*Gasp*
Back from a break that was half choice, half necessity...
Regardless, it's difficult to begin from here, but I'll try my best and accept it in whatever shape it comes.
Important points of the past month:
1. Completion of Yoga Training (resulting in a successful acquisition of instructor certification :))
2. Thanksgiving trip to Santa Fe that was healing on tangible and intangible levels, helping me to realize how far I've strayed from myself and my heart
3. Return to So Cal with internal promises to tend to my mental and physical and emotional well being
No need to get into details here-- they will come up as needed. Only thing to say is that I am realizing consciously, and accepting, the difficulty that this move has presented to me and just how incongruous some of its features and rhythms are with that which makes me thrive. All that I have, with the best intentions, been trying to do to reshape it, to fill it, to enhance it...have perhaps worked to a degree, but more importantly they have only numbed me to my frustration, to the holes rather than serving as real sustenance. I am now resurfacing, reevaluating, and hoping to rebuild with integrity to who I am (needing constant reminding of who that person is). It feels a little like an identity crisis, albeit an unconscious one-- nothing with which I have come to identify myself has followed me here...no English teaching, no hiking, no "academic" community, real community to speak of-- I have just been feeling disconnected in this strange new world. Moving forward, and simultaneously coming back to the core-- that's what I'm now doing.
Monday, December 7, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
nEW WEEk, NEw NovEmbEr: chance to press "rEstArt"
This idea of the first of each new month emphatically inviting the conscious possibility for change was the theme of my noon yoga class yesterday, and it certainly resonates. While, as Keeley (our fabulous and inspiring instructor) reminded us, each BREATH we take holds in it this possibility, I think it's easier to look at these larger milestones of months, years-- and use them as the impetus to shift something that it not sitting right, whether that element of our lives is large or small. Of course, we can all always think of a million things in our lives that are not exactly as we might ideally like them to be-- we wish for this, and we say we'll change that; but how many times does this discontent translate into action? Most of the time, the moves toward changing something that is making us less than joyful are simple ones-- perhaps we know them-- but each and every one of those actions needs to come from the person wanting the change, not from some outside force. These new months and their potential reinforce the reality that we hold the power to shape our worlds and our own happiness.
So here we go, diving into a month my experience of which has always been positive, if slightly chaotic, packed full as it is with holiday festivities and travels, ends and beginnings of sports seasons, exams in some cases, and a true movement in seasonal dynamics-- when the golden fall becomes the blustery gray...I love the brilliance and the bluster equally, and have felt a bit of a hole in me this year in missing any dramatic season change. I am ECSTATICALLY excited about my Thanksgiving visit to Santa Fe-- I dreamed last night (in addition to a terrifying nightmare in which I walked into an enormous yoga class-- hundreds and hundreds of people-- and was to my horror brought up to the front to restore order to this chaos and teach something I didn't know) about climbing Atalaya in the pre-dawn; I love that I've done this so many times that it has become a beautiful meditation-- I know each step of the ways up and down and even now I can take the journey in my mind: the various obstacles, the specific landmarks of this pine or this boulder, the distinct scents along the way, the changes in temperature, the way in which I've, in my head, broken up the trek into four pieces-- each with its own challenges. But soon, sooner than soon, I'll be able to experience it...The trip will be a much needed one-- a reconnection with a year and place and a community that gave me so much. Three weeks!
But until then-- nearly a whole month's worth of living to be done! The wrap-up of October brought with it excitement and stress-- Alex's weeks at the rifle range, marked by 3:30am departures and early, early bedtimes for one of us, early mornings and late nights for the other; extra work at school as I scrambled to cover classes for ailing colleagues, too many meetings, sports practices, tutoring sessions, yoga yoga yoga, shopping for a dress for the Marine Ball next week, LIFE. The next three weeks WILL be even more of a whirlwind: the last sessions of yoga training are upon me-- I'm feeling great about it, really, but a little nervous for the exams on the 14th and 15th; DAD'S VISIT this week/end in the midst of craziness at school with the child study and accreditation work we're doing in Faculty Meeting, the Marine Ball, training, school... BUT I'M SO EXCITED TO SPEND TIME WITH HIM!; the final weeks leading up to the holiday and all of the fluster around this....I'm breathing. I promise. :) My goals for this month: FLEXIBILITY and PATIENCE. More simply said than done, of course, but things to keep humming in the back of my mind.
