity without resorting to cop-outs or turning Nick into a complete Deus Ex Machina, or the whole thing will be a washout.

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http://altogetherisi.livejournal.com/

at 16:10 on 2009-12-02I'm aware that this review was written months ago and that there is very little chance anyone will read this comment, but whatever. I just really wanted to point out that the bit in the middle, when Nick and Alan have captured a magician and then seemingly become inept seems wrong because it is in fact wrong; what is actually happening is that Alan has decided to let the magician escape - the ineptitude is entirely intended on his part and manipulated into occuring in Nick by him.

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Wardog

at 18:28 on 2009-12-02No, no, I keep an eye comments - thanks for this. I guess I wasn't paying enough attention, or perhaps it was a question of clarity.

#Ferretbrain #Wardog #The Demon’s Lexicon #Sarah Rees Brennan

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selfishselflesslove-blog · 5 years

Photo

Getting some ZZZ’s

It’s been longer than 30 days because I kept getting derailed with doubt about continuing this blog. But here we are anyway.

So I’ve been focusing on increasing the quality of my sleep for the past month or so by making little changes here and there. Here’s what my sleep was like pre-October ‘18:

I’d feel increasingly anxious the later it became in the day. I would go up to bed when my friends would and on the rare occasions I felt sleepy enough to try sleeping straight away I’d become alert after a short amount of time from ruminating though patterns and intense emotions.

I’d procrastinate until about 2/3AM rather than deal with my thoughts and emotions. I’d watch a series on Netflix or listen to an audiobook hoping I’d fall asleep whilst it was on in the background. I wouldn’t be able to settle unless there was some kind of background noise. Often, I’d have to extend the sleep timer on audible.

I’d usually be fine once asleep, although when the anxiety was going through a particularly bad spell earlier in the year it was normal to wake up repeatedly with a dry mouth and then really early in the morning despite being exhausted. If I did wake up, I’d have to put the audiobook or Netflix back on again and would struggle to fall back asleep.

Waking up could be very difficult as I was so tired and would find it hard to get out of bed before 9/10. I know that’s not late to some people, but as I am a morning bird it is late for me and made the anxiety about 10x worse.

Poor sleep was having a major knock on effect on so many things during the day: mood (honestly, I often just cried about the level of exhaustion), motivation and productivity, caffeine intake and diet, ability to focus and think clearly. So, it was not a tough decision to make sleep the area in my life I needed to give my attention to first. I am aware my sleep improved slightly once a big chunk of the external stress was removed (I finished my dissertation and MSc), but nevertheless my poor habits and relationship with sleep already existed with stress having exacerbated it. Writing this I am now aware of how far I have come just by focusing on one particular area of my life to build healthier habits.

I started off by keeping a sleep journal. I’d write down what time I went to bed, a guesstimate at the time I fell asleep, quantity of times awake during the night, overall duration and a score of quality /5. I also scored my mood before and after sleep. I noted my diet, caffeine intake, exercise, meditation notes and make a note of any other things that helped/didn’t. I stopped writing my diet down after a short period because I realised this is something I need to work on separately in the future, otherwise I’d be focusing on too much at once.

The things I did and the changes made:

Headspace

Meditation has always been my happy place. I started the 30-day sleep pack which involves noting (acknowledging thought or feeling as they arise and bringing yourself back to the present moment once you have) and a visualisation technique for body relaxation. Andy also gives loads of sleep tips which have been useful, such as ways to alter your environment in the bedroom (kinky) to promote sleep and relaxation. This pack emphasises that the goal is not to necessarily sleep better but to change your relationship with sleep so that even if you don’t fall asleep straight away you are still resting. This helps to put less pressure on the falling asleep process and increasing mindfulness throughout the day prevents so much tension and negativity building up to an unmanageable amount at bedtime.

