I am planning to have some more community practice times scheduled in the next few months. These will hopefully fall on a somewhat regular schedule, but could also be random at times. I will do my best to let folks know in class, but really, the best bet will be to check here from time to time and get the exact info. No, this is not simply a ploy for you to be actually reading this blog (which, I admit, has been a little lacking in substance as of late), but it also helps me having to deal with the phone and leaving messages and calling everyone back. One blog. One place to check. Much easier.
So there. Tomorrow morning, 9am to sometime between 11 and noon. Depending on how quickly we work through what I want to do. I am not exactly quickly moving these days. Alas. It should be great. Good company and a morning well spent in the body. Hope to see you there.
Love.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!
Good Day! I am much recovered from the dread stomach bug that had the better of me Sunday and Monday and am enjoying a lovely day with family and friends. I woke up early and went over to my friend Tracy's house to practice and talk about parenting and of course, yoga. It was a great way to start the gratitude flowing with Trace. We have shared a lot of similar experiences in the past 4 years. Zeal for yoga and many, many hours together on the mat, three pregnancies (almost), the joy and at times overwhelm in the face of mothering. It goes on and on. I love her. Not to mention that Ava is one of the cutest and happy babies ever. So I love seeing her and for some reason I can never manage to leave Tracy's house without consuming some kind of baked good. Today was a gingerbread cookie. I am not complaining.
We are headed into Milwaukee in a little bit for Dinner with my Aunt Sally and Uncle Slava and some of their adult brood. Good company and good eats. Slava (or Uncle Frosty) is a fantastic cook so it is always a treat to head down there. Tomorrow we will go down to Chicago for the day to visit with Chris' brothers family, including the new young Gilly.
We will be home on Saturday and I am scheduling a community practice for Sunday morning 9-noon. We have to do our big gratitude practice because we missed last Monday night due to another illness by me.... So, hope to see folks there for some great post feast yoga.
More later.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Saturday Snow Yoga
I just got back for a great, languid practice followed by lunch at the Driftless. Yum on all fronts. I actually found this old sequence that I have only done 1 or 2 times before. It was great. A lot of repeating poses multiple times which can be wonderful for deepening the energetic around certain actions and also allowing space to just really feel the pose. Loved it. It was very sensational for me, but I am beginning to loose a little bit of my perspective around what something should feel like for someone who is not pregnant. I would come out of a pose and just be like "whoa" or really move energy vocally in other ways and my practice buddy would look at me kind of funny. So I am not sure if she had as intense I time as I did, but like I said, for me, it was great.
We have class just on Monday night this week. It is actually a make up class from one we missed in October, which I am glad for because I am glad to meet this week. And then, Thanksgiving. We seem to be on a roll toward the end of this session, and I will post the projected schedule for December as well as for the New Year (until baby) in the next few days.
The Holiday Yoga Spree schedule is as follows:
Sunday December 28th 9am-noon
Monday December 29th 9-noon
Tuesday December 30th 9-noon
Kids 10-15 holiday yoga class will be Monday afternoon 3-4pm
Hope this sounds good for folks and I look forward to seeing you all on your mats throughout the Holidays.
We have class just on Monday night this week. It is actually a make up class from one we missed in October, which I am glad for because I am glad to meet this week. And then, Thanksgiving. We seem to be on a roll toward the end of this session, and I will post the projected schedule for December as well as for the New Year (until baby) in the next few days.
The Holiday Yoga Spree schedule is as follows:
Sunday December 28th 9am-noon
Monday December 29th 9-noon
Tuesday December 30th 9-noon
Kids 10-15 holiday yoga class will be Monday afternoon 3-4pm
Hope this sounds good for folks and I look forward to seeing you all on your mats throughout the Holidays.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
cold, again
Not too much to write about. Except, that I have another stinkin' cold! Which is, I guess at this point life proceeding ahead as usual. Oh Well. After a fantastic class this morning I headed over to the coffee depot with Jess and Hallie made beautiful lattes for us. (Kelly, you would be proud). Big, bright, milky hearts. I, however, proceeded to blow quite a bit of coffee out of my nose, which is really not pretty or recommended but actually led to about an hour of the most clear sinus' that I have had in awhile.