The time change was welcome. It's beautiful to rise in the pre-dawn glow rather than in complete darkness just as it will bring a positive rhythm, I think, to have the sun close the day "earlier." As I sit at the kitchen table now, finishing these thoughts, I am looking over a sunshine soaked San Clemente-- it glows in this blue-skied morning. I will scamper down to the beach for an invigorating run along the water and then make my way to a delicious yoga class before heading to school for the day--a day in which all of the chaos around teacher absences has given me the 5th Grade to blend with both my 8th and 1st Grade classes! I'm so intrigued to see the dynamics of these interactions at play and will recount them. I'm subbing for the high school PE teacher this afternoon and these kids are in for a rude awakening... :)
November will be a month of surrendering to the things I cannot change or must do, of enjoying-- of finding the positive in each person or experience, and most importantly of expressing each emotion-- gratitude, sympathy, joy, respect-- through action, because with this new month, and with each new breath, change is my possibility....
So here we go, diving into a month my experience of which has always been positive, if slightly chaotic, packed full as it is with holiday festivities and travels, ends and beginnings of sports seasons, exams in some cases, and a true movement in seasonal dynamics-- when the golden fall becomes the blustery gray...I love the brilliance and the bluster equally, and have felt a bit of a hole in me this year in missing any dramatic season change. I am ECSTATICALLY excited about my Thanksgiving visit to Santa Fe-- I dreamed last night (in addition to a terrifying nightmare in which I walked into an enormous yoga class-- hundreds and hundreds of people-- and was to my horror brought up to the front to restore order to this chaos and teach something I didn't know) about climbing Atalaya in the pre-dawn; I love that I've done this so many times that it has become a beautiful meditation-- I know each step of the ways up and down and even now I can take the journey in my mind: the various obstacles, the specific landmarks of this pine or this boulder, the distinct scents along the way, the changes in temperature, the way in which I've, in my head, broken up the trek into four pieces-- each with its own challenges. But soon, sooner than soon, I'll be able to experience it...The trip will be a much needed one-- a reconnection with a year and place and a community that gave me so much. Three weeks!
But until then-- nearly a whole month's worth of living to be done! The wrap-up of October brought with it excitement and stress-- Alex's weeks at the rifle range, marked by 3:30am departures and early, early bedtimes for one of us, early mornings and late nights for the other; extra work at school as I scrambled to cover classes for ailing colleagues, too many meetings, sports practices, tutoring sessions, yoga yoga yoga, shopping for a dress for the Marine Ball next week, LIFE. The next three weeks WILL be even more of a whirlwind: the last sessions of yoga training are upon me-- I'm feeling great about it, really, but a little nervous for the exams on the 14th and 15th; DAD'S VISIT this week/end in the midst of craziness at school with the child study and accreditation work we're doing in Faculty Meeting, the Marine Ball, training, school... BUT I'M SO EXCITED TO SPEND TIME WITH HIM!; the final weeks leading up to the holiday and all of the fluster around this....I'm breathing. I promise. :) My goals for this month: FLEXIBILITY and PATIENCE. More simply said than done, of course, but things to keep humming in the back of my mind.
The time change was welcome. It's beautiful to rise in the pre-dawn glow rather than in complete darkness just as it will bring a positive rhythm, I think, to have the sun close the day "earlier." As I sit at the kitchen table now, finishing these thoughts, I am looking over a sunshine soaked San Clemente-- it glows in this blue-skied morning. I will scamper down to the beach for an invigorating run along the water and then make my way to a delicious yoga class before heading to school for the day--a day in which all of the chaos around teacher absences has given me the 5th Grade to blend with both my 8th and 1st Grade classes! I'm so intrigued to see the dynamics of these interactions at play and will recount them. I'm subbing for the high school PE teacher this afternoon and these kids are in for a rude awakening... :)
November will be a month of surrendering to the things I cannot change or must do, of enjoying-- of finding the positive in each person or experience, and most importantly of expressing each emotion-- gratitude, sympathy, joy, respect-- through action, because with this new month, and with each new breath, change is my possibility....
