Lynch, Markey Hit the Road, Republicans Get Started
With only days to go before nomination papers are due in the race for U.S. Senate, last week was a busy one for announced and potential candidates looking to fill the seat left vacant by John Kerry’s appointment to Secretary of State. The Republican field lost one prominent candidate, and another generated a bit of controversy. On the Democratic side, Congressmen Edward Markey (D-Malden) and Stephen Lynch (D-South Boston) have been working through their pre-primary debate schedule and campaigning across the state. Democrats Markey and Lynch hit the roadBoth Democratic candidates hit the road again last week from Pittsfield to Salem, meeting with residents and attending fundraisers. Markey had campaign stops in Taunton, Fall River, Lowell and Pittsfield, to name a few. On Thursday, Lynch spoke to the Boston Firefighters Local 718. He also had campaign stops in several communities, including Lynn, Methuen, Peabody and Salem. Jamaica Plain is a territory within the bounds of Lynch’s seat, the MA 8th. On Wednesday, Lynch and Markey signed a deal to limit outside groups from producing ads during the Democratic Primary. The deal is based on a similar pledge signed by Scott Brown and Elizabeth Warren during the 2012 Senate Race. Also last week, Lynch received the endorsement of the 75,000 member Massachusetts Building Trades Council. Markey was endorsed by Daily Kos. Last week also saw a new poll released in the U.S. Senate race. Conducted by WBUR/MassINC, the poll showed Markey holding a slim 38 percent to 31 percent lead over Lynch in the primary, with 26 percent saying they’re still unsure who they will vote for. The poll also showed that either Democratic candidate would hold a lead over a generic Republican. Bielat drops out of Republican primary raceRepublican Sean Bielat said Wednesday that while he thought he could run a strong campaign, the timing wasn’t right for him to run, according to an Associated Press report. He previously ran for Congress twice – against Barney Frank and Joe Kennedy III, who he lost to in November. Bielat had sought donations to run last weekend and even filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. The field of Republican candidates could be crowded if no one pulls out of a potential run and if everyone who pulled papers gets them in by the deadline. Candidates have until Wednesday, Feb. 27 to gather the 10,000 certified signatures needed to appear on the April 30 primary ballot. The special election is June 25. No papers have been submitted as of Feb. 21 according to the Secretary of State’s Office. Already in the running are State Rep. Dan Winslow (R-Norfolk), former Nantucket selectman and county commissioner Douglas Bennett and former Navy Seal […]
Ten Ways to Get Started with Yoga After an Injury
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been approached or have had conversations with people in class about how to best get started back with yoga after an injury. This also applies to starting yoga for the first time after an injury. I thought this would make a good topic for my next column. Maybe you’re reading this and like one of the people I spoke with, you’re afraid you’ll get hurt again. Maybe you have a memory of how fit you once were and now, faced with your injured body, you’re frustrated and feel there is no way you’ll be able to taste that feeling of strength and flexibility again. Maybe you have “good days” and “bad days” and have just given up on the idea of doing anything physical. The good news is yoga is the perfect exercise to do in instances like this. Why? Because yoga poses and sequences can be modified to fit just about anyone’s body and physical condition. Yoga’s intensity and be increased or decreased depending on the pace, the poses selected, the use of props and the sequence offered. Here are some tips for getting started back or getting started for the first time: Check with your physician before starting a yoga practice. This is pretty obvious but depending on your injury, you might not think to check. Yoga is getting a great deal of exposure these days as being a contributor to injuries and despite that, there are a number of physicians who are actually suggesting it to their patients, as well as physical therapists who encourage people to attend class as well as therapy. Review the classes on the schedule at your local studio and make a selection based on your physical condition and requirements. This may require some consultation with the studio owner or one of the teachers. Generally speaking, if you’re a beginner, these are the best classes to attend. These classes will be geared towards people with little to no experience. Even if you have experience, with your injury, you may be looking for a slower pace and more time to move from pose to pose. These classes generally provide both. If you are unable to put weight on your hands or have an injury to the upper body, power yoga or vinyasa (flow) classes may not be the best choice. There’s a great deal of movement from standing to the ground as well as many poses where weight is put on the hands in these classes. Now, having said there, there absolutely is a way to modify these sequences so you can skip placing weight on the hands. This would require one on […]