Tips or suggestions

[Grackle]

Hi,
I'm wondering if we could share tips or workarounds for managing the dyspraxia.

Tips Needed
Do you do anything artistic that doesn't involve fine motor coordination?
I love stained glass and I always wanted to try making my own so I took a class. The first problem was that I had to trace out a pattern twice. Then I had to cut out the pieces from one pattern. Then I had to trace the shape onto the glass and cut the glass. Well, everyone else finished their projects and I was still cutting out glass (badly) when the class ended. My partner, who also went, made a beautiful stained glass panel and I have a box of glass. This just wasn't possible for me and I also can't draw of paint.

Has anyone figured out a way to be less tired?
I'm tired all of the time and I'm sleeping 10 or so hours when I can and I'm still tired.

My tips:
Handwriting - I use my computer for almost everything even typing in "To do" lists and printing them (this one is kind of obvious I guess).

Directions - I don't drive but I do walk around my neighbourhood. My partner makes a map for me that includes street names (written clearly) and landmarks (like the corner store or the gas station). It becomes a little tricky when the landmarks change though - like the house with the rock garden because when it's snowy, you can't tell anymore .

Grackle

[Osymandus]

With landmarks i just go for teh building , gardens and decorations etc change so not worth the effort . I only use road signs if i have a piece of paper with the name one it

My physical tips , do a martial art/Yoga . Sounds odd . Take some of that memory load off of your brain and get your muscles used to do unconciouss reflex actions , also meditation to help out your nerves and relax yourself .

Less tired ? I cheat and use lots of ebergy drinks at the mo , but i would guess propably diet change would hepl , very dear friend of mine altered her diet (has ME) and gets loads more eerngy now . So worth a try , who wants to cut out sugar and see what happens

[Grackle]

Thanks for your suggestions,

With landmarks i just go for the building , gardens and decorations etc change so not worth the effort . I only use road signs if i have a piece of paper with the name one it

Where I walk, the buildings are mostly houses. I have trouble differentiating the houses unless there is something really obvious that doesn't look different over time . I make a big map for a small area so that I can read the street names.

My physical tips , do a martial art/Yoga

I've tried Yoga but I just get really bored. I play soccer (my eye-leg coordination is strangely good - much better then hand-eye). I also swim and exercise in water. I think that I would be too self-conscious with martial arts.

I consume quite a bit of caffeine already but too much and my mind goes too fast for me to keep up - which of course, leads to chaos .

Is there anything that you could use tips for?

Grackle

[Osymandus]

With anything physical (and for us) its just keep trying . Meditation helps as well . WEll its what works for you . Swimming is one of teh best (though it bores me rigid lol ).

Hm Tips ? I guess to make myself more organized and motivated ?

[Evasura]

I've tried Yoga but I just get really bored. I play soccer (my eye-leg coordination is strangely good - much better then hand-eye). I also swim and exercise in water. I think that I would be too self-conscious with martial arts.

I consume quite a bit of caffeine already but too much and my mind goes too fast for me to keep up - which of course, leads to chaos .

Is there anything that you could use tips for?

Grackle[/quote]

Not sure the quote is gonna work as I want (can anyone explain to me how you quote just a bit?
Anyway. Grackle, what type of yoga did you try? I used to say the same, as I had tried only Hatha, but then I found Ashtanga and my mind changed completely about yoga. There are several types of yoga and maybe you haven't tried to right type for you. Pilates is alwo really goor to make your core muscles really stron and it also is very relaxing and improves balance.Just and idea

[Osymandus]

Doh silly me for forgetting , yes Hathor is teh physical type of yoga very hard core, the kundalinie yoga (awaking the kundalinie , shiva and shakita combined). Pilates is a modern version it lacks some of teh spiritual side (mantras for instance). Tai chi is most likley a form related to yoga and is called moving yoga in some parts . We get teh word yoke from yoga as it really just means union

[Evasura]

well, yeah...most of the yoga types practiced here in the West are under Hatha, as they're all physical. Within this context, hatha tends to be called the slowest one ( probaly this sentence is grammatically wrong. Hope the meaning is understood), in contrast with jivamukti, ashtanga or (and I find this one madness), bikrham. Have you tried/seen heard this one?

[Osymandus]

Ive heard of them (didnt know it was called that but know of some stranger peopel who have tried it ) . Hatha is a physical concept of uniting male and female energies , Kundalinie is uniting all physical , mental and spiritual and returning to the Bhramic force (so can be a little difficult for teh "western mind" to grasp. Its wahtever works for you really.

