Frustrations.
Jan 31st
Gah! I hate my body sometimes. My back doesn’t hurt while I’m stretching, but if I sit for too long it hurts. All day long. After I was done stretching yesterday and was uploading/editting the video I was sitting on the couch for I duno, maybe an hour…and then my back hurt mostly the rest of the night. Ridiculous! I do slouch a lot…that’s probably why. Or I sit really weird like I’ll have more weight on one side of my back because one leg is curled under me, I duno. I guess I just need to sit in back-approved positions haha.
And my back has hurt today pretty much since I woke up 
These are the kinds of things that make me question if my body can handle this. I SO want to be able to bend! It’s like one of the only things I REALLY want. And I might not be able to. Ugh!! Hopefully it is just soreness because I didn’t really stretch for 3 days and then stretched yesterday…hopefully. I need like a psychic healer to use their powers on me. It’s funny…I’ll imagine my L5 in my head…putting tape around it..healing the broken pieces. Imagining my osteoclasts/osteoblasts going to work; making new bone. But nothing happens. Maybe I just need a little faith? Eh. My mom’s bf is an orthopedic surgeon who believes people shouldn’t be ‘too flexible’ so I know he doesn’t support what I’m doing, especially with my back. Most people I know don’t support it actually. Screw it. I really want a bowl of fruity pebbles right now but I’m not even hungry haha. Maybe in a few hours…Time to relax.
Another vid and photo before bed!
Jan 31st
I wasn’t totally satisfied with my other video today..I feel like I haven’t improved much. Hopefully with this new stretching routine I’m doing things will change. Here’s a quick vid to redeem myself:
And here’s a still:
New Backbending Vid!
Jan 30th
Here is my new backbending video showing some of the new stretches I’m doing. Enjoy!
New Stretches!
Jan 29th
Well I tried those new stretches…feels good! I can really tell the difference between upperback/shoulders and mid back. I need to work on my splits more so that I can start backbending with splits. I did the ‘pigeon’ pose for the first time..I’ve been kinda doing it for a while but I wouldn’t twist my knee so that my thigh was on the floor. Anyway I can do my left side well of course because I’m a lefty but I need to work on my right side. I think if I just keep doing that stretch along with cobras and elbow stands against a wall…and maybe some bridges haha. I want to start stretching my neck a bit too since it doesn’t go back as far as some people. Anyway just wanted to give you a quick update; time for dinner! Hopefully I will post some new pictures before February.
Glass Half Full.
Jan 27th
So I was on Contortionists Unite and found a thread about back stretches. My online friend Nicole asked:
Does anyone know of any good back stretches to help my backbends/lower back flexibility???
I already know of the basic ones that I’m sure most people know of by now, but if anyone could give me any tips or anything, that would be sooo helpful!
And a woman named Jenji replied:
So by the sounds of it you need to break down your backbend. The backbend come from three main places. Shoulder..lots of kitty cat stretches and grabbing the foot behind the head. In pigeon or split. Use a strap and lengthen the side of the body reach with the arms pushing the chest forward. And the key is overhead bow. Which may take a bit. This will work the shoulders.
The next place is the mid back …the chest and belly button region. Cobra is good , but you need to find a pose or stretch the softens the tummy allowing you to sink into the stretch. So I suggest a forearm balance pulling the chest forward pushing against a wall is best. This is all upper back , shoulders, the key to beautiful backbend.
The Final part is the hips….. the hip flexors the front of the hip. Splits, splits , splits, add the backbend add the the grab of the foot….. try a camel bridge. A backbend with the knees on the floor. Gotta lengthen the hips. So three places stretch with a focus on each place and then come back to bridges, and chest stands and lengthen through the shoulders and hips softening the tummy.
Wow! I think I am around the same place as Nicole. We both need to ‘break down’ our backbend; i.e. I guess start to get our heads toward our butts. Pinch it down. I dunno how to explain it. But these seem like really great exercises! And lower back doesn’t look to be involved…in other words..I AM EXCITED!!! SO EXCITED. Maybe I can backbend after all! I don’t think I’ll stretch my back out today because it’s kind of bothering me; so next time will be tomorrow. Goodie! Today I’ll work on splits after school. 
End of the Road?
Jan 26th
I’m not sure if I can continue backbending. I think I’m at the point where to get my backbend any tighter, I’m gonna have to start bending at my lower back, which I can’t do, because it hurts. Or, this might just be a fluke day and I’m was kind of already tired before I started stretching. I don’t know what to do. I think I’m gonna try some less straining exercises 
like this one and try to get my foot/shin over my shoulder and see what happens. I think I’ve come to the conclusion that I can’t do the chest stand stretch because it bends directly at my L5 which is where my back is ‘broken’. I can feel that it is possible to bend my back higher but my neck isn’t flexible enough to hold that position for too long. So I think I’m gonna stick with the non straining exercises for a while.
I feel like a Debbie Downer when I say this but really..I don’t feel like anything I really want in life ever goes my way. I had to quit gymnastics because of my back injury, and now I might not be able to do this because of my back AGAIN. What the fuck am I supposed to do sit in my rocking chair and knit all day. Bye.
Update.
Jan 24th
It’s been a while since I posted last. Nothing too new with my stretching :/ My feet are a few inches from the floor when I try to do a chest stand! I think more of my chest is on the ground, so it’s actually becoming a chest stand rather than a neck stand hah. I haven’t been stretching too much lately but I’m GOING to stretch more. I just have to make time with school. I want to improve SOMETHING before February 6th (4 months!).
I noticed that my legs have loosened up a bit. I’ve tried different stretching techniques with my splits and what I’m doing seems to be working. My back thigh muscles would tighten up really easily and it prevented me from stretching my splits. Now I have noticed that if I stretch my splits every other day, the tightness isn’t there. Yay! I still do kicks and various other leg stretches everyday, just not left and right splits. Middles it seems I can do everyday. I have about an inch to go! I just need someone to push me down. Ow.
Other than legs, my back has felt a bit stiff lately because I’ve taken like two 2-day breaks ah. No more of that. Anyway, time to do HW -__- and then STRETCHING! 
Stretching Partner!
Jan 15th
My friend wants to stretch with me!! A guy she’s interested in does breakdancing and him and I were doing a few moves last night. She said she wants to get more flexible and maybe it can help with her back (she doesn’t have the greatest posture). She said she just wants to start with 4 days a week which I think is a good idea. Hopefully I’ll be a good teacher
Soo basically..
Jan 6th
I am stupid. I was counting every 4 weeks as 1 month..not every month has 4 weeks. Duh. Why did I not just count from the day I started contortion (10/6) and celebrate every 6th of the month? I don’t know. So technically I guess today marks 3 months of training.
I don’t think I’ve improved much over break. I haven’t really had time to stretch because we’ve been moving and taking crap out of boxes, painting, buying stuff, etc. Hopefully I’ll improve some before school starts! (1/20)
So…I should have a chest stand by at least 7 months..come on. Maybe even 4-5 months. Anyway, the 7 month mark (5/6) is around my birthday; May 10th! What a nice birthday present that will be! Well I’m gonna wait for dinner to digest and then, on to stretching. I was actually really sore yesterday for some reason, so I didn’t stretch as much as I could. I feel a little better today though. Bye!