Side note on Caffienne and Pregnancy and Caffienne and Me in general: In my normal day to day reality, a cup of green tea or black tea is PLENTY to sufficiently fire me up. I really have not been a big coffee drinker since about 2004 when I realized that the huge existential crisis and ensuing incessant therapy may have all been caused by the VAT of coffee that I was consuming each morning. (Not to say that I did not at the time need all of the said therapy, and still benefit from it, and would in fact love to find a therapist now that is as powerful for me as my therapist at that time was, but I digress.) So I have not been a coffee drinker for awhile, and I certainly did not drink caffienne of any sort when I was pregnant with Maple. But mind you, I was also napping frequently and on average probably sleeping 13 or 14 hours in a 24 hour period. Rough, I know. I did take a brief foray into the joys of coffee when Maple was about 8 months old and I remembered for the first time since her birth what it felt like to be rested, as artificial as that was... It didn't last long however, because as anyone who knows would testify to, I am way to vata to behave like that and not have it seriously fry me and dry me out.
This pregnancy is a different story. I see a latte and I think "bring it on". The 7 or 8 hours of interupted sleep that I now get doesn't even begin to make a dent in the deficit that I have going. So I need all the artificial help that I can get. (You can also refer back to yesterdays entry on my general lack of sensitivity and catch up). Even though, if you are really paying attention, there is a very strong argument here for the increased depletion that I am creating through my behavior and how if I would just take the appropriate meassures I could most likely create some restoration for myself now. This is indeed valid and actually true. But I don't really want to hear it. I want to drink the latte for now and complain a little bit. Even though I would like to go with out the continual cold.... Paradoxical, isn't it?
We did aprroximately 11 poses today working deeply on our way toward lotus. Intense inner thigh work. Quaking inner thigh work. The theme was unfolding the lotus flower of self-honor in each of our own hearts. I have actually been working with the ideas a lot lately in class and in my own contemplation that self-love and self-honor are actually the means by which we stabalize our sensitivity. We can protect ourselves from being thrown off by how much we pick up on by actually putting on a coat of light, of self-honor and self-love. In this way, we remain very receptive and fluid and in the world, and never waiver out of the Love within our own hearts. This is a big one. It can continue on and on. Even if you have a latte you are still lovable. Whoa.
For anyone that is interested in the sequence, I think that it went something like this. Remember: hug in to tone the inner thigh, and then from there thighs back and wide. Then tailbone action.
-Dog pose
-Parsvakonasana (arm to the inside)
-Uttanansana (manual shins in)
-lunge, back knee down (recreate scissor action in the legs)
-Dog pose
-pigeon prep 2x
-Dog pose
-janu sirsasana
-uppavista konasana
-parsva uppavista
-baby cradle (deep inner spiral 1st)
-agnistambasana
-bharadvajasana 2
-padmasana
VIOLA!
-Uttanasana
-Savasana
Led practice tomarrow 9-11. What fun! I will post the Holiday Yoga Spree Schedule tomorrow.
Sleep well!
Side note on Caffienne and Pregnancy and Caffienne and Me in general: In my normal day to day reality, a cup of green tea or black tea is PLENTY to sufficiently fire me up. I really have not been a big coffee drinker since about 2004 when I realized that the huge existential crisis and ensuing incessant therapy may have all been caused by the VAT of coffee that I was consuming each morning. (Not to say that I did not at the time need all of the said therapy, and still benefit from it, and would in fact love to find a therapist now that is as powerful for me as my therapist at that time was, but I digress.) So I have not been a coffee drinker for awhile, and I certainly did not drink caffienne of any sort when I was pregnant with Maple. But mind you, I was also napping frequently and on average probably sleeping 13 or 14 hours in a 24 hour period. Rough, I know. I did take a brief foray into the joys of coffee when Maple was about 8 months old and I remembered for the first time since her birth what it felt like to be rested, as artificial as that was... It didn't last long however, because as anyone who knows would testify to, I am way to vata to behave like that and not have it seriously fry me and dry me out.
This pregnancy is a different story. I see a latte and I think "bring it on". The 7 or 8 hours of interupted sleep that I now get doesn't even begin to make a dent in the deficit that I have going. So I need all the artificial help that I can get. (You can also refer back to yesterdays entry on my general lack of sensitivity and catch up). Even though, if you are really paying attention, there is a very strong argument here for the increased depletion that I am creating through my behavior and how if I would just take the appropriate meassures I could most likely create some restoration for myself now. This is indeed valid and actually true. But I don't really want to hear it. I want to drink the latte for now and complain a little bit. Even though I would like to go with out the continual cold.... Paradoxical, isn't it?
We did aprroximately 11 poses today working deeply on our way toward lotus. Intense inner thigh work. Quaking inner thigh work. The theme was unfolding the lotus flower of self-honor in each of our own hearts. I have actually been working with the ideas a lot lately in class and in my own contemplation that self-love and self-honor are actually the means by which we stabalize our sensitivity. We can protect ourselves from being thrown off by how much we pick up on by actually putting on a coat of light, of self-honor and self-love. In this way, we remain very receptive and fluid and in the world, and never waiver out of the Love within our own hearts. This is a big one. It can continue on and on. Even if you have a latte you are still lovable. Whoa.
