There are some things that are within our control and many that are not. Yesterday was such an amazing start to my 30 days of hot yoga that I took it for granted on many levels. First, the teacher Kathryn was simply spectacular. An amazing presence, soothing voice, the ability to say exactly the right thing at the right time. Tremendously gifted individual.
It was my intention to make her class again today but opted for the 7pm class instead.When I walked into the studio tonight, I made another choice. Patrick, as you will recall from yesterday's blog, who was my 30 Day Challenge buddy in 2004 and who is now a Bikram Yoga instructor was such a pleasure to practice next to last night. Standing next to him simply elevates your practice. So when I walked into the studio and saw Patrick I should have set up court next to him but opted for a space on the other side of the studio instead.
Big mistake as I ended up next to obnoxious loud breathing guy who spent most of the class blowing his nose and coughing loudly! I'd like to think of myself as tremendously focused but in such close, hot quarters, this was no bueno. The instructor tonight kept blab, blab, blabbing about things that took too long to connect to a point and I found myself getting a headache just trying to listen to her while really just wanting to yell at the top of my lungs "Shut the F*** up!" Obviously on Day 2, I have not yet learned the yogic art of patience, no judgement and real focus. Just as I thought that I could not take any more I heard her say to me "Loi you need to make sure your foot is flat on the floor." "Which foot?" I asked. "Your left one" she said sweetly. OMG my left foot wasn't flat on the floor!!! I had been thinking as she was blabbing on that after years of on again/off again Bikram classes, my positioning on this one posture was always off and I didn't quite know why. And just like that she fixed something that no one else had ever noticed!
Which got me thinking. How often do I miss out on getting the lesson out of a situation because I either become a creature of comfort or habit or start to tune someone out because I think that what they are saying or doing has limited value. On Day 2, it's a great lesson to learn that out of the MORE challenging situation comes the biggest rewards and sometimes out of the mouth of the most unlikely source comes the most valuable information.
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Bikram Yoga 30 Day Challenge--Day 1: Friday, 11/18/11
The first day of anything is both easy and hard. As I discovered today, the hard part is finding the time in my schedule to do anything daily let alone yoga. I had done this challenge before in 2004 but really out of necessity. My mom had just passed away and the yoga kept me together both emotionally and physically. It was my safe place for 43 days in a row. I learned many truly amazing things in those 43 days. Since then, I have been in and out of Bikram Yoga. I guess you could say that I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love the practice but the sameness of the 26 sequences ends up boring me invariably. But, I can't deny that the contentment I found in those 43 days was something special; Something that I need at this particular moment in my life.
I ended up at a 7:30pm class tonight and one of the few open spaces when I arrived was next to Patrick, one of the Bikram instructors. Patrick and I did the 30 Day Challenge together all those years ago, so it really was special and coincidental to practice next to him tonight. And so it begins...Day 1 done. In the beginning of class, the instructor mentioned one of the students was on his 134th day of Bikram Yoga!!! Makes 30 days seem like a breeze.
That's the easy part...the first day of any challenge. Hard to get started, but so easy if you can do it one day at a time!
I ended up at a 7:30pm class tonight and one of the few open spaces when I arrived was next to Patrick, one of the Bikram instructors. Patrick and I did the 30 Day Challenge together all those years ago, so it really was special and coincidental to practice next to him tonight. And so it begins...Day 1 done. In the beginning of class, the instructor mentioned one of the students was on his 134th day of Bikram Yoga!!! Makes 30 days seem like a breeze.
That's the easy part...the first day of any challenge. Hard to get started, but so easy if you can do it one day at a time!
Friday, September 23, 2011
They Make Prisoners Run On Treadmills...Don't They?
Torture. Just plain torture. Miles and miles of drudgery on what has got to be the most boring piece of exercise equipment ever invented. Well, now that I think about it, I take that back. That dubious honor really belongs to the Elliptical Machine. Could there be a more uninteresting piece of apparatus? A session on that thing makes visiting my Dentist a virtual fiesta. But, I digress. Back to the treadmill. I've always hated it and therefore don't spend a lot of time on it. I use it only when it is absolutely a necessity. If it's 115 degrees out or other hazardous weather or I need to get a quick workout on and I'm already at the gym or recently on vacation in Barcelona because it was accessible. What's not to hate about the treadmill or as my friend Ken calls it "the dreadmill." For starters: there's no scenery, no sounds of nature, I'm not really going anyway, someone invariably always seems to be talking on the treadmill next to me...and the list goes on and on. As does the treadmill session. Endless monotony. The longest I have run on the treadmill is 10 miles and those 10 miles moved by as quickly as the year when I was a little girl and I thought 12 would just last forever! Never ever to see my dream age of 13.