Friday, October 23, 2009
sChooL dAys, siCk dAys-- in SWINE FLU SEASON...
Swine Flu. It's the virus on every one's lips-- literally to a frightening degree. If you've been even casually keeping up with the national news, you'll know that California is facing something verging on a crisis, especially within the schools, in the area. Though many cases of sickness in schools haven't been confirmed necessarily as the virus itself, the number of students (and TEACHERS) absent, even at our little school-- is astronomical! Further, half of the second graders who actually were there today(about a third of the class was absent) felt ill and queasy and feverish...I hadn't really begun to freak out at all about it-- in spite of many teacher absences and many more student ones-- until today, but it's getting to be too difficult to ignore. I note went home to the parents and out through the community list-serve telling everyone to "take precautions and remain calm." I am hoping it blows over quickly before it creeps into my body-- cannot afford to be sick right now, besides the fact that I, as you all know probably, hate being nauseous and vomiting more than pretty much anything...Keep your fingers crossed for the piggies to move on...
Apart from the bout of illness this week, school was relatively uneventful and flew by quickly. I can hardly believe how the days dissolve! I find some dimension of delight in each of them, some stress to breathe through, some challenge, some disappointment, but overall a sense of flow and purpose and peace. I have rhythms with my classes and am enjoying working with them although it feels not quite as much like "work" as I sometimes might like-- I know that this sounds a little crazy, and I'm not quite sure how to articulate it but I guess sometimes I would like to feel as though what I was doing with these kids in our two-times fifty minutes with one another each week was something lasting-- not that they won't take our experiences with them and not that what I'm doing with them I'm not putting thought and effort and heart and vigor into-- but they are probably, at least some of them, teaching me how to play more than I teach them-- they remind about how we all used to experience the world through spontaneous movement free from fear or pain and through imagination (at least the little ones do)...and interestingly enough, it is from the younger students that I relearn this each day and am able to bring it to my older students who are starting to forget. So this is important I suppose. But I think they learn just as much on the playground during recesses as they do from me often-- it's all about providing the space in which this can happen I guess, and less about me-- in English, it was more about a transfer of knowledge to a degree. Why do I crave this? Well, at least I am getting it in doses through tutoring, and when I teach new skills in Games. But more importantly, perhaps, I am learning to let go of this need, at least to loosen my grip on it and to just enjoy the world around me and my position in it with integrity and spirit, and simply model this for my students. These days in the sun are doing wonders for me, and my challenges in meeting the needs of my wide range of kids are teaching me a flexibility and creativity of which I might not have thought myself capable.
I am grateful for the weekend, in spite of the fact that Alex will be away. I will be immersed in training-- which will, and has continued, to be wonderful and inspiring and so damn hard. Three more weeks until its conclusion-- so hard to believe! Most excitingly-- DARYA IS VISITING from Sunday into Monday and coming into my classes on Monday to talk about IMPACT and do some demos...
Apart from the bout of illness this week, school was relatively uneventful and flew by quickly. I can hardly believe how the days dissolve! I find some dimension of delight in each of them, some stress to breathe through, some challenge, some disappointment, but overall a sense of flow and purpose and peace. I have rhythms with my classes and am enjoying working with them although it feels not quite as much like "work" as I sometimes might like-- I know that this sounds a little crazy, and I'm not quite sure how to articulate it but I guess sometimes I would like to feel as though what I was doing with these kids in our two-times fifty minutes with one another each week was something lasting-- not that they won't take our experiences with them and not that what I'm doing with them I'm not putting thought and effort and heart and vigor into-- but they are probably, at least some of them, teaching me how to play more than I teach them-- they remind about how we all used to experience the world through spontaneous movement free from fear or pain and through imagination (at least the little ones do)...and interestingly enough, it is from the younger students that I relearn this each day and am able to bring it to my older students who are starting to forget. So this is important I suppose. But I think they learn just as much on the playground during recesses as they do from me often-- it's all about providing the space in which this can happen I guess, and less about me-- in English, it was more about a transfer of knowledge to a degree. Why do I crave this? Well, at least I am getting it in doses through tutoring, and when I teach new skills in Games. But more importantly, perhaps, I am learning to let go of this need, at least to loosen my grip on it and to just enjoy the world around me and my position in it with integrity and spirit, and simply model this for my students. These days in the sun are doing wonders for me, and my challenges in meeting the needs of my wide range of kids are teaching me a flexibility and creativity of which I might not have thought myself capable.
