Labels: INAPPROPRIATE, yoga, YouTube

This is just a reminder that I have two free passes to Yoga Oasis for anyone who's never taken a class there. I got them as part of the package with the Maha Moyo Challenge that ends next Friday (the free passes don't expire then, though).

The passes are available on a first come basis, so let me know ASAP if you want one.

Labels: challenge, yoga

I've blogged quite a bit about the benefits I've realized through my yoga practice, but I recently discovered two very tangible benefits that I thought I'd share.

The first has to do with my recent vacation. While in New York, I did not have the opportunity to physically practice, nor did I meditate at all. And even though I was having my dream vacation, I could feel the same positive energy running through me that I had only previously attributed to a good practice. This endured even after I returned to Tucson, before I had a chance to attend a class or sit down to meditate. It's like there's this kind of yoga residue that sticks with you, that we store up, even when our practice lapses for a short time. I didn't really believe that was true, though I'd heard about it, till I recently experienced it myself. Very cool!

The more tangible benefit that I attribute to my yoga practice is really to me the more remarkable of the two. I hadn't weighed myself in five or six months until earlier today. What a pleasant surprise to look down and see that I've gained 10 to 15 pounds! Really. I weighed myself again just to make sure I didn't read it wrong the first time. I believe most of that weight gain is muscle, and some of it may be due to how my yoga practice has helped normalize my metabolism. Either way, I'm very pleased.

So if you're contemplating starting or delving deeper into your own yoga/meditation practice as a new year's resolution, I'd strongly encourage it. It worked for me!

Labels: joy, new year, transformation, yoga

I've arrived, in one piece. Miriam met me at the airport. Actually, she was a little late because the train was only running local, and then she got a little lost once she got to JFK, but what a trooper for venturing out so early in the morning! I'm blogging from her bed right now, while she's at work. I'm heading into Manhattan in a few to dick around there until she gets done with work, then it's off to dinner and who knows what.

Needless to say, I've been swamped getting ready for this trip and making sure life was in order enough that I wouldn't return to chaos next week. I've been derelict in my blogging duties, I know. I completely missed blogging both my homoversary and my yogaversary. So happy both of those to me!

I brought my camera and will hopefully have pictures to post, if not while I'm here, then definitely when I get back to Tucson.

And I am still taking souvenir requests.

Labels: birthday, homoversary, Miriam, New York, personal, yoga

Thanks to Hillary for being my yogi photographer. Here are a few of the shots where my alignment was more or less on.

Sirsasana:


Warrior I:


Tree:


Lotus (with hands in Anjali Mudra):


A variation of Dwi Pada Viparita Dandasana (the traditional version is with straight legs):


Eka Pada Rajakapotasana (try saying it three times fast):


Cobra:


Trikonasana:


Bakasana:

Labels: photos, yoga

Taking yoga asana self-portraits is no easy task. It took me many many tries to get these two gems:





Anybody interested in being my yoga photographer? Seriously, I'd like to get better shots of these two poses, plus me in some additional asanas.

I found the entire photography process really helpful in checking my alignment in both poses and discovering where I need to do more work. This could be very beneficial to my yoga practice.

That, and the pictures of me in full form just look really cool.

(UPDATED 10-18-07 00:53 to replace slideshow with thumbnails of both photos)

Labels: personal, photos, yoga

Excuse me, 'debt with disabilities'.

Since getting laid off at the end of July, I've been avoiding looking seriously at my financial picture because I was afraid of what I might see.

You see, thanks to my severance package and a lucrative consulting practice, my bank account has actually been healthier than it's ever been. And I like having that extra cushion. So I have been a little slow in paying some bills. That's not really new, but the beefed-up bank account has been helping me psychologically through an uncertain period of quasi-employment.

But the persistent and obnoxious calls from my creditors was starting to be too much to handle - there are only so many times a day I want to be interrupted in what I'm doing so I can hit the ignore button on my cell phone.

So I sat down tonight to look at my finances through the end of this calendar year. Turns out, I'll continue to be fine. I can afford to take that birthday trip, and I could also, as it turns out, afford to pay off one of my credit cards entirely. Combined with paying off my computer last month, I'm now back down to one credit card with a balance on it, and I may even be able to pay that one all the way off by the end of the year too.

Financial insecurity, which plagued me most of the time I've lived in Tucson, when I made far less than I was worth at a job I stayed at far longer than I should have, is now a thing of the past, at least for now. And I attribute this newfound freedom at least in part to my yoga practice, which has taught me the fine art of letting go and flowing with grace.

I should write a book.

(I am, actually, writing a book proposal, but that'll be on communications strategies for smaller non-profits)

Labels: finances, New York, personal, success, yoga

I don't really have enough on any single topic to justify posting, so here are a few droppings on an assortment of things. Now with linky-goodness in almost every bite!

I'm edging closer to making reservations for my birthday trip to NYC, I just want to make sure I can afford it. You only turn thirty once, right? Unless you're my mother, in which case you just keep turning 29 year after year.

Speaking of Phyllis: her latest quip that made me uneasy, from a couple of weeks ago. When they were back east, they decided that instead of getting buried in caskets when they die, they will be cremated (to save us kids the money and trouble, of course). As mom put it, they're going to get "crispy-fried". She kept repeating "crispy-fried crispy-fried crispy-fried" with almost a southern twinge, like she was trying to channel the Colonel.

