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.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
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.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Boston Level 2 teacher training!
I think that I have finally made the transition to the home of my new blog. So yippie! I can actually post. Pardon me while I ever so slowly try to catch up to the technology of the 21st century.
I am at a teacher training with John Friend in Boston for the week, and as usual, I am completely blown away. At some point in the last few days I realized that I probably have close to 1000 hours with John accumulated over the last 7 years or so, and I swear, he has never been as clear and refined and unbelievably sophisticated in his teaching. This is the best ever. He is really the best teacher that I have ever had the privilege to study with, and he just keeps getting better. Pretty inspiring. This is the first training that I have done quite so pregnant and it really is turning out to be such a gift, it is just not all about me. Thank God! Also, this is the first teacher training that I have done in 4 years, and is more refined. Certainly John is. But me too. I am 4 years deeper into my teaching experience and so for me everything seems so much more practical than it did when I had only been teaching for a few years.
OK, Maple is blowing up now after not seeing Mama all day. Gotta go....
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Personal
So- I have slipped below the nausea curtain again…. I am feeling a bit better today but the last 2 days have really been something. It is a little dispiriting to be feeling better after such a great while and then to really not feel so well again. I think in part that I am getting used to our families new schedule and figuring out how to be on my own with Maple for a few days. Also, I am probably doing the typical thing for me really, which is to completely overextend myself and believe that I can get more done than is really realistic. Not wise when you are an 18 week pregnant lady with a 2 1/2 year old very busy girl and a husband on the road. Not wise at all. I have been practicing more which is lovely, but for which I have very very little endurance. I seem to be getting disproportionately sore for what I am doing. I cannot remember if this was the case last time or not. It is however, fantastic to be on my mat and moving and breathing in this changing body. It also feels like some very special time for just me and the new baby, the littlest Newlin. I felt that with Maple too. When I was immersed in my practice and the amazingly unique form that it takes for 9 months, it just felt like this very tender, sweet thing that we were doing together. And now she is a little girl who is very much in her body, loves yoga and loves inventing her own poses. I am actually at my mom’s right now down in Milwaukee. A friend of mine from high school is having a baby shower tonight. It should be pretty fun and a nice chance to catch up with some folks. Mostly it is very exciting that Becca is having a baby, a strong and healthy boy, after years of trying so hard to invite his little spirit in. The evening should be a bit different from the blessing ways up in Viroqua. The whole event has given me the chance to stop in at my favorite childrens store ever, Bark River Kids, which is conveniently located just around the corner from my Mom’s yarn shop, the Knitch. I love that place so much and so does Maple. In fact she has already learning how to best angle for something. ”This baby really needs me to take care of her…I need this for my baby….This jacket would fit Maple” and so on. I also have to do a little shopping myself as I am outgrowing all of my clothes. Mostly, though, I need to still find a dress for my brother-in-laws (black tie) wedding. Huh huh, no pressure. Chris is in a fabulous tux, Maple is dashing of course, and I am trying to just not looked beached. I think that it will be OK, hopefully I will find something today. On to the week in class…. Chris suggested that I need to be a little bit more personal in the blog so here was my first attempt. Classes were great. More people are wandering back in. We worked a lot on deepening the groins in both classes making some really great attempts toward hanumanasana on Wednesday morning. It would be great to see some more folks on Thursday mornings so that we can really get some good practices going. Ok, love to everyone.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
A Week Deep
Well, we are a week into the fall session and it has been great to see the folks that were in class this week. Classes were pretty small, but as I run into people around town it sounds like everyone is still adjusting to the life changes that this time of year brings. Me too. At any rate, we had fun on both Monday and Wednesday working on the upper back and shoulders and venturing into Urdhva Dhanurasana.
It was just me on Thursday morning for open practice and I truly had a great time in there listening to music and enjoying my practice. It is really wonderful to have open studio time like that and I hope that folks take advantage of it. In fact, for me having open practice time is really how I transitioned from taking classes and enjoying group practices to really understanding how to practice on my own. And that is how I fell inlove with my practice. When I taught at Darren Rhodes studio in Tucson, he offered 3 open practice times a week free fot all of the teachers and $5 for anybody else. It was great fun and such a supportive environment to explore in. Sometimes mellow, sometimes wild and crazy. Anyway, among many things, I am grateful for Darren for that and I have always looked forward to offering that to my own students one day. Now we are at a place where we can because there is really a group that is ready to explore their own practices.
OK. That seems like enough of the soap box on that particulat topic. I could really go on forever (and have before) on all of the merits and joys of a personal practice, but what can I say…. I love to practice asana. A lot.
Hope everyone is well and staying relatively dry. Me and all of my expanding parts are going to bed.
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