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Day 281: Therapeutic Tennis Balls to the Rescue!

Tired today. But I am putting one foot in front of the other!

I had a long day yesterday.  Began with early Mass and ended with a late chamber group rehearsal.

At one point in the afternoon, during a break, I lay down on the church floor with my therapeutic tennis balls - two tennis balls duct taped together. I put them on the floor and lay on top of them so that they hit just on either side of my spine. A kind of DIY trigger point therapy. I have a lot of tension in my upper back, in my rhomboids (the muscle underneath the trapezius between the scapulae - the shoulder blades).  I discovered the tennis ball trick years ago when I worked as a chiropractor's assistant.

It's been a God send for times like yesterday.  I let the weight of my body press into the tennis balls which in turn put pressure on the muscles along the spine. I would breathe into the pain and then roll the balls to another spot. I did some yoga stretches and after about 15 minutes of my DIY therapy, I felt good enough to continue my day.

My next student's mom came in looking distraught. She is a massage therapist. Her daughter is one of my newer students. Delightful family. Mom asked if I could help her with an odd request. I of course, said yes. I love to help! It gets me out of my own self.  She said she had a horrible pain underneath her left scapula. I laughed and told her I had the same spot! She asked if I would place a patch on her back. She couldn't quite reach it. I told her I would do even better. I would put the patch on and then let her use my therapeutic tennis balls!

So I put on her pain patch and started her daughter's lesson. I looked over and smiled. There she was, laying on the floor in the middle of the church. And after the lesson, mom was smiling and feeling much better.

I really do like helping people. 

The rest of my afternoon was very pleasant, including rehearsal. Our group has a performance coming up in March with challenging music we have never played before and some guest musicians.  But it was coming together last night.  I think it will be a fun event!

On my way to teach a student. My daughter, son-in-law, his mother and grandmother came to my church today. It was lovely to have the family!  And the church body was very welcoming. :)

Happy Sunday!

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