It will be public knowledge soon enough, so I think it's safe to leak it on the ole blog first: I've been named Outstanding Advocate of the Year by the Men's Anti-Violence Partnership of Southern Arizona. I'll receive my award along with five other honorees at the MAP Gala on November 18 at the Westin La Paloma. I'm deeply honored to be among such an amazing group.

Yes, Wingspan's Executive Director resigned after less than a month on the job. No, it's not the end of the world. Wingspan was around before Kent Burbank and Joseph Bodenmiller, and it will be around after them. The strength of the organization lies not in its figurehead, but in the community that has built and sustained it over the last 20 years. The sky is not falling. This too will pass. Chill.

Speaking of Wingspan, the Annual Benefit Dinner is September 29. Have you bought your ticket yet? I hear they've sold out.

I really love being a consultant. No, really. If I can figure out how to do this and continue making a good living, I'm totally doing it. Health insurance be damned!

Patreus or Betray Us? The Republicans are just grumpy because MoveOn came up with a pithy rhyme and Republicans hate whimsy as much as Germans love David Hasselhoff.

I bought my Avenue Q ticket! Yay! And I bought it as part of the LGBT&S Alliance Fund benefit, so it's going to a good cause. The internet is really really great...

I have a new favorite TV show. Mad Men on AMC. I love anything mid-century Americana, but this has an edge of realism that I particularly admire. Television Without Pity has it on their recap roster.

I also recommend Moliere, which is playing at the Loft. In case you don't know, Moliere is often referred to as the French Shakespeare. Which I'm sure the French love.

And finally, my yoga practice was thrown off by being out of town last weekend and by meetings in the evenings throughout this week. In the last 7 days, I only made it to yoga class twice. Saturday's 3-hour yoga practice has been canceled due to a major event at the studio. I hope not all of the classes are canceled, or I may be one very grumpy yogi when Monday rolls back around.

Labels: birthday, career, jobs, MAP, mom, musicals, New York, personal, Republicans, television, theatre, Wingspan, yoga

That's the headline of today's Yoga Journal Newsletter Daily Insight that I get delivered to my e-mail inbox every morning.

It's a mantra that I've taken to heart.

The e-mail includes this pearl of wisdom:

"A dry spell can be connected with stress at work, emotional issues, or relationship difficulties—wherever your energy is tied up. My best advice: Don't get caught in negative self-talk."

Recognizing my own negative self-talk and stopping it in its tracks is the very thing that has sustained me through what could be a very difficult time. Can you imagine where I'd be or what I'd be doing if I hadn't taken up yoga?

Yes, I realize that "get over it" is not good advice in all situations. My point is that not everything bad that happens means the world has to come crashing down. Your joy is your sorrow unmasked, remember?

Instead, I trusted that the universe would provide, and it has. I started this week in an interim Development Director position for a local DV agency. The pay is excellent, the time is flexible and it's a great resume builder.

And now I have the freedom to explore and pursue any career opportunities that come along.

And I get to continue my yoga practice.

Labels: career, jobs, personal, yoga

We're still working out some of the minor details, but it looks like I will start next week as the interim Development Director at The Brewster Center, one of Tucson's two largest domestic violence organizations. My hourly rate will be roughly the same as that which I made at Planned Parenthood. I'll be working up to 35 hours a week, and I can do as much of that as I need to do from home.

I'm telling you, getting laid off has been the best thing to happen to me in a long time!

I'm a little cautious about going to work for another anti-violence organization (did I ever really leave the field?!), knowing the strain that vicarious trauma can have. That said, I'll be in a mostly administrative role with no direct service and I have my yoga practice to keep me centered and stress-free.

And don't forget, Grease sing-along tomorrow night at The Loft!

All things considered, this weekend is getting off to a pretty good start.

Labels: career, jobs, musicals, personal, yoga

I've had this post brewing for some time, but only felt inspired to write it after watching some of the Logo/HRC debate and reading some of the coverage of it.

This starts with same-sex marriage. Those who know me or who have been faithful readers for a few years know that I don't think much of this issue. It's not a make or break issue for me in a candidate, and it's really not a very pressing issue to me in general, except in fighting back attempts to make same-sex marriage illegal because that's a dangerous slippery slope that could become a gateway to limiting other rights.

And I'm not at all saying that marriage is a basic right or a basic need. That would be silly. Basic needs are food, shelter and safety. Basic rights are those found in the Constitution and its amendments. Same-sex marriage should be legal, but it's not exactly life or death.

So this brings me to my point. Most of the Democratic candidates who participated in the Logo/HRC 'debate' said they did not support marriage equality and used the excuse that "the country just isn't ready yet" or "we're just not there yet" as justification.

Poppycock.

How can you know if you're not ready for something unless you try it and see? And why does 'the country' (code for heterosexual moderates) have to be ready for something that has absolutely no impact on their individual lives anyway?

If my yoga practice has taught me anything, it's that we are capable of doing so much that we might not have otherwise thought possible until we tried. Massachusetts has not fallen into the Atlantic, people aren't dying in the streets in Boston and Amherst and Waltham (shout out to my Brandeis reader!). How were Massachusett-ians(?) any more or less 'ready' for same-sex marriage than anyone else in this country?