For anyone that is interested in the sequence, I think that it went something like this. Remember: hug in to tone the inner thigh, and then from there thighs back and wide. Then tailbone action.
-Dog pose
-Parsvakonasana (arm to the inside)
-Uttanansana (manual shins in)
-lunge, back knee down (recreate scissor action in the legs)
-Dog pose
-pigeon prep 2x
-Dog pose
-janu sirsasana
-uppavista konasana
-parsva uppavista
-baby cradle (deep inner spiral 1st)
-agnistambasana
-bharadvajasana 2
-padmasana
VIOLA!
-Uttanasana
-Savasana
Led practice tomarrow 9-11. What fun! I will post the Holiday Yoga Spree Schedule tomorrow.
Sleep well!
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
I love my chickens
Maybe not necessarily yoga related (but then again this blog is feeling much more like a parenting/pregnancy blog right now than my yoga blog. But then isn't that the nature of Divine pulsation anyway?). But my chicks! they are finally coming into their own. They are just getting more organized around their lives. They are ready to go back in their coop every afternoon at 3:30 after happily spending the day with the goats. Maybe it is just the cold weather, but it is so nice to not be chasing the, around the yard for 20 minutes every night waving a stick at them- which I have to say, even though Chris thought that was a riot, it was becoming increasingly more precarious as the ground hardened and so did my growing belly....
Last Thursday I had another great practice with Jessica, and on Sunday Kae and I met for a fantastic evening practice. Both times we focused primarily on the standing pose sequence and it really felt great. Especially on Sunday. I have this funky phenomenon that happens when I am pregnant where I just cannot feel my body as well as I can during the rest of my life. So I can actually have a great practice and sometimes almost not even be able to tell (Sadly, it is sometimes often the case with what I eat as well. That piece of pumpkin pie-with whip- registers not so different from a perfectly sattvic plate of warm veggies. Ah well.) However, not so on Sunday. I felt fantastic. There is something about the whole quality of readiness and capability that is so resonant for me right now in practicing the standing poses. And that is kind of my mindset these days. I am getting ready.
And I am actively asking for help. From my community, but mostly from God. Shameless begging should about sum it up. I am praying with my whole heart for more patience as a mama. For the strength to be the parent that I believe every child deserves, not only to Maple but to this new babe coming. And I am praying to feel the support and the love enough that I can stand tall in what is best for my family even on days when I am on my own without a partner. This all feels so huge. But honestly it is giving me a ton of creative energy. Not creative energy as in I finished painting the room that I started a year ago... But creative energy as in how is this new and evolving life going to work in a way that is best going to serve me, my family, and my community. It is like an enormous riddle that I am pretty into figuring out.
On Monday we did a lot of standing balancing poses and worked with Shri as a theme. I have been really into trying to define these terms for myself and also encouraging my students to do the same. Make it personal and thereby more meaningful. To me, shri is that auscpicious beauty that is always all around us and within us, but that depending on our own immediate perspective, is sometimes concealed. To remind ourselves of shri, is to remind ourselves that life is good and that our essential nature is beautiful and good and right. We experience shri the most easily when we are really in the flow. So it is so important during those times to really drink in the experience. Contemplate it. Embody it. So that that experience becomes a part of you and is there for you to reveal any time.
Anyhow, we did a ton of Virabadrasana 3 and Urdhva Prasaritta Eka Padasana. Also some pretty successful work in partners toward bird of paradise. We had just a little bit of time toward the end for a few arm balances, not enough really. Everyone is really starting to unite in agreement that 90 minutes is still just very short. So we should all be psyched for the Holiday Yoga Spree. 3 days. 3 hours. Between Christmas and New Years. I am headed to the calendar now to figure out the dates and times. Like I said, a riddle. I am also going to schedule 2 hour long classes for kids ages 10-15 during that same week. I hope to have that information tomarrow. And I am looking ahead to see what kind of schedule we will have until the arrival of the next Newlin. fun stuff.
Last Thursday I had another great practice with Jessica, and on Sunday Kae and I met for a fantastic evening practice. Both times we focused primarily on the standing pose sequence and it really felt great. Especially on Sunday. I have this funky phenomenon that happens when I am pregnant where I just cannot feel my body as well as I can during the rest of my life. So I can actually have a great practice and sometimes almost not even be able to tell (Sadly, it is sometimes often the case with what I eat as well. That piece of pumpkin pie-with whip- registers not so different from a perfectly sattvic plate of warm veggies. Ah well.) However, not so on Sunday. I felt fantastic. There is something about the whole quality of readiness and capability that is so resonant for me right now in practicing the standing poses. And that is kind of my mindset these days. I am getting ready.