I am grateful for the weekend, in spite of the fact that Alex will be away. I will be immersed in training-- which will, and has continued, to be wonderful and inspiring and so damn hard. Three more weeks until its conclusion-- so hard to believe! Most excitingly-- DARYA IS VISITING from Sunday into Monday and coming into my classes on Monday to talk about IMPACT and do some demos...
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
AYRUVEDA, etc.
So in this post, I'll concentrate on Item b) on the agenda I set for myself last time...Saving a) for sometime...
This weekend, our training cohort went up to the studio in Huntington Beach to take an amazing intermediate/advanced class and then a workshop on Ayurveda both with this phenomenal and inspiring woman named Heather. It was eye-opening and heart-opening in so many ways-- I had all kinds of epiphanies and incredibly simple yet profound revelations about the relationships among habit and mind and diet and movement and interaction and drive in any given person. Upon coming into the class, I had taken a test to determine which "dosha" was most dominant in my own mental, emotional, and physical make-up-- doshas basically are "types" by which people are categorized and there are three-- Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Each is associated with various characteristics that correspond to the various chakras as well as to elements, season, scents, flavors, and areas of the physical body. My test proved me to be at this moment a Vata in body, largely, but more Pitta in personality and mentality. I thought before going to the session that this was a little hokey, even though a lot of what the test said resonated with me, but after Heather described these in details and took us through the rationale behind their very existence in the philosophy, I was hooked, convinced, and totally fascinated. I still think they are, inevitably, a bit reductive-- however, that's only if one chooses to look at them this way. I'm going to post the quiz here so you can all try it out if you want to: http://doshaquiz.chopra.com/
See if it seems to work for you-- then see what you think about its diagnosis of me ;) Vata-Pitta (more Vata body, Pitta mind; though it changes daily and recently, I've been much more Pitta-ish; today's test proved this)
If you take it and find that you have an imbalance in some area, let me know and I can give you some recs for rituals to take on and small changes to make in order to even things out, harmonize them. I'm in the process of instituting some new things in my own day to day life and I am seeing results, feeling them really. It's pretty incredible stuff actually-- so brilliantly simple and complex a system simultaneously...I am hooked; wanting to go more deeply into studying this. What's really fascinating too is to apply it to yoga-- looking at want poses support balancing out the doshas, what poses a particular person perhaps should or shouldn't do-- and also, learning how to recognize a particular dosha-type when s/he walks into one's yoga (or any) classroom...and how to help that person accordingly in specific postures...
Writing this is difficult because I feel like there is just so much share and digest-- but I guess this will just serve as a taste of what I'm experiencing and as an explanation of why I am eating more hearty, rooty, warm, grounding foods; why I am meditating formally twice a day, why I'm using sesame oil on my skin as a delicious toner and why I am using spicy aromatherapy and essential oils; why I am doing these wacky "kriyas" during the day--small exercises that target specific chakras to open them up...We shall see what happens :) At the worst, I'll just smell good and glow and be super relaxed...