It's not that 'we're not there yet' or that 'the country isn't ready'. There may be a lot of people, perhaps even a clear majority, of American voters who are still a little uncomfortable with marriage equality. But is it really fair to use their mild discomfort (and it really is mostly mild according to polling) as an easy out to restrict some rights from one group of citizens?

If you're personally uncomfortable with something, own up to it. Don't hide behind some amorphous nonsense excuse about how other people may or may not feel about the issue. And once you've done that, get over yourself. Seriously. Whatever happened to the greater good?

There were a lot of timid politicians who said that the country wasn't ready for women to vote prior to 1920, or that we just weren't there yet in 1963, a year before Congress passed and President Johnson signed sweeping Civil Rights reforms into law.

You know what? It turns out the United States populace was actually ready for those and other major advances. We just didn't know it till we tried it.

The U.S. democracy has always been a great experiment. There have been lots of rocky points along the way, especially at those times when the oppressed aggressively sought fairness and justice. But the Union endured, just as it will when some politicians with backbones finally grow a pair, pass sweeping pro-equality laws, and the country once again realizes that same-sex marriage, much like interracial marriage before it, is really no big deal.

And on that note, I'll also encourage you, my faithful reader, to try something - anything - you never thought you could do. Stepping out of your comfort zone can be a wonderfully freeing and enlightening experience.

And you don't even need to attend a yoga class with me to prove it.

Open to grace.

Labels: challenge, change, civil rights, equality, fear, history, human rights, LGBT, opening to grace, Pres-08, social justice, yoga

Three cheers to Hillary for joining me for yoga tonight. Let's do it again sometime!

In other news, my former roommates Jason and Brandon just bought a shiny new Prius hybrid. I got a ride in it today and I totally want one! Congrats to the boys on the new car.

Labels: friendship, not really newsworthy, personal, yoga

My interview at the JCC went well last week. So well in fact that they just invited me back to meet individually with the CEO, CFO, and Development Director this Wednesday.

This is an added intermediate step in the process that was described to me last week. At that point, I was told that last week's interview was an initial screening interview and then there would be a search committee formed that would meet with a narrowed-down list of candidates.

I'm a little grumpy about the additional step. This is like the very first professional job I interviewed for, education director at a rape crisis center. They kept adding more steps for me than for any other candidates. Apparently I was the only man to apply and the board was uncomfortable with a man as a full time staff person (this was a pretty old-school, second-wave board at the time).

I finally said no to all the additional hoops they made me jump through. I was taken out of consideration at that point, but ended up working at the same organization in a different capacity nine months later. I'm not at a point yet where I'm even considering not jumping through hoops for the JCC, so fear not.

The woman who interviewed me last week also apparently called one of my references, which was an odd thing to do after a screening interview. I can't tell if they really like me or if they're really nervous about me.

Anyway, the search is moving along pretty well but please continue to pass leads along to me.

If worse comes to worst, I could always enroll in the yoga teacher training program...

Labels: career, jobs, personal, yoga

Yoga and anything INAPPROPRIATE!

Don't forget to eat your goji berries!

Labels: INAPPROPRIATE, yoga

My friend Chad has started his own yoga biz and is trying to generate individual clients via word of mouth. He's an Anusara-Inspired Yoga Instructor and had to complete 300 hours of training to earn that title.

Here's his flyer (click to see it full size):



If you're a person of means, please consider contacting him for lessons. I've taken one from him (my first one ever, actually) and he's very skilled and patient.

UPDATE: Chad corrected the typo in the flyer and saved it in a smaller resolution. The corrected, newer version is now the one appearing above.

Labels: Anusara, Chad, yoga

"Beautiful."

"Amazing."

"Wow."

These were the remarks of some of my classmates this morning in yoga when I was asked to demonstrate Dhanurasana (boat pose).

If you slogged through my first post last Tuesday, you know that I was complimented for my Dhanurasana by a classmate that night who is also the teacher whose Saturday classes I usually attend.

It was a great feeling to be complimented like that and to being put forward as the example. It's amazing to me how far I've come in this practice in only three months.

There's still so much to learn and so much growth ahead of me, but this path has been one of such transformation and grace.

Labels: opening to grace, personal, transformation, yoga

I made it to the earlier, advanced yoga class tonight, which was great.

After class, one of the classmates who on Tuesday invited me to tonight's class approached me to tell me I have a beautiful singing voice (we chant at the start and end of each class).

I have to say, it's a compliment I've never received before.

Labels: chanting, Debra, music, yoga

Work has been busy lately, and I'm really loving every minute of it. But that usually means staying as late as possible at work before heading off to yoga.

Tonight was no exception, except I had to stop by the real estate listing place to get an updated list since they didn't have anything new last week when I stopped by. One of our interns and I were the last two people in the admin side of the building. I should have received my access code clearance to set and turn off the alarm weeks ago, but something got lost and our HR coordinator had to call the alarm company to have them resend it this week. So the intern and I had to leave before the health care staff closed down the building.

I arrived at the real estate place, got my list, and realized I had left my cell phone back at the office. My yoga class was to start in about 20 minutes. I could go back to my office with the hope that health care staff would still be there and I could get in and out the building to grab my phone. Or I could just go without my cell phone for a night and go to yoga.