Ohm Sri Ganesha Namaha

[Grackle]

I have no idea what kind of yoga I took. The program was intended for relaxing the mind and body. It was fine physically but It just wasn't engaging my mind. My mind was like a gerbil on a wheel. Maybe something more active would work. What would you consider the benefits of yoga for someone with dyspraxia?
Grackle

[Evasura]

That;s what I felt when I did hatha (westernly speaking): found it extremely boring: as it was so slow, I didn't find it engaging. Ashtanga s more dynamic and physically demanding so it keeps you concentrated on keeping the breathing, the postures, and your body awarenes, which makes you (well, at least me and I guess the other people who like practising it) forget about eveything: no worries, bsically you forget about absolutely everything and you boost your seronine levels, which release a lot of positivity and make you feel in charge of your body. If yo like it and practise it, you can get to do postures and get to leves of relaxation that you can't imagine (well, I couldn't imagine). It also builds up your muscle tone, which tends to be a problem for dyspraxics and it's suposed to help you with balance and body control (not that sure about this last ones, as the moment I leave the yoga class I start falling over, knocking thingsdown and loosing things again, though it's true that my body posture is much better: as your core muscles are stronger, you unconciously straighten up). Ah, it also strengthens your inmune system! Jivamukti and vinyasa are still more demanding than ashtanga adn they involve music. I don't really like these, because they're too fast for me, I feel like in a class of aerobics and I get all messed up at that fast pace, so maybe not very dyspraxic friendly. Bikrham is very popular in the States: it's less dynamic and less postures and it's practice in a room at 40 degrees, to increase flexibility and sweat. I find this one increadibly boring and artificial (you can just practice in a yoga centre wth that room available, when one of the benefits of yoga is that it shouldl be practics as well independently mroe or less anywhere). Take a look at brief explanations on this website. http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-68/Diffe ... -Yoga.html. And then there is what Osymandus was mentioning, the other types of yoga, which is the ones practiced by real yogis, including meditation, and it's a whole religion/life style (osymandus, I am sure you can give much more accurate information than me about this). I haven't managed to get to like and engage with meditation. I must say I haven't tried it for long enugh, apparenty it takes time end training. I don't believe in god or praying and I a bit hyperactive, so I find difficult to engage with chants, etc, but it might work for you. Hope you find it useful!

[Osymandus]

The body control comes from teh mind control . Buddhism and parts of Hinduism have the concept of awareness .
Where Evasura says she felt like she needed more stimulious , its about letting your mind relax , and just allowing you to become more aware of your surroundings (as dyspraxicis when we relax things become easier our brains can concentrate more ) . The wobbly bits you get afterwards are fairly normally for any intensive activity your body isn't used to .

Another thing is any asana that helps strech the spine (saftly and under instruction please)and improve core muscles (sorry gym users your not alwasy using or testing the core muscles) do help us as a whole , your spines straighter your limbs are abale to bare their own weight with out so much stres and it's one aspect on allowing your body to get into shape (as is regular excersise that suits , you , good diet that suits you and rest and relaxation that suits you ).

I started doing meditation and martial arts at about 16 . I think it significantly reduced the effects of dyspraxia (i was diagnosed when 33). Its hard even for NT people , and the western mind set is goal achievement , not the idea that the journey itself the learning experience . What ever conditions we have we don;t suffer them nor are we the labels . However it helps as to work with them (controlled hyper awreness means you can see many things coming towards you , a relaxed state of body means you can roll or umble better with impact or accidents ).

The basic's (as with Chinese martial arts as well tradtionally they learn Chi Kung) is learning to breathe and remain still . If you minds like a gerbil on a wheel you want to slow it down

[Lady Fluff]

Google Streetview is my saviour! I know there are concerns about provacy with it, but frankly it's one of the best things a non-driver like myself can use! It gives the opportunity to 'walk' a route and see your surroundings before you get somewhere. I've used it numerous times to suss places out! Of course, nothing can be relied on too heavily as things in the images will change over time (most recently, a few of the shops in a place I looked at had changed), but to get the gist of an area, it's fab! It can be a bit slow though, so I don't suggest using it for an epic 20 mile hike (though if you're at all like me, you wouldn't manage a 20 mile hike without falling over and busting your knee part way through!)

[Grackle]

Google Streetview is my saviour!

I've never hear of Google Streetview before I saw it here. Wow, is it ever great! When I look at my house, I can see the dead plant that used to be in my front garden

It could be really useful to look for things at intersections before I take a walk. No, I probably couldn't walk 20 miles without falling over or - my favourite - kicking myself in the ankles while I walk which causes me to trip.
Grackle

[Starduster]

I really really recommend doing martial arts. I've done karate since I was 12, I had no choice, my father decided to set up a class to stay in shape (he's a black belt) and forced me and my sister to participate as 2 instant unwilling pupils. Well, I was.

I'm very glad he did. I ran into the dyspraxia problems, problems with sequencing etc, muscle issues but it really helped my gross motor skills. I don't have great balance but I think it would be worse without karate. You learn balanced stances so even though standing normally, my balance isn't good, I can go into horse stance and balance.
After doing martial arts for 10 years, it really becomes instinctive. It's now part of my kinetic memory. I can block instinctively. In class, you learned to watch people's movements. (For example if you look at their eyes, most people if they are going to punch signal before moving and you can react) I stand up well, exercised my muscles, karate kept me fit and gave me lots of body confidence. I had lots of problems doing roundhouse kicks, hated doing them for years, it came together one day and I love doing them now.
It's not too late to start, my father started when he was an adult and he's a black belt. Find a good sympathetic teacher and you will enjoy it (it will be awkward at first). I think martial arts is one of the best things for people with dyspraxia.

[Osymandus]

@Starduster I think muscle or kinetic memory is a key thing for Dyspraxics, i did Wing chun for 4 years and found that when the movements were reflexive , i had very little problem . It is a recommened "treatment" for young kids with Dyspraxia to help with co-ordination so well worth doing.