Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Sunday Stretch for Sewists #11...Something's Fishy

...because it is not Sunday today! I totally forgot to do the last Sunday of the month stretch post, and well, we were gone all day Sunday anyhow.

I volunteered to test one of Lorna's patterns, and picked Kissy Fishy, thinking most people would go for the animals...bzzzt! Lorna said this was the most popular pattern! It was fun.

In the pattern, her orange fish is the thinner one, and her blue fish the chunkier one; I reversed it (setting myself up for a 'leedle' confusion in this already fog-brain of mine? Sigh...) It all worked out.  Rather splendidly, IMHO.  I wanted to do scrappy fish: hot pink and orange and turquoise and green.  All fabrics are scraps, outside of the clamshell Michael Miller print that was in a fat quarter bundle I bought from Craftsy.  The results were very pleasing. An unplanned pleasant surprise was the polka dot lower fin picking up on some dots in that coral print I used for the face. I did hope the orange Kaffe fabric left over from my Three Quarter Patch Tote would have a good eye effect, and it did.  Not sure, but think I may make these into a cushion cover, or two wallhangings, maybe for Florida.

Fish Pose aka Matsyasana
This isn't a Yin pose; it's used as a counterpose to Yin long held, deep forward bends like Snail, aka Plough, aka Halasana.  It is a good stimulation for the thyroid, and a lovely stretch for the ligaments in the front of the neck after long hours hunched over your sewing machine.

To get into it, lie down on your back and place your hands, palms down, under your butt cheeks, trying to keep your arms parallel.  Press into your palms and forearms, arching your back as you lift your heart to the ceiling, letting the back or top of your head rest on the floor.  Note that there is minimal weight on your head.  Take 5 slow steady breaths here, or if you are familiar and comfortable with the pose, stay a little longer.
Nod to the Detroit Lions for Dayna; she bought me these yoga pants. She took her dad to an open practice Monday afternoon...and so the excitement (and disappointment?) begins for another season...
If your back is more flexible, then arch it more deeply, pushing into your forearms to rise up a bit more, letting your head come up off the floor.  Stay 5 breaths or longer, as you feel is right for you.


Traditionally, Fish Pose is done with the legs in Lotus or Padmasana. You may want to work toward that, as it brings a lovely tug into the hip joints.  First try it with loosely crossed legs:


working on getting the crossed legs in tighter.  Eventually, one day, maybe next month, next year, or next lifetime, grin, full Lotus, either with hands beneath your sacrum, or reach down and grasp your feet. Don't do this unless you can sit comfortably in Lotus. Note that the knees stay down.


To come out, simply lower back down, the same way you went into the pose, removing your arms and hands from underneath you once you are flat.  Lie still and pay attention to the sensations and energies moving around inside your body.  Turn to one side, and pause there before sitting back up.

The benefits are many.  Here is a very good list, but from the photos here, you can see how this corrects rounded shoulders (guilty), and expands and opens the chest, which is so good for the lungs and breathing, and can help asthma sufferers.  As well as this, it creates space in your spinal cord, as you arch away from your pelvis.

Out-take:
One of his humans on the floor brings him right over to check things out, "Are you okay? You are? Here's a kiss to make sure! ... Or could we play? Huh? Huh?!"
We went around one entire block today! 1 km is what we've been doing this week.
As you can see by the burnt to a crisp lawn under the black walnut tree, and the yellowed grass in Lakeside Park on the other side of the street, we are very very dry here.  And it continues to be very very hot.  Which is fine by me.

He pulls and sniffs and pees on various spots until we start to head back home, and then he never fails to look at me with this, "Seriously? That's IT?" look and then PLODS along, in a very resigned, little grump, way. I do think his leg aches for the last quarter of the walk, but he'd never admit to that.
Linking up with
Sew Fresh Quilts




29 comments:

  1. Oh I love the fish - both the blocks and the yoga pose. When I scrolled down and saw I subconsciously just stretched my whole body. I used to go to yoga regularly but haven't practised in many years ..... hmmmm I think I need to start again - in fact that may be just what I need right now. Thanks!

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  2. Love the scrappy fishies! The yoga pose looks relaxing. I've never done yoga, though I'd love to. Unfortunately I am in a very small town and there's no one to teach a class...and I'm nervous about trying it without someone to correct my form.

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  3. The scallop fabric for the fish scales??? Really? I don't think you could have picked a better fabric. Isn't it warm/hot outside to do yoga in the day? By the way you look adorable :-)
    Hugs,
    Preeti.