You can guess what choice I made.

I felt like I had a mini-breakthrough in Friday's class when the teacher chose me to demonstrate a hip opener. It was the first time I've been asked to demonstrate anything for the class since I started practicing, so it was an honor for me. I had a lackluster practice on Sunday morning because I didn't eat breakfast before class, and I had to skip last night's class because of another commitment, so I was really looking forward to getting back on my mat and giving myself over to the practice.

Some of my co-workers have brought up and asked me about my yoga practice over the past couple of days, which has also made me feel good about it. On Monday, our health care staff had a half day meeting, which I attended as a way to get to know them a little better and learn a bit more about service delivery. About halfway through, my VP counterpart on the health care side pulled me aside and asked if I'd lead some basic yoga exercises during their break before the section of the meeting on self-care. I happily agreed.

I didn't ultimately get to lead the abridged class because they ran out of time, but it did give me a chance to reflect on what I would have said and done. I discovered, as I sat there half-listening to the presentation on Gardasil, that I actually knew pretty much all I'd need to know to lead a short basic class, down to the foundational principles of the style of yoga I practice and the Sanskrit names of the basic asanas I would have worked through with them. Even though we were short on time yesterday, I was asked if I would lead a class or two in the future. I'm no teacher, but I can help lead folks through some of the basics.

Shortly before I left the office today, I got into a conversation with one of my staff members about my yoga practice. Again, I found myself speaking knowledgeably and providing a little education to my co-worker. It was surprising and wonderful.

So with the past two days of yogic revelations as a backdrop, I was pumped for class. I made small talk with my classmates, as I've become friendly with several of the other regulars. The woman who teaches the class I attend on Saturdays was also attending tonight's class and gave me a hug when she saw me. I felt a great sense of belonging, of connection that I had yet to feel since I started practicing about three months ago.

The opening lesson was about finding our edge and maybe pushing past it. Finding our boundaries of comfort, and then taking a step beyond, not just in asana practice, but in every aspect of life. Going all the way, giving yourself fully to whatever your task may be. With that in mind and as the foundation of tonight's class, I went whole hog.

I received multiple compliments from classmates and tonight's teacher alike on my Pincha Mayurasana. I got up effortlessly and was able to balance away from the wall for longer than ever before. After class, the teacher who hugged me before class made it a point to come over to me as I was rolling up my mat to tell me I had a beautiful Dhanurasana. I was deeply flattered. Then a couple of classmates and I got into some small talk as we were leaving and one of them insisted I meet her husband.

So I'm glad I decided to let go and learn to push past my edge. I think I have a solid understanding now of "opening to grace," which is the first of the five Universal Principles of Alignment that is the basis of this style of yoga.

Now I just need to figure out how to wake up in the morning, since I use my cell phone as my alarm clock...

Labels: challenge, change, contentment, endurance, journey, opening to grace, personal, self-awareness, self-care, strength, yoga

Because I know you're all just clamoring to know what's on my mind and leave your own comments...

• Everybody sing along..."When I was just a little girl, I asked my mother, 'what should I be? Should I be pretty? Should I be smart? Here's what she said to me...'"


• I may have a slight Target problem, but I can quit any time I want. Really.


• For what it's worth 10 months before a single vote will be cast, I'm supporting black horse candidate and current New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson for the Democratic nomination for President. His resume is more comprehensive and impressive than any of the other candidates - former member of Congress, former Secretary of Energy, former UN Ambassador and now Governor of a rapidly growing state in the mountain west. I got behind Howard Dean five years ago because of his experience and record as Governor of Vermont.
  
  Also, the last time a Democratic member of Congress won the Presidency, we were at the start of the Cold War and career options for women were limited to nurse, actress, teacher, model, ballet dancer and airline hostess(see item 1 above). Not a reason to vote for Richardson above the others in itself, but history can be instructive.


• I can definitely feel the difference when I go to yoga class versus when I don't. I went last night and this morning and I feel better than I have most of the rest of the week when I didn't get to go. So who's joining me tomorrow or next week?


• I'm still house hunting, and very little of what's on Craig's List or in the papers meets my needs. Who wants to go riding around town with me hunting For Rent signs?


• V-Day Tucson 2007 is next Friday and Saturday at the Fox Tucson Theatre. Publicity has been less than visible this year, so please consider purchasing tickets (available through the Fox's website or at various retailers around town). It's for a good cause and some really deserving people are being recognized for their work at intermission on the 16th.
  
  Please note, I no longer manage the V-Day Tucson website, so comments about the layout and/or outdated content can be directed to this year's organizer.


• I meant to post before Progressive Lobby Day at the Arizona legislature on Tuesday but didn't get around to it. I have to say I was pretty impressed, having participated in my share of lobby days back in Albany. Giving credit where it's due, AHRF did a hell of a job herding the progressive cats. We were also graced by the presence of a number of legislators from both parties, demonstrating that our common causes may not be as hopeless as we're sometimes led to believe. Thanks to those legislators who broke bread with us, and especially Senator Aboud for introducing our group, which filled the Senate gallery, from the floor.


• Are these not the cutest shoes ever? They're totally mine come next payday.