And I am actively asking for help. From my community, but mostly from God. Shameless begging should about sum it up. I am praying with my whole heart for more patience as a mama. For the strength to be the parent that I believe every child deserves, not only to Maple but to this new babe coming. And I am praying to feel the support and the love enough that I can stand tall in what is best for my family even on days when I am on my own without a partner. This all feels so huge. But honestly it is giving me a ton of creative energy. Not creative energy as in I finished painting the room that I started a year ago... But creative energy as in how is this new and evolving life going to work in a way that is best going to serve me, my family, and my community. It is like an enormous riddle that I am pretty into figuring out.
On Monday we did a lot of standing balancing poses and worked with Shri as a theme. I have been really into trying to define these terms for myself and also encouraging my students to do the same. Make it personal and thereby more meaningful. To me, shri is that auscpicious beauty that is always all around us and within us, but that depending on our own immediate perspective, is sometimes concealed. To remind ourselves of shri, is to remind ourselves that life is good and that our essential nature is beautiful and good and right. We experience shri the most easily when we are really in the flow. So it is so important during those times to really drink in the experience. Contemplate it. Embody it. So that that experience becomes a part of you and is there for you to reveal any time.
Anyhow, we did a ton of Virabadrasana 3 and Urdhva Prasaritta Eka Padasana. Also some pretty successful work in partners toward bird of paradise. We had just a little bit of time toward the end for a few arm balances, not enough really. Everyone is really starting to unite in agreement that 90 minutes is still just very short. So we should all be psyched for the Holiday Yoga Spree. 3 days. 3 hours. Between Christmas and New Years. I am headed to the calendar now to figure out the dates and times. Like I said, a riddle. I am also going to schedule 2 hour long classes for kids ages 10-15 during that same week. I hope to have that information tomarrow. And I am looking ahead to see what kind of schedule we will have until the arrival of the next Newlin. fun stuff.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
foggy night
There is not much to say this evening. Chris is on the road, Gramma left today after a short visit, and Maple is weaving a yarn about something that happened to her tights. Very interesting.
Speaking of yarn, I am a little obsessed with a number of the knitting projects that I have going. Yes, there is more than one, which until very recently was very unlike me. My mom actually got a little gushy about it and said something along the lines of "Oh Meg! You're a real knitter now!" Anyway, I am a little preoccupied. For anyone who is interested, I am working on a beautiful shawl that is a grapevine lace pattern, beautiful, soft and gray. I am making Maple a cozy pair of mittens. And I am trying to finish a pair of socks that I started for Chris I think when I was pregnant with Maple. But, on the horizon..... I am looking forward to a really sweet jumper that I want to make for Maple, along with a wrap skirt. They look pretty simple and very fun. And my friend Erika has a very sweet pattern for a pair of baby pants that her little freshie Zelda has been sporting and with I am eyeing for my little guy. At this rate it looks like it will be a very yarn filled winter. (For those of you that do not know, My mother owns a fantastic yarn store in Delafield, Wisconsin called the Knitch. Which, as Erika says, if you like knitting is like being a kid and having your parent own a candy store. Pretty much.)
I did a private yesterday with my friends son which was such a delight. He is a very aware fella, and has been doing Tae Kwon Do for awhile so just really loves movement and being in his body. At any rate, it was so fun that I am thinking about offering 2 classes for kids 10-16 or so during the Christmas break. Probably in that week between Christmas and New Years. Also, I would like to do our own little holiday intensive at Align with Nature. 3 or 4 days in a row getting together for a 3 hour practice. 10 bucks a pop or $20 for all 3 (or $30 for all 4 as the case may be...) I really love something like this around the holidays. It helps keep everything grounded and in perspective.
I had a great practice yesterday afternoon. I pulled out the old practice sheets from Desiree and went through all of the standing poses and then just finished up with some hip openers, supta virasana, sirsasana and setu bandha. Oddly enough, headstand and shoulderstand, which felt so fantastic during my first pregnancy are not so great this time around. It is a tough one for my personality because I kind of just want to break em down and figure out what is going on. That is kind of the opposite from what pre natal intuition guides someone toward. So I am letting it lie for now and checking back in every so often.
In this mornings class I taught that same series of standing poses and worked with the theme of developing a deeper strength. This works really well with an intense sequence of standing poses, especially when you get the timer involved. Everyone is getting so strong and all looked exceptionally glowy on their way out. Nothing like a little hard work to clear the mind.
