What a revelation it has been slack-lining. The last time I wrote, I had trouble standing up on the line. It has been interesting, now I can walk up and down 20m on the line on a good day. On a bad day, I can't stand on it at all. But that is no surprise given the disease we have.
During the one attack (yes, I've had one attack since), it was interesting to note that despite quite severe nystagmus, I was able to move myself to a place to rest, and not succumb to nausea. As you all know when a vertigo attack hits, that the motion sickness itself is the one that becomes completely debilitating. Well, I am glad to say that it really helped with tolerance against nystagmus.
Lately I have been experimenting with various motions on the slack-line. And it is becoming quite clear now that it is the slow moving vertical movement that triggers nausea. Even small amounts of slow constant movement on the vertical axis, will send me feeling nauseas. This makes sense, some of my worst triggers are all vertically based. So my exercise now on the slack-line is to concentrate on bopping up and down the line, as opposed to walking on it constantly. This really triggers the sickness, but I have noticed one of the enormous strengths gained is the ability to abandon thoughts, and concentrate on the gaze, calm the mind and calm the breath. And there it is, breath to the gaze.
During nystagmus, if you are able to maintain your gaze perfectly and concentrate, then the nausea begins to settle. The dizziness fails to take over and control somewhat returns - well it does for me. I am able to get to a safe place, and rest until the attack is over, for now. And this is one of the very ability I saw when I mentioned before, the guy who has had nystagmus all his life, that he was able to momentarily focus and gaze on a subject, walk about otherwise, without feeling sick. And I believe the key here to that adaptation is through the calmness of the breath, as opposed to hate and anxiety.
I believe, in time, we can do it too !
Lately I have noticed many people are beginning to think of this disease in terms of neuro-plasticity. I am glad to hear this, because too many of us who suffer this disease seal our fate by reinforcing the anxiety, and that will result in worst attacks. By giving so much hatred and anger to the disease, it begins to take over ones life completely, and really does make it feel worthless, but the understanding of neuro-plasticity really provides a way of knowing we can make what's left of our balance, and relearn how to adapt to things we cannot change. Maybe, with any luck, we can make a change and rewire our vestibular brain!
May you find your balance.....