• My dear sister wins a prize for correctly guessing (or remembering!) who Ilene Graff is, without the assistance of IMDB. I don't know just what that prize is yet, but kudos to you, Deb!


• Speaking of both my musical sibling and fellow IC alums, don't forget to tune into "Grease: You're The One That I Want" tomorrow night (NBC, 7/6c) and vote for Kevin Greene to win the role of Danny in the latest Broadway revival. I'm going to tune in despite the fact that Andrew Lloyd Webber is a guest judge.


• A childhood dream come true.


• Speaking of movies I intend to see when they come out...


• And finally, since I'm on the topic of movies, the SHORTBUS DVD comes out on March 13.

Update, 4:42 PM: I meant to mention this when I wrote the original post, but Leonard Clark, the Iraq War veteran who tried to mount a primary challenge to Jim Pederson for the Senate nomination last year, is working on filing a petition to recall Senator Double-Talk himself. Cliff Schecter's original post mentions that there's no legal mechanism for recalling an elected federal official. Based on a cursory glance at state laws, this does not appear to be true, as Arizona law does apparently provide for the recall of any elected official: see these three statutes (that last one in particular specifies that members of Congress are included among those who may be recalled). If I read the law correctly, Clark would need to get signatures from a number of registered Arizona voters equal to 25% of the number of total votes cast in last year's Senate election for all candidates for the recall to make the ballot at the next statewide consolidated election. The recall would be an almost vertical uphill battle, but it sure could put a dent in the ole Double-Talk Express.

Labels: alumni, AZ Legislature, Bill Richardson, gift giving, Ithaca College, moving, musicals, personal, Pres-08, Progressive Lobby Day, self-care, social justice, Target, V-Day, women's rights, yoga

After being encouraged by several different people to attend an expanding class, I decided to bite the bullet this morning and just do it. I was pleasantly surprised. The class was definitely a little more intense, but I had no problem keeping up. Some of the sun salutations are still too much for my legs if they're held too long, but the duration I can hold them is getting longer each time I practice. A day of rest also helps.

So look at me, taking the intermediate classes already. That fairly well rocks.

Labels: personal, yoga

I did it!

And I finished with a bang.

To close out the maha challenge, I decided to take a couple of workshops. That means three hours last night and two and a half hours this morning (classes are usually an hour or hour and a half). There is a special guest instructor, Noah Maze, who used to teach at the studio but moved to L.A. but who is visiting and teaching these workshops all weekend.

A month ago, three hours of yoga probably would have killed me.

Not that it was easy last night or this morning, but the change truly is profound.

And that's not the only reason the experience has been profoundly transformative. It's true that I'm stronger and more flexible than I was 30 days ago. But I also have more clarity of thought, more joy in my attitude and less stress in my life.

Noah talked a lot last night and this morning about how our innate state is perfection, it's not something we strive for because we're already there. And the divine is in everything around us, not just the things we think ("it's in the compost heap and the vegetable garden"). There was much more, but admittedly I'm still a little foggy after the whole experience. I anticipate clarity will return over the next few days.

So I've done it. I challenged myself and I stepped up to that challenge. I started a new year and a new job by upping the physical and emotional ante. These were perhaps higher stakes in retrospect than I was willing to recognize throughout the 30 days. I know it sounds cliche, but I do really feel like a whole new person.

I'll be going to tomorrow night's Kirtan to join in the maha celebration and receive my T-shirt. You should join me to help me celebrate my prodigious accomplishment.

Labels: personal, yoga

I should probably stay home and rest until I kick this nascent cold for good, but I'm so close to the end of the maha challenge I can smell it. Maybe I should do laundry more than once a week.

Tonight's class was nice and small, but I didn't feel like I got much more personal attention than when the class is packed with 40 or more students. I don't know if that means that my alignment is good and I don't need much help or if they think I'm just a lost cause or somewhere in between. Regardless, I'd like a little more feedback. I guess that's what private lessons are for.

We were all about the shoulders tonight. Shoulder stands were the pose of the night. I've always, since I was very young, been able to come into a shoulder stand with ease. I was surprised to find myself at the end of class a little disappointed that we didn't do more hip openers. I guess I've become spoiled by how loose my hips generally are at the end of a practice. That wasn't the case tonight and I missed the feeling.

I feel like I'm pushing this sore throat out as fast as possible. My hope is that it'll be gone for good by morning.

In completely unrelated news, I won a $25 Target gift card today in a door prize raffle at our all-staff half day meeting this morning. They are totally enabling my unhealthy Target habits.

Maybe I'll finally get that scratching post for Leif that I've had my eye on.

Labels: Leif, personal, Target, yoga

There were 42 people in class tonight. That's a lot.

Tonight's teacher is not my favorite: she tends to ramble, which makes maintaining proper alignment in poses until she tells us to release a little frustrating. Still, I should also consider that such practice builds stamina and patience, which are good qualities to cultivate. Her point tonight was something she said her mother always tells her: nothing positive ever happens without struggle or work. Fair enough.

I felt myself getting sick last night (scratchy throat) and that continued through today. Maybe I should have taken a night off to rest. This week has just been packed wall-to-wall with meetings, some of them starting as early as 7:30 AM. I'm so not a morning person. Because I'm also trying to get a lot accomplished at night before bed, this has left me with less sleep than I'm used to. I also worked a half day on Saturday, which means I didn't get a full weekend of rest (and had an early morning that day with a 6:30 AM yoga class).