This weekend, our training cohort went up to the studio in Huntington Beach to take an amazing intermediate/advanced class and then a workshop on Ayurveda both with this phenomenal and inspiring woman named Heather. It was eye-opening and heart-opening in so many ways-- I had all kinds of epiphanies and incredibly simple yet profound revelations about the relationships among habit and mind and diet and movement and interaction and drive in any given person. Upon coming into the class, I had taken a test to determine which "dosha" was most dominant in my own mental, emotional, and physical make-up-- doshas basically are "types" by which people are categorized and there are three-- Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Each is associated with various characteristics that correspond to the various chakras as well as to elements, season, scents, flavors, and areas of the physical body. My test proved me to be at this moment a Vata in body, largely, but more Pitta in personality and mentality. I thought before going to the session that this was a little hokey, even though a lot of what the test said resonated with me, but after Heather described these in details and took us through the rationale behind their very existence in the philosophy, I was hooked, convinced, and totally fascinated. I still think they are, inevitably, a bit reductive-- however, that's only if one chooses to look at them this way. I'm going to post the quiz here so you can all try it out if you want to: http://doshaquiz.chopra.com/
See if it seems to work for you-- then see what you think about its diagnosis of me ;) Vata-Pitta (more Vata body, Pitta mind; though it changes daily and recently, I've been much more Pitta-ish; today's test proved this)
If you take it and find that you have an imbalance in some area, let me know and I can give you some recs for rituals to take on and small changes to make in order to even things out, harmonize them. I'm in the process of instituting some new things in my own day to day life and I am seeing results, feeling them really. It's pretty incredible stuff actually-- so brilliantly simple and complex a system simultaneously...I am hooked; wanting to go more deeply into studying this. What's really fascinating too is to apply it to yoga-- looking at want poses support balancing out the doshas, what poses a particular person perhaps should or shouldn't do-- and also, learning how to recognize a particular dosha-type when s/he walks into one's yoga (or any) classroom...and how to help that person accordingly in specific postures...
Writing this is difficult because I feel like there is just so much share and digest-- but I guess this will just serve as a taste of what I'm experiencing and as an explanation of why I am eating more hearty, rooty, warm, grounding foods; why I am meditating formally twice a day, why I'm using sesame oil on my skin as a delicious toner and why I am using spicy aromatherapy and essential oils; why I am doing these wacky "kriyas" during the day--small exercises that target specific chakras to open them up...We shall see what happens :) At the worst, I'll just smell good and glow and be super relaxed...
Saturday, October 17, 2009
oh what a week!
My last post was just brief enough to convey, I think, the little bit of overwhelmedness (a word now) and trepidation that I felt toward the enterprise of taking on this two hour class in addition to my own classes and other responsibilities this week. But also, I hope that the excitement that I felt around it shone through in that short announcement as well, because really, it was such such such a joy to get back into the English classroom again. I won't go on at too much length here about the details of the class itself except to say that it was with the 9th Grade-- a whole class year of only FIVE people (three girls, two guys); it fell under the umbrella of the "Comedy and Tragedy" Block that happens in High School Humanities in Waldorf and I took up the thread at the start of their study of Shakespeare's Elizabethan comedy A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. And what a blast!
I am in the midst of prepping for another big day tomorrow, one, though, that is dynamic enough, varied enough, to be the fodder of inspiration. Anticipate a long entry tomorrow-- focusing on a) teaching English vs. Games and my perspective thus far and b) AYURVEDA! My workshops this weekend through training were AMAZING and I'm so excited to share what I've learned.
I am in the midst of prepping for another big day tomorrow, one, though, that is dynamic enough, varied enough, to be the fodder of inspiration. Anticipate a long entry tomorrow-- focusing on a) teaching English vs. Games and my perspective thus far and b) AYURVEDA! My workshops this weekend through training were AMAZING and I'm so excited to share what I've learned.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
News Flash
Quickly:
Teaching English to the 9th Grade all week! Crazy development-- and a crazy schedule. Lots to update. Soon.
Teaching English to the 9th Grade all week! Crazy development-- and a crazy schedule. Lots to update. Soon.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Catch-Up
Happy Monday, everyone!
Goodness! So much to unpack from the weekend and today-- funny how my week days rather than my weekends have shaped themselves into the time when I can think and write and unwind a bit. Thursday's post encapsulated and froze fairly articulately the dominant feeling that has revealed itself to be the underbelly of the brilliance and inspiration and fun that I'm feeling in my life right now...and I think it is so crucial to include this so that there is no misconception about the rhythm of my days and the thoughts and actions that occupy them-- no, not everything is easy, and no, I am not always living with perfect integrity and grace and patience. I'm sure Alex and my students could attest to this! ;) But I'm breathing into it and constantly readjusting...