They’ve really pimped up the sleep section recently by adding a whole host of sleep sounds and podcasts (takes you on a visual story). There’s a sleep meditation specific to falling asleep which is supposed to be used alongside the daily meditating but I’m not a massive fan. Rather, I incorporate aspects of it (progressive muscle relaxation and then gently focusing on the breath) whilst I have the Harry Potter audiobook on quietly in the background (I think I’ve associated Stephen Fry’s voice with sleep). I tend to fall asleep within the 15-minute timer and if I don’t I am usually now content enough to rest in the silence until I do. Sometimes I use the sleep sounds and podcasts provided by Headspace because I really enjoy them, it just depends what I fancy as I’m getting into bed.

Goodbye caffeine

Giving up caffeine has made a tremendous impact. On average I used to drink about 10 cups a day. I started out by switching to decaf after 2PM so that it had enough time to get out of my system before bedtime. It’s only the other day when I had a couple of brews around tea time (oops) that I realised what impact this had on my ability to fall asleep (I didn’t sleep until 2/3!).

It also brought to my attention to how much the caffeine intake was contributing to the physical symptoms of anxiety. So, it helped by reducing the overall anxiety level I was feeling in a given day. I still implement the 2PM rule but it is not very rare I drink it at all.

Regular bedtime

I struggled with this at first as my pattern was so out of whack. 10:30 is my bedtime and 07:30 is my wake time. Initially I would get to bed for this time but would of course still struggle to sleep and then get up in the morning. Over time whilst I implemented the other changes this became easier to do. A few things helped with this:

Setting an alarm for 21:30 on my FitBit to remind me to start winding down.

Having a herbal tea just before bed (Yorkshire bedtime brew)

Setting my alarm to an upbeat song (Bare Necessities - The Overtones).

Of course I didn’t commit to this 100% of the time due to social plans etc, but even so I no longer stay up really late procrastinating.

Journalling

Initially I would do a ‘brain dump’ and write out all the things I was thinking and feeling to get it out of my system. But now I just write down the positive things that have helped in the day and end it with at least one thing I am grateful for. It helps to have a specific positive focus and a record of the things I’ve achieved which reduces the critical thinking/self-attack. I now feel much better having reflected positively on my day rather than beating myself up for all the things I didn’t do.

I also have a bullet journal in progress (something to develop later) which is essentially a book of lists at the moment. Pinning the things down I have to do on paper rather than have them ramble around in my head really helps. The lists give me a clearer direction of where I’m going after I’ve had a good sleep, with writing it down giving me peace of mind that I don’t have to remember everything.

Environment

I had a mass organisation and declutter of my bedroom which worked an absolute charm. With my belongings all tidy and in order my internal world felt a little less cluttered too. I started making sure I have a drink on my bedside table so that if I wake up thirsty I don’t have to wake myself up by going to the kitchen (and let the kittens into my room) - it also helps to have a drink to wake myself up in the morning. I try not to go on my phone as much in the evening with do-not-disturb coming on automatically at 21:30 so I don’t get disturbed with notifications, and have started plugging it to charge across the room rather than next to my head. Cutting down on screen time has made me feel much more settled in the hour before bed. Lavender on the pillow is also a WONDER.

Understanding sleep

I listened to the audiobook - Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker. I think it’s always important to understand thoroughly what you change and implement. This book is easy to understand and very informative. It’s given me a tremendous insight into our biology and the vital role sleep plays. Enhancing my understanding has fuelled my motivation for creating and sticking to healthier habits.

This is what sleep is like now:

I don’t feel anxious in the evening and enjoy going up to bed. I love the feeling of sleepiness and my thoughts don’t trouble me as much as all as I am more able to put them to the side.

I fall asleep usually within 15 minutes of settling down.

I usually get around 8 hours sleep which is good in quality.

If I wake up it’s only because I need the loo and I manage to fall asleep again very quickly.

I find it easy to get up in the morning and get going, often waking up just a little earlier than my alarm which I’m happy with.

So, overall, a success!

I am always interested to hear of your journey’s and the techniques you have found to be helpful!

