12th November- positively tired

Wake up at 16.52 this afternoon, hard to get going today. One thing for sure - it feels against the natural flow of the day to go on like this: day sleep and night work. There's a text message on my mobile prompting to answer immediately, but it's not that urgent actually, and can wait until I do the sitting exercise.

And there's a book on the table, finally arrived today, strongly recommended some time ago. After having a cup of tea and urgent emails I sit down to practice guitar. I'm short on time on the days like these, between nightshifts, but 30 minutes is possible today and I go for it.

Here's the report to share:

18:12 - prepare with the relaxation exercise.

18.15 - begin with the instrument.

Tuning.

Relax into the first intentional note of the week, then:

Third Relation preparatory exercise (for the right hand).

The metronome is at 72 BPM. Gradually build up the speed: quarter notes, eigth notes, sixteenth notes.

18.30 - pause and sit still to support relaxation.

Next strap the chords on and play around them. Also play the first 8 bars of the piece few times.

Attention is in the body, give permission for the noticed tensions to go. There are tensions in the arms, once they go I notice the tensions in the feet, accumulated during the night shift yesterday. So this relaxation process is gradual, and these are only the bodily tensions!

18.45 - complete.

Comments:

I exercise relaxation in activity, with guitar, and it almost seems like an extension of the sitting. Still, a different context for the work of body discipline, and a very informative and useful one ...

The joy of practice! - it's hard for me to describe in words.

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After this I have my meal, sharing the living room with Marek and Belen. B. is browsing Polish-English dictionary, learning how to pronounce Polish words, brave move!

Off to work for a night shift (8pm-8am). In the morning I set up laptop and play the Hymns cd to set the tone for the day. The residents do respond strongly to them:

Abide with me:

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

And a most wonderful sunset this morning, with various shades of red, purple & pink that beautifully harmonize with the colours of the tree & buildings. What a beginning of the day!

After work: emails & JOTD. I send an application letter for the AAD course - so excited about it! Right move, as they say, life changes and becomes easier when you make the decision.

Wow, it's already late and I sill have to get some sleep before night shift tomorrow. I'm positively tired...

Now for sitting, it's 10.22 am