So I'm making two commitments to myself. In the short term, I will use this weekend to get as much rest as possible and really take good care of myself. In the long term, I will not allow my staff to schedule me for more than three meetings in a day. I know that I'm new and I'm filling a leadership vacuum (sort of), but I refuse to maintain this pace anymore. Next week on look mercifully less busy.

Now that I have a little bit of power, I intend to use it for good - as in my good health.

Labels: health, personal, yoga

Class was crowded but enjoyable tonight. We focused on the first of the Anusara Universal Principles of Alignment, opening to grace. It's always helpful to revisit the basics on a regular basis.

The best part of the night was after class when a fellow student, who recently began attending the more advanced classes and with whom I've became friendly, approached me and said, "you're totally ready for the expanding class." (Expanding is the next level of the Anusara syllabus, more advanced than Basics, which is where I've been since taking up yoga a little more than a month ago) He went on to say that I have grasp of the flow of the practice.

This other student was telling me last night that he had just started going to a couple of the Expanding classes and the pace was more intense but worth it. I wasn't (and am still not) sure about making the leap, but it was definitely quite a compliment and I take it as such. It really made my night.

So maybe I'll take my first Expanding class as a way to celebrate finishing the maha.

Labels: personal, yoga

I know, it's 15 hours after class 25 ended and I should have posted something earlier, but cut me some slack: I had a 7:30 AM meeting and I'm not a morning person. My prep actually had to start the night before and I was still 5 minutes late.

Class was actually wonderful last night, just what I needed. I'd been feeling for the three or four days prior that I was hitting a wall and plateauing. I talked on the phone briefly with Chad shortly before class (he's the one to thank - or to blame - for getting me into the yoga in the first place). I was telling him of my fatigue and he suggested that I should take a day off. I know I should listen to my body, but I was also feeling pretty decent yesterday.

I decided to go to class.

I'm glad I went.

The theme was all about balance, particularly finding balance in asymmetry, which is almost a counter-intuitive concept until you accept that balance and symmetry are not the same thing. I maintained my balance almost entirely throughout the class and tapped into a core strength that I'd forgotten or become blocked from for the few classes prior.

Now with only five classes to go, I feel like I have the extra burst of energy and enthusiasm that I need to get through. My fatigue has seemingly melted away.

I feel good. Even for starting my day at 7:30 AM.

Labels: personal, yoga

Went to my usual 10:30 AM class this morning, which is probably one of my favorite classes all week because of both the small size and the instructor.

I'm definitely plateauing. I'm tired and sore. But I can work through all that because I recognize the positive effects that are manifesting themselves in my life. Also, we did handstands and full wheel backbends this morning, so that always help motivate me.

On a related note, I downloaded my first audio book for my iPod, "Light on Life" by B.K.S. Iyengar, an adaptation of his "Light on Yoga". I'm about halfway through right now, and it's proving to be helpful in my understanding of the underlying philosophy and history of the practice. It's also a lot to take in, and so I can't really type much about it as I'm still digesting it all.

So I have less than a week left in the maha. I plan to get my card framed when I'm done and hang it on a wall. I've never done anything like this before, and despite my fatigue - or maybe because of it - I've never been more proud of myself about anything I've ever done.

Labels: iPod, Iyengar, personal, yoga

I don't think I'll be doing another 6:30 AM class anytime soon. I hardly even remember what happened.

So sadly, there won't be much of a day 23 update today.

In other news, I've become totally addicted to my iPod, and podcasts in particular. On my current podcast playlist: Garrison Keillor's The Writer's Almanac, a bunch of Meditation Station episodes, Merrian-Webster's Word of the Day, The New York Times (weekday highlights, Front Page, Movie Reviews, Theatre Reviews, Washington Report, The Ethicist, and World View), Savage Love (Dan Savage is a lot kinder in his podcast than he tends to be in his column), and The Onion Radio News.

And now I'm going to look for audio books.

Labels: iPod, personal, podcasts, yoga

I didn't have the stamina to write last night's entry, so I'm writing a quick one this morning before the ass-early class that I have to go to because of my board meeting that takes up half my Saturday.

Wow, that sounded cranky.

I was also cranky in class last night when I seemed to be reverting back to my early days of the maha in terms of balance and strength. Poses that just the night before were simple had become a struggle last night. And it was pissing me off.

I realized toward the end of class and continued processing on my way home that I hadn't gotten enough to eat yesterday. Between the Southern Arizona Legislative "Breakfast" (which was little more than fruit and pastry - no protein) and the Roe Luncheon (at which I didn't eat as much as I should've), I hardly got a fraction of the calories and protein and carbs to which my body has now become accustomed.

So my crankiness from last night soon melted away as I accepted that it was a learning experience and I got over the self-anger and disappointment about my wobbles and perceived failures. That's part of the practice - discovering the learning moments and being gentle and forgiving with yourself.

OK, now I'm off to day 23!

Labels: personal, yoga

I went to yoga hour (late class) tonight because I had a work-related event earlier in the evening. I like yoga hour because it's 30 minutes shorter than regular class, which means the pace is a lot quicker to get as much of a workout as the regular class.