Mentioned:

Headspace

Audible

Yorkshire Bedtime Brew

Bare Necessities/I Wanna Be Like You - The Overtones

Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams - Matthew Walker

#self love #self care #self awareness #mental health #psychology #anxitey #happiness #personal #personal growth #self actualization #accountability #headspace #health #health and wellbeing #sleep

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ramialkarmi · 6 years

Text

A vape pen with twice the nicotine of comparable devices is taking over high schools — and adults are frightened

The Juul vape pen, an e-cigarette that comes with a vaporizer and pre-filled containers of nicotine liquid, is soaring in popularity.

Young people appear to be especially drawn to the device, which is discrete enough to hide.

Juul is emphatic that its product is made to appeal to adults looking to switch from smoking to vaping.

US Food and Drug commissioner Scott Gottlieb has been recently citing concerns with e-cigs and has repeatedly called out the Juul by name.

Vaping is becoming increasingly popular, and now a vape pen that's small, discrete, and easy to use is taking over high schools — and the e-cig market.

The Juul (pronounced "jewel") appears to have a loyal and growing following among young people, who brag on social media about being able to sneak puffs in class or in the bathroom. But it's not just teens who are using it — the device represents a third of the market share of the total e-cig category, according to Nielsen data, meaning a large share of adults are also turning to the Juul.

Compared with smoking conventional cigarettes — a process that involves setting ablaze a handful of tobacco, tar, and toxic metals — vaping seems objectively healthier. Nothing is burned — only heated — and tobacco doesn't need to be involved at all.

But vaping still comes with health risks, and these risks may be especially worrisome for young people.

"The people that are marketing these new devices claim that their main focus is to reduce the risk of smokers, and I agree, vaping probably represents a reduction in risk from smoking," Ana Rule, a professor of environmental health and engineering at Johns Hopkins University and an author of a study on e-cigs and teens, told Business Insider in March.

"But they fail to address the increased risk to this huge market they are creating among teenagers and young adults that never have smoked, and would have never even considered smoking," she added.

'Juul'ing

Among teens, the Juul is not just a noun. It's also a verb.

Instagram and YouTube are full of videos of teens posting clips of themselves vaping, or "Juuling," in class and in front of teachers; a string of high schools along the East Coast has acknowledged "Juuling" in bathroom stalls as a widespread problem, and dozens of teachers report confiscating Juul devices disguised as Sharpies and other classroom items.

The problem has drawn the attention of scientists who've been called into high schools to give presentations on the health dangers of the Juul; leaders at the US Food and Drug Administration, where a string of recent undercover sting operations have turned up several instances of illegal Juul sales to minors; and members of Congress.

Last week in a statement about the FDA's plan to crack down on Juul sales to minors, agency commissioner Scott Gottlieb called out the brand by name and said the agency would "not tolerate the sale of any tobacco products to youth."

That comes on the heels of several letters to the agency from members of congress asking the agency to further restrict sales and marketing of the Juul. Because of a current rule, many recent e-cig manufacturers are not required to apply to the FDA for review until the summer of 2022.

"The availability of Juul and e-cigarettes to youth is extremely troubling," one letter read.

Gottlieb has said the agency plans future action in addition to the sting operations.

Ashley Gould, Juul's chief administrative officer, told Business Insider in March that the soaring interest in the device among youth runs counter to Juul's mission.

"Juul is a company that was started by smokers with an objective to switch smokers to non-combustible products," Gould said, adding that the company is vehemently opposed to anyone under 18 using their products and even has a number of campaigns aimed at addressing and curbing underage use.

Nicotine is a highly addictive substance — one analysis ranks it below heroin and cocaine but above barbiturates (anti-anxiety drugs) and alcohol. Some 85% of people who try to quit smoking on their own relapse.

Some evidence suggests that e-cigs may be helpful to adults who are looking to quit smoking. But research also suggests that vaping is an appealing habit to teens, and that those who pick up a vape pen are at a greater risk of smoking conventional cigarettes than those who never vape.