Which brings me to my next point. Who would create such a torture device and why? I thought I knew the answer to this question. But I'm a curious girl. Must be the Libra in me, if I believed in Astrology. So, for moments like this, God created Google. I thought there would be a rational explanation for the invention of the treadmill. After all, indoor cycling has a rational invention. Johnny G created Spinning because he wanted to be able to train indoors on days that he could not get an outdoor workout once he started to have an expanding family. Makes sense. This I can embrace. I was expecting this to be the rationale or something close enough to this for it's sister machine. Turns out, I was not even close. Google led me to my go to resource Wikipedia and what Wikipedia had to say totally blew me away:
"Treadmills were historically used as a method of reforming offenders in prison, an innovation introduced by Sir William Curbitt in 1817."
Now this was starting to make sense to me. Who else but the prisoner with time on his hands or no means to run outdoors would really be attracted to the sameness of treadmill running. I can't help but laugh out loud since I've often thought of my time on the treadmill as a prison sentence. Who knew I was this close to the truth of it all all along?
Which brings me to my next point. Who would create such a torture device and why? I thought I knew the answer to this question. But I'm a curious girl. Must be the Libra in me, if I believed in Astrology. So, for moments like this, God created Google. I thought there would be a rational explanation for the invention of the treadmill. After all, indoor cycling has a rational invention. Johnny G created Spinning because he wanted to be able to train indoors on days that he could not get an outdoor workout once he started to have an expanding family. Makes sense. This I can embrace. I was expecting this to be the rationale or something close enough to this for it's sister machine. Turns out, I was not even close. Google led me to my go to resource Wikipedia and what Wikipedia had to say totally blew me away:
"Treadmills were historically used as a method of reforming offenders in prison, an innovation introduced by Sir William Curbitt in 1817."
Now this was starting to make sense to me. Who else but the prisoner with time on his hands or no means to run outdoors would really be attracted to the sameness of treadmill running. I can't help but laugh out loud since I've often thought of my time on the treadmill as a prison sentence. Who knew I was this close to the truth of it all all along?
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch CHANGES!
I don't think anyone really understands how hard it is for me to give up one of my classes. Invariably, Life happens. Movement happens. Change happens. I am always more than a little reluctant of letting go. There are people in my classes that have been there for as long as 17 years! That in itself is a testament to the longevity of the bonds that I have been able to forge with so many of you over the years. I don't take for granted the space that many of you hold in your hearts for me and I treasure every moment of the times that we have been able to spend together. The real joy of teaching for me is watching the progression that happens from day-to-day, month-to-month and year-to-year. I am not a parent, but I do feel parental elation at seeing the growth that can happen, in and out of the classroom, if you let it.
I am committed though as I approach my 47th Birthday to really push the envelope in terms of my own growth and development. This means that I too must Move more quickly. Grow more quickly. Change more quickly. The sadness sits with me a little this week as I make the announcement that I a giving up 3 of my classes. What really sits with me more than that is the absolute pure joy I have had with each and every one of you in those classes and how much our times together will always be remember. I challenge you and I've challenge myself to embrace change and to appreciate the blessing of what you have in the moment. Everything changes. For the better I think.
And so is the mixed emotions for me this week of letting go as I embrace new challenges. One of my students, Kathy Supove (an amazing musician), sent me the nicest email that expressed how happy she is that I am making space in my life for new things. She also writes: "It also gives us a Zen-like challenge: not only to appreciate and treasure what we've had (if it's even possible to do that more than we do already), but to make shifts in our own lives, now that we're left with what appears to us as a void".
Makes me tear up knowing that I have been this loved and appreciated. Thank you!
I am committed though as I approach my 47th Birthday to really push the envelope in terms of my own growth and development. This means that I too must Move more quickly. Grow more quickly. Change more quickly. The sadness sits with me a little this week as I make the announcement that I a giving up 3 of my classes. What really sits with me more than that is the absolute pure joy I have had with each and every one of you in those classes and how much our times together will always be remember. I challenge you and I've challenge myself to embrace change and to appreciate the blessing of what you have in the moment. Everything changes. For the better I think.
And so is the mixed emotions for me this week of letting go as I embrace new challenges. One of my students, Kathy Supove (an amazing musician), sent me the nicest email that expressed how happy she is that I am making space in my life for new things. She also writes: "It also gives us a Zen-like challenge: not only to appreciate and treasure what we've had (if it's even possible to do that more than we do already), but to make shifts in our own lives, now that we're left with what appears to us as a void".