Tonight's word of the day was "contentment" (or rather, the Sanskrit word for "contentment"). It was about finding the peace and comfort wherever you are, without reaching or yearning for more. That doesn't mean you stop yearning and striving, it just means you also find harmony with your current position along the way.

I did some pretty deep backbends tonight too, which definitely put me in a content mood. Backbends stimulate those areas of the brain and the glands that secrete the hormones that give you a peaceful and euphoric feeling. It's a good skill to have, really.

The pose of the night was from the expanding syllabus, what from my frame of reference was a modified Vasisthasana (Side Plank Pose), where the top leg gets bent backwards and is held and isometrically pushes into the top hand as the top hand pushes it down into the hip. From my vantage point, I was one of the few people in class who got into the pose and held it. I say that not for competition or to toot my own horn, but as a frame of reference for just how difficult a pose it is and how proud I am of my progress that has given me the strength and balance to maintain it.

As I was lightly meditating during Svasana (Corpse Pose, the final resting pose of any Anusara practice session), I was able to reflect and realize that I am, in fact, quite content with my life right now. I'm certainly not complacent, but things are going well and I'm in a place where things seem on track and moving in a healthy and positive direction.

It's a remarkably good place to be.

Labels: contentment, personal, yoga

Two-thirds of the way through. And it seems like just yesterday I was only one-third of my way there.

Very crowded class tonight. Decent workout, but I don't think I got much out of it spiritually. There was some point about looking inward and shutting off some of the senses to augment others. Part of the practice tonight was done with eyes closed, which was an interesting experience.

There was some particular focus on the intercostals, which was a good stretch. At one point, we were doing a side twist in a lunge with the help of a partner. I essentially was in a forward lunge, twisting pretty much to the point where my back was almost resting on my lunged forward leg. That was pretty cool. I feel totally loose in my side torso right now.

I think I have what's been described to me as "Monkey Mind", usually following meditation. My brain is all over the place, I'm distracted and a little loopy. It happens sometimes apparently when the practice interrupts a lot of other crap going. Not that there's any particular crap, but there's enough, I guess.

Off topic: I bought myself and iPod nano from Amazon.com. They're running a promotion with audible.com where you get a $100 instant rebate off compatible mp3 players when you commit to 12 months of the audible service. I basically got my iPod for less than half price. I never thought that I was much of a music listener, but I have more than 400 mp3's on my computer, so I guess I'm a little more into it than I thought. Since I'll be making lots more trips between Phoenix and Tucson with my new job, this will definitely help with the tedium of those drives. Now I just need to find an FM transmitter that fits my nano. The one I ordered from Amazon with my nano only fits the first generation nanos and mine is second generation. Damn.

Labels: iPod, nano, personal, yoga

Lots of backbends tonight! Woo hoo!

For the first time in maybe a week, I broke a serious sweat and got out of breath tonight. It was a good feeling.

I find I enjoy working with a partner because the goal of partner work is usually to provide more resistance to come deeper into the asana.

Such was the case tonight with Dhanurasana (Bow Pose), wherein my partner Todd (whom Bruce called "Wes" - comic gold) wrapped a strap around my back under my shoulder blades ("where [my] bra strap would be"), sat on the ground, put his feet on my shoulders and extended his legs. This had the effect of extending my back deeper into the bend as I simultaneously lifted from the pelvis and isometrically extended my heart up and forward.

I had a similar experience on Saturday with Bhujangasana (Cobra), where my partner (not Todd/Wes) put pressure down on the backs of my calves so I had more freedom in my upper body. I came into an incredibly deep and effortless backbend. Everyone was duly impressed, me most of all.

The best part of the night though was when we were practicing Urdhva Dhanurasana (Backbend) and I came up into it three times by myself. The best best part though was that we were all doing it up against a wall and since I was in the middle row, I had to find space along the wall with the mirror. When I came up into the backbend each time, there I was staring back at me.

I looked deep in my own eyes, through my heavy breathing and red face, and saw my own inner beauty staring back at me.

Whoa. Heavy.

Labels: personal, yoga

Went to a Golden Globes-watching get-together after class last night, which is why I'm posting day 18's update this morning.

It always feels a little odd to go to an evening class on a day off from work. Still, it was well worth it.

The theme for the class was letting go, melting into your true self. At first blush, we were being instructed to go against all the teaching about alignment that we've been learning and working on. But the truth is that we were focusing on something called "kidney loop" that I'm still not sure I fully understand. The point is, it can feel like it's not what you're supposed to be doing, but you have to learn to let go because it is.

Letting go has never been a particular strength of mine, although I've certainly gotten a hell of a lot better over the past six months. It's probably a good thing to have that encouraged physically, too.

The next two weeks are going to be busy and long for me. I'm finding myself hardly straining at all anymore in class, and yoga is becoming more of a release and a joy than an obligation and an effort. I attribute much of that to my just being present in each moment and not getting frustrated with myself if I lose balance or fall over (which hardly ever happens anymore).

Learning to let go has its advantages.

Labels: letting go, personal, yoga

Day seventeen. Seventeen days down. Big seventeen. Seventeenarino.