That means that while adults who pick up the Juul may be using it to quit, teens who use it may become addicted and eventually turn to traditional cigarettes.

Why vaping is so appealing to teens

E-cigs have a handful of qualities besides highly addictive nicotine that may make them especially appealing to young people.

Unlike conventional cigarettes, which have a natural stop mechanism — they burn to the end — e-cigs can be re-filled and reused. Additionally, where cigarettes are highly noticeable and easily policed, e-cigs are discrete and sometimes odorless (or have a non-offensive smell). Vaping isn't universally banned in indoor and outdoor places.

The Juul is also sleek, small, colorful, and fairly affordable, at $35 for the pen and $16 for a four-pack of pre-filled cartridges (or "Juul pods").

But the device is different from most e-cigs in one key way: its nicotine.

Not only does the Juul have a higher nicotine concentration than other comparable devices (a Juul pod is 5% nicotine by volume; a Blu e-cig cartridge is 2.4%), it also uses a slightly different nicotine formula than most vape pens use.

Bonnie Halpern-Felsher, a professor of pediatrics at Stanford University who studies nicotine and recently published a review of Juul devices, said she found the product's high nicotine content "scary."

"It is much higher than what we're seeing in conventional e-cigs. It's a tremendous amount," Halpern-Felsher said.

Halpern-Felsher is one of several scientists who've been called into high schools to give presentations to students warning of the Juul's high nicotine content.

Instead of straight liquid nicotine, otherwise known as "freebase," Juul uses a patented formula that combines nicotine with salt. The company says the nicotine-salt combination is similar to what's naturally found in the leaves of a tobacco plant; the end result is a stronger e-liquid that vaporizes more smoothly.

James Pauly, a pharmacologist at the University of Kentucky who studies nicotine, told Business Insider that he'd been reading a lot about Juul devices because their "concentration of nicotine is so high." He said the salt mixture likely makes the vapor less harsh, meaning it's easier to inhale more strongly for longer.

While an adult smoker might enjoy this aspect of the Juul experience, a teen who's never smoked might end up vaping a dangerous amount of nicotine in one sitting with no knowledge of how much they've consumed.

Other health concerns tied to vaping

Beyond nicotine addiction, several other health concerns about vaping are starting to emerge.

One study published last month found some of the same toxic metals in conventional cigarettes in e-cigs. Another found that at least some of those toxins appear to be making their way through vapers' bodies, as evidenced by a urine analysis run by researchers who randomly sampled nearly 100 people in the Bay Area who vape. And research presented recently at a large conference concluded that there was substantial evidence tying daily e-cig use to an increased risk of heart attack.

Nicotine is also highly addictive and has dramatic impacts on the developing brain.

Brain imaging studies of adolescents suggest that people who begin smoking regularly at a young age have markedly reduced activity in the prefrontal cortex and perform less well on tasks related to memory and attention compared to people who don't smoke.

Nicholas Chadi, a clinical pediatrics fellow at Boston Children's Hospital who spoke about the Juul at the American Society of Addiction Medicine's annual conference this month, said these brain changes are also linked with increased sensitivity to other drugs as well as greater impulsivity. He described some of the anecdotal effects of nicotine vaping that he's seen among teens in and around his hospital.

"After only a few months of using nicotine [these teens] describe cravings, sometimes intense ones. Sometimes they also lose their hopes of being able to quit. And interestingly they show less severe symptoms of withdrawal than adults, but they start to show them earlier on. After only a few hundred cigarettes — or whatever the equivalent amount of vaping pods — some start showing irritability or shakiness when they stop," Chadi said.

So although evidence may suggest that vaping is a healthier habit for adults looking to quit smoking, it is an entirely different issue when it comes to young adults.

"Vaping among teens is my (and most public health professionals) biggest worry," Rule said.

If you have questions or concerns for Juul related to underage vaping, you can email them at [email protected].

SEE ALSO: Scientists are beginning to learn how vaping impacts your health — and the results are troubling

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