Makes me tear up knowing that I have been this loved and appreciated. Thank you!
Monday, September 5, 2011
So Long Summer! Don't Let The Door Hit You On The Way Out!!!
Ok. Truth telling time here. I'm not a fan of Summer. It is my least favorite season. For a girl who was born in Jamaica and lived there the first 7 years of my life, you would think that I would be fawning for Summer, but no way.
Almost everything about Summer is too much. Too much heat, too much humidity, too much of the smelly scents of NYC, too much minimalist clothing, too much of shirtless men roaming the streets with not so great bodies, too many people running in Central Park or anywhere else for that matter. Too much noise. Too many people outdoors. And the list goes on. Before all you Summer lovers bombard me with reasons why Summer is grand, remember...my blog...my opinion:). This Summer, I did the unthinkable. I ran in the Summer. Yuk! To avoid the blazing heat, I would run as early as possible or as late as possible. How do civilized people run in the middle of the day in the blazing heat and humidity? I had to do it a few times and my body felt like it was running while dragging Kate and her brood of 8.
So it is with absolute delight that September is here and Fall is on the way. Everything about Fall is fantastic! How I delightfully look forward to temperatures in the 40's, 50's and 60's. The changing of the leaves in Central Park. Fall Fashion. Pleasant subway temperatures. Oh, How I Love You Fall! Can't wait to see you...
And your distant cousin Winter... I'm excited just thinking about you. Long runs in the beautiful, crisp, cold air. That strong, decisive wind that awakens the spirit and lets you know you're really alive. The inevitable snowstorm. There's nothing more beautiful than NYC in the Winter! Except maybe NYC in the Spring!
Almost everything about Summer is too much. Too much heat, too much humidity, too much of the smelly scents of NYC, too much minimalist clothing, too much of shirtless men roaming the streets with not so great bodies, too many people running in Central Park or anywhere else for that matter. Too much noise. Too many people outdoors. And the list goes on. Before all you Summer lovers bombard me with reasons why Summer is grand, remember...my blog...my opinion:). This Summer, I did the unthinkable. I ran in the Summer. Yuk! To avoid the blazing heat, I would run as early as possible or as late as possible. How do civilized people run in the middle of the day in the blazing heat and humidity? I had to do it a few times and my body felt like it was running while dragging Kate and her brood of 8.
So it is with absolute delight that September is here and Fall is on the way. Everything about Fall is fantastic! How I delightfully look forward to temperatures in the 40's, 50's and 60's. The changing of the leaves in Central Park. Fall Fashion. Pleasant subway temperatures. Oh, How I Love You Fall! Can't wait to see you...
And your distant cousin Winter... I'm excited just thinking about you. Long runs in the beautiful, crisp, cold air. That strong, decisive wind that awakens the spirit and lets you know you're really alive. The inevitable snowstorm. There's nothing more beautiful than NYC in the Winter! Except maybe NYC in the Spring!
Monday, July 18, 2011
If At First You Don't Succeed...
It happens every now and again. A moment of immense clarity. Almost spiritual in its occurrence. So it was the other night that it occurred to me very vividly that you have to believe in your own truth. Above and beyond anything else, you have to believe in your own work ethic and performance standards. There will always be naysayers and doubters. People who overvalue their worth and therefore, by necessity, need to undervalue yours.
I was again watching "The Godfather", this time with special commentary from director Frances Ford Coppola. Hard to believe, but the studio fought him on everything in the making of the film and he says that it was probably the most unpleasant experience of his professional life. They didn't want him to cast Marlon Brando. They didn't want him to cast Al Pacino. Instead the studio wanted either Danny Thomas or Ernest Borgnine in the Vito Corleone role. The studio hated his choice for musical orchestration. They second guessed him on practically every major and minor decision. They even had studio people on the set looking over his shoulder at every single turn. He feared he was going to be fired at any given moment. The head of Paramount Pictures famously said "Marlon Brando will never be in this movie!" And the list goes on.
Yet "The Godfather" turned out to be one of the best movies of all time. It's in exceptional company with "Citizen Kane" and "Casablanca" as the best 3 movies ever. What if Frances Ford Coppola had not stuck to his guns and fought for what he believed to be the vision of the movie and Mario Puzo's book? Could Danny Thomas or Ernest Borgnine really have bought the depth and nuance that Marlon Brando brought to the role? Who but Al Pacino could have really given that performance as Michael Corleone?