Ok. Looks like our kitcheree is ready. We are getting into quite a habit of the Monday night Kitcheree. I am pretty lucky to have a little girl that just eats it up. Throw in some fresh local veggies and we're all set.
Speaking of yarn, I am a little obsessed with a number of the knitting projects that I have going. Yes, there is more than one, which until very recently was very unlike me. My mom actually got a little gushy about it and said something along the lines of "Oh Meg! You're a real knitter now!" Anyway, I am a little preoccupied. For anyone who is interested, I am working on a beautiful shawl that is a grapevine lace pattern, beautiful, soft and gray. I am making Maple a cozy pair of mittens. And I am trying to finish a pair of socks that I started for Chris I think when I was pregnant with Maple. But, on the horizon..... I am looking forward to a really sweet jumper that I want to make for Maple, along with a wrap skirt. They look pretty simple and very fun. And my friend Erika has a very sweet pattern for a pair of baby pants that her little freshie Zelda has been sporting and with I am eyeing for my little guy. At this rate it looks like it will be a very yarn filled winter. (For those of you that do not know, My mother owns a fantastic yarn store in Delafield, Wisconsin called the Knitch. Which, as Erika says, if you like knitting is like being a kid and having your parent own a candy store. Pretty much.)
I did a private yesterday with my friends son which was such a delight. He is a very aware fella, and has been doing Tae Kwon Do for awhile so just really loves movement and being in his body. At any rate, it was so fun that I am thinking about offering 2 classes for kids 10-16 or so during the Christmas break. Probably in that week between Christmas and New Years. Also, I would like to do our own little holiday intensive at Align with Nature. 3 or 4 days in a row getting together for a 3 hour practice. 10 bucks a pop or $20 for all 3 (or $30 for all 4 as the case may be...) I really love something like this around the holidays. It helps keep everything grounded and in perspective.
I had a great practice yesterday afternoon. I pulled out the old practice sheets from Desiree and went through all of the standing poses and then just finished up with some hip openers, supta virasana, sirsasana and setu bandha. Oddly enough, headstand and shoulderstand, which felt so fantastic during my first pregnancy are not so great this time around. It is a tough one for my personality because I kind of just want to break em down and figure out what is going on. That is kind of the opposite from what pre natal intuition guides someone toward. So I am letting it lie for now and checking back in every so often.
In this mornings class I taught that same series of standing poses and worked with the theme of developing a deeper strength. This works really well with an intense sequence of standing poses, especially when you get the timer involved. Everyone is getting so strong and all looked exceptionally glowy on their way out. Nothing like a little hard work to clear the mind.
Ok. Looks like our kitcheree is ready. We are getting into quite a habit of the Monday night Kitcheree. I am pretty lucky to have a little girl that just eats it up. Throw in some fresh local veggies and we're all set.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Winter weekend yoga
Well it went from being 75* at the beginning of the week to being 25* at the end. It looks like the colder temps are here to stay for, oh, the next 5 or 6 months. Oh well. I can't really say that it comes as a surprise, a shock maybe but not a surprise. This is Wisconsin after all.
Last Thursday I had the great pleasure of doing a nice long practice with my friend Jessica. No one has come to the open practice slot thus far so it is generally me in there doing my own thing. Jess and I did a practice that I have from Desiree which was great fun and also got to work a little bit on what is going on with her back. Practicing with friends is really up there with my most favorite things to to.
Yesterday, Kae and I headed down to Madison to spend the day doing yoga with another of my all time favorite people, Noah Maze. We were welcomed by a big group from Viroqua that had come down for the session the night before. It was really a fantastic representation of yogis from Viroqua: Shelia, Shelia, Valorie, Lydia, Heidi, and Kristina were all there in addition to the 2 of us. Noah was himself to a tee, he told beautiful Ganapati stories interwoven with personal anticdotes. He and his wife have just recently become parents and so he is in that whirlwind of beginnings that involves a ton of love and feeling and not a lot of sleep. He was very well recieved by Wisconsinites, who generally speaking are parents themselves.
In the morning we did a fun backbend practice, focusing a lot on creating a boundary with the shins and working the inner thighs like crazy (sound familiar?). It was a solid sequence with a few unexpected surprises which I thought were great. At the break I shared lunch with Kae and Noah and Kristina and some of the lovely Madison ladies. That was great and i was really reminded of how long I have known Noah for and how he has really seen the full trajectory of me. From my most vulnerable and raw to my most built up. He has been a solid and consistent force in my life for a long time and I value his friendship highly.