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  4. Lovely post . Lovely fish and great yoga photos. I'm still looking thinking I'm definitely doing these . The sunshine helps , raining here again

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  5. I love the incorporation of the Fish pose with the Fish blocks. :) It made me smile.
    What a great pose to chose for quilters. And a great walk through for it too. I think I am going to make sure to include this on my sewing days. Thank you for the reminder to stretch!

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  7. Love the fish, especially the scallops for the scales. I thought it must be new since you said you were testing it but it looks like it is available. I have a stack of UFOs (really old ones!) that I need to get through and then I really want to try it. I agree they would make cute pillows or wall hangings but I think a whole quilt would be fun, too, especially a scrappy one.

    Such a cute photo of you and Rocco and how sweet of him to check your well being. Dogs are just so wonderful.

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  8. Love the fish! I wish I could do yoga, but so far not so good...but we have joined Tai Chi and are really enjoying it. Our lawn is the same....crunchy! I remarked today that all the plants are surviving...just not growing much!

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  9. The fish are great fun! I've been painting instead of sewing and am stiff as a board from all the up and down and reaching with the roller - looking forward to getting back to the sewing machine!

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  10. This looks like a good one after hours of keyboarding too, thanks for the lesson! And the fish would look adorable on a long couch/body pillow, methinks.

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  11. I love your posts Sandra. Such great blocks, they made me smile. Beautiful fabrics. Your yoga poses are perfect 😀 and Rocco, bless him for checking on his mummy. Hope he can run free soon.... hugs PS. Jealous of your sunshine, it is windy and rainy here, more like autumn than august! Xx

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  12. Cute fishes Sandra and your outdoor Summer excercising makes me wan tto join in =)

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  13. The little fishy's are 'sew' adorable, who could not love those!

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  14. I love that you have fish blocks to introduce fish pose AND that the pattern is Kissy Fish and Rocco wanted to give you kisses when you were down doing Fish pose. Ahhh... so much coordination! <3

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  15. What a fun post - especially the dog. My animals do the same thing. It's kind of annoying, and kind of endearing.

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  16. I really need to "try" this pose! I think my back is getting rounded from so much looking down. Not from looking at a smartphone, because I don't use one, but from everything else I do. Even in the yard, always looking so I don't step on a snake or dog poop!

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  17. Love the scrappy fishies. So nice to hear Rocco is getting out and about now. IMHO it is wayyy to hot, a little less heat and some rain sure would be nice.

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  18. Cute fishies! I just made her pig! It's so darned cute! This stretch looks like another good one. Just looking at the pictures, I could feel something good! Speaking of the pictures, that last one of you is beautiful! XO

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  19. Fun post--Fishies and Kissies! Using that clamshell print for fish scales is genius! You look like hot weather agrees with you. I find myself wishing for fall at this point, although we have had a little bit of rain recently. One perk of the hot summer is that when we went to Lake Michigan, the water was warm enough for the grandkids to play in it forever without getting cold.

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  20. I love those fish! Great fabric choices!

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  21. Love the fish and the fish? pose. I may have read that wrong, sorry. It looks very sunny and beautiful, but it can't be hot like here. You can't touch the concrete, definitely not lie down--fried butt cheeks, anyone? I am going to try this pose with straight legs and a mat and the a/c.

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  22. I love those fish! So cute... I'm getting ready to do a fish quilt for the youngest granddaughter for Christmas, but they'll look more like goldfish crackers (her favorite food!) And have I thanked you lately for your Stretch posts? I love them! You got me started on yoga and it's done wonders for me!!

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  23. I love your fish blocks! I made mine in solids. I keep forgetting to do my yoga stretches.

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  24. I love these stretches, and honestly try many of them. Now I need to find a routine to practice them consecutively. And Rocco pics are ALWAYS good, especially when there are little pibble kisses!

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  25. Oh, that last pic of you and your pooch is so sweet.
    This looks like a great stretch. I have a disc that slips in my neck so I cannot look up at that sort of angle... Anyway to modify to still get the stretch? Email me if you have any ideas. :-)

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  26. Oh, Rocco, how I do love thee. The boys do the same thing if you get in the floor to exercise. They want to be part of the fun too. That last picture is a great one of you with Rocco. Quite worthy of framing. And those kissy fish! They are soooo cute.

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  27. Your Kissy Fishy blocks are really cute! Love those fabrics.
    Susie

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  28. Love your fish blocks! Now, the yoga pose would require an appointment for rescue to show up at my house. LOL.

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