There's really not much to say. Small class, which is always a delight. We did do headstands again today, which you faithful readers know I enjoy. I also did my first shoulder stand today. The inversions are fun. You should really try it sometime.

These maha updates are getting conspicuously shorter and less interesting as I draw nearer to my event horizon. Should I continue to post them or just wait for the extraordinary classes and give updates on those?

Discuss.

Labels: personal, yoga

Good class this morning. I worked some serious balancing mojo on a one-legged forward fold. And with the help of a neighbor, I got into a deep, DEEP cobra pose.

I'm finding myself heaving and shaking much less. I'm also finding the stretches and bends coming much easier. I know I'm still on the very beginning end of the learning curve, but it feels good to fall over or have to rest less often than not.

I don't really have much to add to that. I'm feeling pretty good and it's time to eat something.

Labels: personal, yoga

Yes, halfway done. Somehow, it feels a little disappointing. Part of that is because I'm hooked and don't want it to end. Another part of that is because of today's class.

There's only one evening basic class on Fridays, and I knew I would miss it. Since I was missing it for a work-related event tonight and I have another work-related activity tomorrow, I decided to flex my morning and take this morning's hatha basics class on the east side.

Taught by none other than KGUN 9's Guy Atchley.

The class was extremely low impact. I didn't even break a sweat. I was the youngest person in the class by at least 20 years, and the only male student. It definitely had kind of a Desperate Housewives vibe to it, like those women were really only there to hear Guy say things like "point your buttocks to the Catalina Mountains" or "ver-te-bra by ver-te-bra" (it sounded like there were five extra syllables when he said it) in that newscaster voice of his. I must admit, I did find it a little titillating too.

Hatha is the school of yoga upon which anusara is based. Guy's class is the only one at Yoga Oasis that is purely hatha with no anusara. If I didn't know the difference before, I think I do now. Today's class may as well have been called Stretching 101. It really was not very challenging for me at all. This frustrated me immensely during class.

Then I took a step back to try and find the positive in the situation. Turns out there are a couple.

First off, the low impact was good for my body coming at the halfway mark in the maha. It gave me a chance to rest but still feel as though I was doing something.

The other major benefit that really surprised me is the fact that I got frustrated because I felt like I wasn't getting enough of a workout. That means that I was looking to break a sweat, to feel the burn (though as Bruce says, "no pain, no pain"). I have never before in my life been disappointed when I didn't exert myself enough. This is a major shift for me.

I'm such a jock! OK, maybe that's a bit of a stretch.

I'm off to do a headstand, then go to bed. I need to get some kind of exertion in today.

Labels: personal, yoga

Good class tonight. I felt really connected and strong. Tonight was all about moving through the core and finding the proper alignment. It was good to focus on the most basic elements of the practice.

Tonight was another first for me - a headstand without any outside help. The wall doesn't count. I got up and stayed up on my own. And now that I've been guided through it, I feel comfortable practicing at home. Before I always had this fear that I would break my neck and they'd find my body weeks later, half-eaten by Leif.

After class I had to go to Target. For a legit reason, I swear! Saturday is the birthday of one of my staff members, and I wanted to get her a little something nice. I'm still working on making a good impression. I found myself just calmly winding my way around the store, feeling a deep sense of contentment and none of the usual need to rush that I feel when I'm overstimulated by the bargains and styles that Target has to offer.

When I got home and reflected on that, I realized my calm (and my better-than-usual posture) probably has a lot to do with those headstands I was doing during class. One of the benefits of Sirsasana is that it's supposed to allow you to look at the world from a different angle. Makes sense.

I don't have a whole lot of free wall space, but I may make a point of including this in my daily routine.

One other really fulfilling experience from this class came when we were working on a balancing asana and were asked to pair up with a neighbor. My neighbor was an older woman, probably in her 70's or 80's, and not in the best shape but certainly ahead of the curve compared to many women her age. It was great to work with her and share the pose with her. Our instructions were to support the arm of our partner as she brought it forward, leading her body into a forward bend as her other hand held her other foot close to the hip. I guess my partner couldn't hear the instructions very well, so I ended up talking her through the process of hugging into her core, finding her alignment, finding her balance, and coming into the pose. When she got into the pose on her stronger standing leg, it was a beautiful sight to behold. And I was there with her for the whole thing.

And my parents say they couldn't do it!

Labels: balance, beauty, gift giving, personal, yoga

I just didn't have it in me to post last night after I got home from yoga. It was a long day, I had to wear my corporate drag because of the State of the State address, and then I had a Women's Commission committee meeting at 5:30, which meant I had to go to the late yoga class.

Going to the late class was actually a good thing. Not only did I need it by the time 8:00 PM rolled around, but it was only an hour. It was kind of like a burst of adrenaline.

The theme of the class was contrast. When explained, I don't think contrast was quite the right word, but the concept was understood. The idea was to find something positive about asanas that you don't like or find challenging, or to find more challenges in asanas that you do like or find easy. There was something about the rain in there and deserts, but I'm afraid I slept all that away.

I think I'm getting to the point where I'm hooked. All through my hectic day yesterday, I kept looking forward with eager anticipation to class last night.

That's a lot healthier an addiction than when I tried (and failed miserably) to become an alcoholic a few years ago.

Labels: personal, yoga