In the afternoon we started things out with a lovely meditation on all of the senses to start off a lively hip opening class. I didn't personally feel as warmed up as I like to for hip work, but that may have just been that I was a tired ol' pregnant lady. Who knows. But it was great fun and I was definitely in the flow of everyone elses practices. My friend Tracy from Hartland was also there so it was fun to connect with her for a bit and I feel inspired to take a trip to my mom's and get in a practice or 2 with her. It really must be said that since I have moved back to Wisconsin she has been my main practice partner and a huge source of inspiration for me. We have seen each other through multiple pregnancies and supported each other in the challenges of the householder. Love her.
Before heading back to V town, Kae and I stopped into Dobhan's for a bite to eat (OK, many bites...) and were happily surprised when Noah, Iris and her husband, and Barbara showed up for dinner. So that was lovely and a nice end to the evening. Well, almost an end. We did have a 2 hour drive home following.
Today I am hanging with the family. Chris is headed out for a ride in the frigid out of doors and then we are all here. Hooray!
Last Thursday I had the great pleasure of doing a nice long practice with my friend Jessica. No one has come to the open practice slot thus far so it is generally me in there doing my own thing. Jess and I did a practice that I have from Desiree which was great fun and also got to work a little bit on what is going on with her back. Practicing with friends is really up there with my most favorite things to to.
Yesterday, Kae and I headed down to Madison to spend the day doing yoga with another of my all time favorite people, Noah Maze. We were welcomed by a big group from Viroqua that had come down for the session the night before. It was really a fantastic representation of yogis from Viroqua: Shelia, Shelia, Valorie, Lydia, Heidi, and Kristina were all there in addition to the 2 of us. Noah was himself to a tee, he told beautiful Ganapati stories interwoven with personal anticdotes. He and his wife have just recently become parents and so he is in that whirlwind of beginnings that involves a ton of love and feeling and not a lot of sleep. He was very well recieved by Wisconsinites, who generally speaking are parents themselves.
In the morning we did a fun backbend practice, focusing a lot on creating a boundary with the shins and working the inner thighs like crazy (sound familiar?). It was a solid sequence with a few unexpected surprises which I thought were great. At the break I shared lunch with Kae and Noah and Kristina and some of the lovely Madison ladies. That was great and i was really reminded of how long I have known Noah for and how he has really seen the full trajectory of me. From my most vulnerable and raw to my most built up. He has been a solid and consistent force in my life for a long time and I value his friendship highly.
In the afternoon we started things out with a lovely meditation on all of the senses to start off a lively hip opening class. I didn't personally feel as warmed up as I like to for hip work, but that may have just been that I was a tired ol' pregnant lady. Who knows. But it was great fun and I was definitely in the flow of everyone elses practices. My friend Tracy from Hartland was also there so it was fun to connect with her for a bit and I feel inspired to take a trip to my mom's and get in a practice or 2 with her. It really must be said that since I have moved back to Wisconsin she has been my main practice partner and a huge source of inspiration for me. We have seen each other through multiple pregnancies and supported each other in the challenges of the householder. Love her.
Before heading back to V town, Kae and I stopped into Dobhan's for a bite to eat (OK, many bites...) and were happily surprised when Noah, Iris and her husband, and Barbara showed up for dinner. So that was lovely and a nice end to the evening. Well, almost an end. We did have a 2 hour drive home following.
Today I am hanging with the family. Chris is headed out for a ride in the frigid out of doors and then we are all here. Hooray!
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
a new day
There was such a buzz to the air this morning when I woke up. And then all day, everywhere I went, people were literally bubbling over with a new sense of hope and thrill. Several folks had a visible spring in their step. I will admit, I am pretty excited myself. And relieved.
Today was a fantastic day. After dropping Maple off for her morning at Miss Sarah's, I headed in to teach class. And I do not know if it was my post yesterday or what, but we had a bigger class this morning than we have had all session. We continued to work with the themes of cultivating faith and asking for help and worked toward hanumanasana. Everyone did very well. A few folks are working with some injuries and they just did a great job of really working the actions and doing their best. That is such an intense pose and really such a good example of every drop in the bucket counting. That is one thing that John emphasized over and over again when we were in Boston. How much every effort counts. And that it is really in the darkness that all the seeds of our efforts grow. So really, everyone did very well.
