Warbler Whiplash
- newportwellness
- Apr 7
- 2 min read
After a snowy winter, spring is making itself known! The birds are singing and I heard a chorus of peepers (small tree frogs) recently. I see snowdrops, crocuses and chinodoxa popping up in my yard and at my office.
My meditation practice encourages me to stop, look and observe. The world can be a challenging place so it’s important for me to nourish what is good in this life. Years ago my husband introduced me to birdwatching. We would be out at Sachuest Point walking and he would stop and listen. At the time, I found this annoying. I wanted a workout!
As time passed, I began to appreciate all that he noticed. We joined the Norman Bird Sanctuary and started birding with a group on Sundays and doing various field trips and events with them. The spring is full of warblers, small songbirds who dart from treetop to treetop. This seemed like an innocous pastime until the next day. My neck ached and it was reminiscent of a car accident I had been in years earlier. I had whiplash and now I was experiencing a different kind of whiplash which I call warbler whiplash.
It wasn’t a textbook case of whiplash because my head had not come forward sharply but, in my experience, it felt like it. Simply put, I had overextended my neck muscles in the interest of ornithology pursuits. There are other ways to overextend the neck. I am petite in stature so I am often reaching for things that are inconveniently located on high shelves in the grocery store.
Over the years, I have become more able to ask for help or search out a tool where I can more easily access the item I need. Interestingly enough, I came across a few helpful links:
Please remember these are only suggestions and I recommend you consult your health care provider before embarking on any new exercise.
I hope you enjoy your springtime pursuits, but please, don’t overdo it and remember to take breaks.
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