Friday was a long day-- but full in an uplifting way, especially because Alex finished a rough week too and we could really just exhale. Four classes, tutoring, yoga and running, plus snuggle TV time made for a positive pause. Saturday it was full-speed again-- up to Huntington Beach from 10:30 to 6:15, with two yoga classes-- one really amazing; an advanced level heated Vinyasa with an instructor who had a voice and an energy-- a presence-- that made one feel that one, in spite of the crowded room, was the only person to whom she was speaking...It was simultaneously the longer and shortest 75 minutes I've experienced in a long, long time-- the most I've been present possibly ever-- at least until our guided meditation on Sunday...Anyway, it was mind-blowing in the best way. This second class was followed by chanting and a lecture on the koshas and other "yogi theory" and history, specifically as related to the Bandhas...These are the locks that exist in our bodies through which vital energy releases-- in yoga, ideally in all of life, we engage these locks as a means of controlling and utilizing that energy most effectively on all levels of being. The most noteworthy of the bandhas are 1) the mula bandha (basically, the lock on our pelvic floor-- the "pee stop") 2) the uttiyana bandha (essentially the core; located just below the navel) and 3) the jalandhara bandha (located in the throat). By engaging these areas, these locks-- yoga apparently becomes easy as does life (;) hehe)-- so we took the time to explore this idea in depth in an hour long session led by Jen (my instructor) on inversions. Now, I must admit that, secretly, honestly, one of the major reasons I was even compelled to do this training was because I wanted to learn, for real and once and for all, to do these awesome inversion poses-- to strengthen my muscles and deepen my confidence and trust so much that I can, upon graduation, do things like handstand and Peacock and Squirel and be able to really PLAY in this exciting contortionistic way...I've definitely made incredible progress-- and have the Crow Pose bruises to prove it-- but there is SO much further to go...So this portion of training was a highlight and a challenge. We ended the session with a breaking down of the Chakras-- SO FASCINATING! We took self-evaluations to determine our balances in each-- I found that the Chakra to which I am most atuned, both for better and for worse, is the Third (located in the Core and YELLOW in color)-- look it up and see if this fits with who you know as me ;)! More on this at some other point-- basically, such cool stuff...
The day wasn't yet over though after the training in HB-- I had to make my way down to Irvine for a fundraising event for school-- Silent and Live Auctions, dinner and dancing at a GORGEOUS golf course so enchantingly decorated in the spirit and splendor of autumn harvest-- almost New Englandly so! I, in spite of my exhausting and my solo status ( I couldn't ask Alex to pay the $95 price tag for a ticket, especially when I thought it was going to be incredibly boring-- had a nice time, especially we chatting with parents and my colleagues, and loved, too, being able to show my face wearing something other than my "Games Teacher"clothing...Getting home, though, I crashed once more-- luckily having Alex to catch me and put me to bed...
To get up and do it all over again on Sunday! Tutoring at 8:30 am after a run on the beach; breakfast out with A. and then to Aliso V. for more class and training. The class was fabulous and the meditation (guided) that we did during training was phenomenal-- I've never before been able to sit still for 40 minutes, let alone reach any sort of meditative state really, but here, I achieved a shadow of it... And how awesome it was!
Speeding on to today-- because I am feeling the pull of the present and wanting to be there rather than here-- knowing I need to honor that-- I had a FANTASTIC experience of getting to sub for the High School English teacher at school! 9th Graders starting A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM-- I soared through this so joyfully, I surprised myself at just how much I MISS teaching this discipline-- God, my body was physically craving it-- but now that I've gotten my fix, will I be satisfied or just need more??? Yikes.
The chaos of the day came from 4th Grade who took advantage of the sprinkler system going off in the middle of class on the field and got TOTALLY soaked-- much to the chagrin of me and their next teacher, particularly as it was not exactly a sunny or particularly WARM day (actually getting chilly here!) Just hope that the changes of shirts I got them warded off any colds....
Last note: Basketball had begun, as has Tennis-- still trying to get swimming set up for grades 6, 7 and 8...Keep you posted.
Love to you all-- namaste and good night.
Goodness! So much to unpack from the weekend and today-- funny how my week days rather than my weekends have shaped themselves into the time when I can think and write and unwind a bit. Thursday's post encapsulated and froze fairly articulately the dominant feeling that has revealed itself to be the underbelly of the brilliance and inspiration and fun that I'm feeling in my life right now...and I think it is so crucial to include this so that there is no misconception about the rhythm of my days and the thoughts and actions that occupy them-- no, not everything is easy, and no, I am not always living with perfect integrity and grace and patience. I'm sure Alex and my students could attest to this! ;) But I'm breathing into it and constantly readjusting...