At one point I did ask one woman how it was going and she said "it just hurts". When I asked for more clarification, she essentially repeated the same sentiment. I worked her and the rest of the class through the actions again, and I am pretty sure if I had asked her again she would have given the same reply. (She did however try using blocks on her next attempt and I think that that did make a pretty big difference, at least mentally.) I really want us to get clear on this, because in my mind, if "it just hurts", I am not going to do it. No way. I really do not see the point. (This might shed some light on why it is my husband that is the competitive cyclist and I am the yogin.) However, that said, in my mind there is a very big difference between something hurting or even being painful, and something being so intense that it takes every scrap of my will (and we are really talking about the mind here) to stay with it. But at this point, I also have enough experience to know that when something is really genuinely intense like that, my sticking with it is actually going to result in the opening (transformation, burst of energy, movement of Shakti, revelation: call it what you want) that I am really after to begin with. Hmmh, sounds a little like child birth. Which, for those of us into natural birth is really an apt analogy. That is a different post however, and possibly one that will emerge in the coming months...
This weekend, the lovely ladies in Madison are hosting Noah Maze for a weekend workshop. Very exciting. Not only is Noah one of my favorite people, he also recently became a papa and I have not seen him since. It looks like quite a few folks from Viroqua are headed down for a good chunk of the weekend. He is doing a therapuetics session on Friday afternoon which I am sad to miss but am very happy that some folks from here will be attending. I will be there all day Saturday. Hope to see you there!
Today was a fantastic day. After dropping Maple off for her morning at Miss Sarah's, I headed in to teach class. And I do not know if it was my post yesterday or what, but we had a bigger class this morning than we have had all session. We continued to work with the themes of cultivating faith and asking for help and worked toward hanumanasana. Everyone did very well. A few folks are working with some injuries and they just did a great job of really working the actions and doing their best. That is such an intense pose and really such a good example of every drop in the bucket counting. That is one thing that John emphasized over and over again when we were in Boston. How much every effort counts. And that it is really in the darkness that all the seeds of our efforts grow. So really, everyone did very well.
At one point I did ask one woman how it was going and she said "it just hurts". When I asked for more clarification, she essentially repeated the same sentiment. I worked her and the rest of the class through the actions again, and I am pretty sure if I had asked her again she would have given the same reply. (She did however try using blocks on her next attempt and I think that that did make a pretty big difference, at least mentally.) I really want us to get clear on this, because in my mind, if "it just hurts", I am not going to do it. No way. I really do not see the point. (This might shed some light on why it is my husband that is the competitive cyclist and I am the yogin.) However, that said, in my mind there is a very big difference between something hurting or even being painful, and something being so intense that it takes every scrap of my will (and we are really talking about the mind here) to stay with it. But at this point, I also have enough experience to know that when something is really genuinely intense like that, my sticking with it is actually going to result in the opening (transformation, burst of energy, movement of Shakti, revelation: call it what you want) that I am really after to begin with. Hmmh, sounds a little like child birth. Which, for those of us into natural birth is really an apt analogy. That is a different post however, and possibly one that will emerge in the coming months...
This weekend, the lovely ladies in Madison are hosting Noah Maze for a weekend workshop. Very exciting. Not only is Noah one of my favorite people, he also recently became a papa and I have not seen him since. It looks like quite a few folks from Viroqua are headed down for a good chunk of the weekend. He is doing a therapuetics session on Friday afternoon which I am sad to miss but am very happy that some folks from here will be attending. I will be there all day Saturday. Hope to see you there!
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
election day jitters
The errant blogger returns....
Chris is on the road and Maple is asleep early so I actually have time to get some things in order. (Even though, truly, it is my ongoing intention to post more frequently.) We voted this morning before Chris headed out of town and then M and I spent the majority of the day hanging out in town with friends trying not to count the hours until the polls are closed. I actually spent most of my time with a friend of mine who is from Canada who seemed a lot less anxious then everyone else. No real surprise there.
Ever since returning from the Boston teacher training I have had a ton of renewed energy for teaching. Which generally speaking for me leads to a lot of time spent reassessing what is working and what could use some adjustment. For those that know me, I really go through periodic periods of overhauling the way that I do everything. I do not actually know if this is an effective tendency or not. However, there really is a lot to be said in the old saying "you get what you ask for". Over the last 6 months the number of folks coming to class has significantly dropped, which I, of course, take way too personally. But the flip side of that is that the folks that are coming to class are a very dedicated group which is exactly what I was saying that I wanted. Really. Now maybe I just need to be a little bit more specific. Lets have big classes with lots of people who are excited to learn this amazing system of yoga called Anusara and want to really reach for the highest!
I recently got a call from a good friend of mine who is also an Anusara- inspired teacher saying that she is going to stop teaching after the Holidays. This didn't come as a complete surprise to me and is for her I think really the right decision for her. It just really got me thinking first because I am so vata that when anyone decides that they are doing anything, I automatically wonder if I should do it too. But primarly it was interesting because she is not the first person to say that to me recently. Mostly it is coming from folks whose life trajectory is just shifting enough right now that their energy is best spent someplace else. Some are having babies and are being called to the sacred task of parenting, others looking to spend their energy focusing on personal or physical healing, and others wanting to spend it on the development and nurturing of their own practice. Or even some combination of those 3.