As I watched and listened to Coppola's commentary, I was struck that a man who is regarded as one of the best movie makers of all time, had to fight this hard for his voice to be heard. I tried to parallel his story to my life. Are there ways in which I stifle my own creative energy? Do I believe in myself and my truth as loudly as I need to? Can I begin to articulate who I really am and what is important to me more clearly? Because at the end of the day, holding on to what you value to be true for you is the ultimate act of self expression and self love.
I was again watching "The Godfather", this time with special commentary from director Frances Ford Coppola. Hard to believe, but the studio fought him on everything in the making of the film and he says that it was probably the most unpleasant experience of his professional life. They didn't want him to cast Marlon Brando. They didn't want him to cast Al Pacino. Instead the studio wanted either Danny Thomas or Ernest Borgnine in the Vito Corleone role. The studio hated his choice for musical orchestration. They second guessed him on practically every major and minor decision. They even had studio people on the set looking over his shoulder at every single turn. He feared he was going to be fired at any given moment. The head of Paramount Pictures famously said "Marlon Brando will never be in this movie!" And the list goes on.
Yet "The Godfather" turned out to be one of the best movies of all time. It's in exceptional company with "Citizen Kane" and "Casablanca" as the best 3 movies ever. What if Frances Ford Coppola had not stuck to his guns and fought for what he believed to be the vision of the movie and Mario Puzo's book? Could Danny Thomas or Ernest Borgnine really have bought the depth and nuance that Marlon Brando brought to the role? Who but Al Pacino could have really given that performance as Michael Corleone?
As I watched and listened to Coppola's commentary, I was struck that a man who is regarded as one of the best movie makers of all time, had to fight this hard for his voice to be heard. I tried to parallel his story to my life. Are there ways in which I stifle my own creative energy? Do I believe in myself and my truth as loudly as I need to? Can I begin to articulate who I really am and what is important to me more clearly? Because at the end of the day, holding on to what you value to be true for you is the ultimate act of self expression and self love.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Ridin' Solo
"One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do." Blah. Blah. Blah. If you're a child of the 60's, as I am, you remember the Three Dog Night song "One." Great song but seriously??? Let me go on the record right now and declare "One is the grooviest number that you'll ever do." I LOVE the number one...which may come as the ultimate shock to anyone who takes my classes. One of my favorite things to do is to spend time alone. ME time is the best time. When I was a little girl, my mom would ask me why I wasn't outside playing. My response was always the same "I would rather read this book." In the interest of full disclosure, I am also the girl who wrote the poem "Me, Myself, and I" at twelve years old.
I love ridin' solo so much that I devote whole days to it. And at least one night a week, I take myself out to dinner. On these nights, you can typically find me at one of my vegan staples: Candle Cafe, Cafe Blossom, Pure Food & Wine or Angelica's Kitchen. I love, love, LOVE everything about the experience. Arriving alone. "Yes, table for one please." I always get an appetizer and most of the time a chocolate dessert. Solitude alas in this often noisy and chaotic city. I don't have to coordinate my schedule with anyone: I don't have to make small talk. Heck I don't have to talk at all. Lately I've added the singular glass of organic Sauvignon Blanc to the experience. Perfection!!!
I'm practically giddy with excitement on my solo excursions. I go to the movies solo. I go to concerts solo. In fact, over the last couple of years, I've seen both Prince and Tina Turner all by myself. My friends always say the same thing when they find out about my solo outings. "I would have gone with you." Secretly I know that I don't want any company. The delicious truth is I haven't changed that much since I was a little girl. I was my own best company then and I'm my own best company now. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to spend time with the special people in my life. But the most special person in my life is ME which makes ridin' solo so much fun!
I love ridin' solo so much that I devote whole days to it. And at least one night a week, I take myself out to dinner. On these nights, you can typically find me at one of my vegan staples: Candle Cafe, Cafe Blossom, Pure Food & Wine or Angelica's Kitchen. I love, love, LOVE everything about the experience. Arriving alone. "Yes, table for one please." I always get an appetizer and most of the time a chocolate dessert. Solitude alas in this often noisy and chaotic city. I don't have to coordinate my schedule with anyone: I don't have to make small talk. Heck I don't have to talk at all. Lately I've added the singular glass of organic Sauvignon Blanc to the experience. Perfection!!!
I'm practically giddy with excitement on my solo excursions. I go to the movies solo. I go to concerts solo. In fact, over the last couple of years, I've seen both Prince and Tina Turner all by myself. My friends always say the same thing when they find out about my solo outings. "I would have gone with you." Secretly I know that I don't want any company. The delicious truth is I haven't changed that much since I was a little girl. I was my own best company then and I'm my own best company now. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE to spend time with the special people in my life. But the most special person in my life is ME which makes ridin' solo so much fun!
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