Friday was a long day-- but full in an uplifting way, especially because Alex finished a rough week too and we could really just exhale. Four classes, tutoring, yoga and running, plus snuggle TV time made for a positive pause. Saturday it was full-speed again-- up to Huntington Beach from 10:30 to 6:15, with two yoga classes-- one really amazing; an advanced level heated Vinyasa with an instructor who had a voice and an energy-- a presence-- that made one feel that one, in spite of the crowded room, was the only person to whom she was speaking...It was simultaneously the longer and shortest 75 minutes I've experienced in a long, long time-- the most I've been present possibly ever-- at least until our guided meditation on Sunday...Anyway, it was mind-blowing in the best way. This second class was followed by chanting and a lecture on the koshas and other "yogi theory" and history, specifically as related to the Bandhas...These are the locks that exist in our bodies through which vital energy releases-- in yoga, ideally in all of life, we engage these locks as a means of controlling and utilizing that energy most effectively on all levels of being. The most noteworthy of the bandhas are 1) the mula bandha (basically, the lock on our pelvic floor-- the "pee stop") 2) the uttiyana bandha (essentially the core; located just below the navel) and 3) the jalandhara bandha (located in the throat). By engaging these areas, these locks-- yoga apparently becomes easy as does life (;) hehe)-- so we took the time to explore this idea in depth in an hour long session led by Jen (my instructor) on inversions. Now, I must admit that, secretly, honestly, one of the major reasons I was even compelled to do this training was because I wanted to learn, for real and once and for all, to do these awesome inversion poses-- to strengthen my muscles and deepen my confidence and trust so much that I can, upon graduation, do things like handstand and Peacock and Squirel and be able to really PLAY in this exciting contortionistic way...I've definitely made incredible progress-- and have the Crow Pose bruises to prove it-- but there is SO much further to go...So this portion of training was a highlight and a challenge. We ended the session with a breaking down of the Chakras-- SO FASCINATING! We took self-evaluations to determine our balances in each-- I found that the Chakra to which I am most atuned, both for better and for worse, is the Third (located in the Core and YELLOW in color)-- look it up and see if this fits with who you know as me ;)! More on this at some other point-- basically, such cool stuff...
The day wasn't yet over though after the training in HB-- I had to make my way down to Irvine for a fundraising event for school-- Silent and Live Auctions, dinner and dancing at a GORGEOUS golf course so enchantingly decorated in the spirit and splendor of autumn harvest-- almost New Englandly so! I, in spite of my exhausting and my solo status ( I couldn't ask Alex to pay the $95 price tag for a ticket, especially when I thought it was going to be incredibly boring-- had a nice time, especially we chatting with parents and my colleagues, and loved, too, being able to show my face wearing something other than my "Games Teacher"clothing...Getting home, though, I crashed once more-- luckily having Alex to catch me and put me to bed...
To get up and do it all over again on Sunday! Tutoring at 8:30 am after a run on the beach; breakfast out with A. and then to Aliso V. for more class and training. The class was fabulous and the meditation (guided) that we did during training was phenomenal-- I've never before been able to sit still for 40 minutes, let alone reach any sort of meditative state really, but here, I achieved a shadow of it... And how awesome it was!
Speeding on to today-- because I am feeling the pull of the present and wanting to be there rather than here-- knowing I need to honor that-- I had a FANTASTIC experience of getting to sub for the High School English teacher at school! 9th Graders starting A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM-- I soared through this so joyfully, I surprised myself at just how much I MISS teaching this discipline-- God, my body was physically craving it-- but now that I've gotten my fix, will I be satisfied or just need more??? Yikes.
The chaos of the day came from 4th Grade who took advantage of the sprinkler system going off in the middle of class on the field and got TOTALLY soaked-- much to the chagrin of me and their next teacher, particularly as it was not exactly a sunny or particularly WARM day (actually getting chilly here!) Just hope that the changes of shirts I got them warded off any colds....
Last note: Basketball had begun, as has Tennis-- still trying to get swimming set up for grades 6, 7 and 8...Keep you posted.
Love to you all-- namaste and good night.
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