I actually do contemplate stopping teaching pretty frequently. When it is really hard to manage the care of my daughter and I feel more needed at home. Or presently, when I think about having a new baby and my girl and a husband who is on the road 4 days a week. Believe me, it would be a lot easier in many ways if there was nothing pulling me out of the house. But not really. For me practice is like my life line and teaching is an opportunity for me to get even clearer on what I have been contemplating by attempting to share it with others. Also, other people's revelations in the practice are really my bread and butter. I love it! After a good practice or class, I feel more connected to the other parts of my life, like my roles as wife and mother and community member in a small town. And, on a very basic and fundamental level, I think that I am much easier to be around when I have taken that time for myself and my students. And we're not talking much here. 2 or 3 classes a week. I am on my mat 3 or 4 days a week right now is all. But it is enough to effect my life greatly. For the better.
Before heading out for the week with John and the community, I was in probably the lowest place personally that I have been in in the last 5 years. Low. And just 7 days of really and fully plugging into myself as a practitioner and a teacher was so uplifting that I feel like I have perspective maybe for the first time since I got pregnant. Breathe of Life. So, stopping teaching is really not for me. At least not right now. Right now what works for me and my family is for me to make it out of the house a few times a week so that I can fill myself up with the teachings that feed me. Its good stuff.
Chris is on the road and Maple is asleep early so I actually have time to get some things in order. (Even though, truly, it is my ongoing intention to post more frequently.) We voted this morning before Chris headed out of town and then M and I spent the majority of the day hanging out in town with friends trying not to count the hours until the polls are closed. I actually spent most of my time with a friend of mine who is from Canada who seemed a lot less anxious then everyone else. No real surprise there.
Ever since returning from the Boston teacher training I have had a ton of renewed energy for teaching. Which generally speaking for me leads to a lot of time spent reassessing what is working and what could use some adjustment. For those that know me, I really go through periodic periods of overhauling the way that I do everything. I do not actually know if this is an effective tendency or not. However, there really is a lot to be said in the old saying "you get what you ask for". Over the last 6 months the number of folks coming to class has significantly dropped, which I, of course, take way too personally. But the flip side of that is that the folks that are coming to class are a very dedicated group which is exactly what I was saying that I wanted. Really. Now maybe I just need to be a little bit more specific. Lets have big classes with lots of people who are excited to learn this amazing system of yoga called Anusara and want to really reach for the highest!
I recently got a call from a good friend of mine who is also an Anusara- inspired teacher saying that she is going to stop teaching after the Holidays. This didn't come as a complete surprise to me and is for her I think really the right decision for her. It just really got me thinking first because I am so vata that when anyone decides that they are doing anything, I automatically wonder if I should do it too. But primarly it was interesting because she is not the first person to say that to me recently. Mostly it is coming from folks whose life trajectory is just shifting enough right now that their energy is best spent someplace else. Some are having babies and are being called to the sacred task of parenting, others looking to spend their energy focusing on personal or physical healing, and others wanting to spend it on the development and nurturing of their own practice. Or even some combination of those 3.
I actually do contemplate stopping teaching pretty frequently. When it is really hard to manage the care of my daughter and I feel more needed at home. Or presently, when I think about having a new baby and my girl and a husband who is on the road 4 days a week. Believe me, it would be a lot easier in many ways if there was nothing pulling me out of the house. But not really. For me practice is like my life line and teaching is an opportunity for me to get even clearer on what I have been contemplating by attempting to share it with others. Also, other people's revelations in the practice are really my bread and butter. I love it! After a good practice or class, I feel more connected to the other parts of my life, like my roles as wife and mother and community member in a small town. And, on a very basic and fundamental level, I think that I am much easier to be around when I have taken that time for myself and my students. And we're not talking much here. 2 or 3 classes a week. I am on my mat 3 or 4 days a week right now is all. But it is enough to effect my life greatly. For the better.
Before heading out for the week with John and the community, I was in probably the lowest place personally that I have been in in the last 5 years. Low. And just 7 days of really and fully plugging into myself as a practitioner and a teacher was so uplifting that I feel like I have perspective maybe for the first time since I got pregnant. Breathe of Life. So, stopping teaching is really not for me. At least not right now. Right now what works for me and my family is for me to make it out of the house a few times a week so that I can fill myself up with the teachings that feed me. Its good stuff.
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