You talking to me? You are the only one talking...

Day 16  l 84 days left
BYSC had the instructor with the headset so I left before the audio assault began and went to Yoga Health Center in San Carlos instead. I know I am supposed to be open. Maybe next year. This year I choose to be small minded about amplification. It's old Opera house training. If Kathleen Battle could get her voice over an entire orchestra and clearly magnificently up to the patrons in the balcony, anyone with a diaphram and decent lungs in small room should be able to do talk at a whisper and be heard. No one else is talking. Why do you think we can't hear you? You talking to me? You talking to me?  Bobby D. rescue me. 

 People at the San Carlos are nice. Some are chatty and too busy inside the studio, They leave bottles of smelly stuff and people get up in the beginning, middle or worst of all, at the final savasana and spray, spray spray agent orange all over the place with no concern for those who are meditating. You spraying at me?  You spraying at me?  Sometimes I leave the studio and take my final asanana in the lobby and lose the heat, but skip the smell.

 Not quite the same thing. Why cant people clean their matts at home? Why provide distractions inside a studio? The studio here is  very narrow. There was a big puddle of sweat on the floor when I am in, yuk.  Luckily  there  was no one in front of me so I could position myself in front of Lake Ewie.   I do like this studio.  It keeps the students on their matt and has them turn rather than straddle their matts. This is much more hygienic.  I am surprised at how many people leave their feet off their matt. The floors are not cleaned between classes and if you sweat, you should keep sweat,and your feet, on your towel and your matt.  This class was not as hot as I would have liked. Instructor turned off the heat before we hit the floor. I am old and crave the heat to move my weary joints.  Instructor was soft spoken, and gave great instructions.

Yoga Tip of the Day: Utrasana Camel's Pose. Why  they call this pose Camel I do not know. 

 A stretch of the front of the body. It can bring up dizziness, nausea is common and emotional feelings. Don't worry, just see it and let it go.   This pose is good for what ails you, flushes blood to the kidneys, stretches your front, which never gets stretched in the world of computers, driving and couch potatoing.  Start kneeling with your knees and feet 6 inches apart. Place your hands on your lower back, push your hips towards the mirror, past your knees. Elongate your spine and neck, allow your head to release all the way back so you see where the wall meets the floor. Drop your hands to heels,  one and a time and open your chest to the ceiling. Breath and stay here. 

Day 20

IPAD2  erasing blog posts Do not try to swith  back and forth between Ipad and desktop. Override isues.  Tips and pix lost in the ether world.  Decided to postpone dieting of any kind until I put my faithful 4 legged companion animal, a dog, down. I knew mourning would include eating and drinking - These are a few of my favorite things.

When the dogs dies, when the IRS calls, when I'm feeling sad. I simple pop a cornmeal crust quattro formaggi pizza into the oven and then I don't feel so bad. 

Since December 2nd, 2011 I've lost  30 pounds.  60 to go. 1/3 of the way.

I feel proud. No one noticed,  so I have been telling folks.  I stop cutting my hair when I acknowledged I had a weight problem.  This year of renovation 2012, the hair will be the last thing I change. My hair now is really really really really long.

Last Saturday I took a 2.5 hour yoga workshop in San Carlos focused on the floor series. Great to get detailed instruction regarding  the poses.
The room was not HOT for the workshop, just warm, then I did a class afterwards.  Felt really good. Almost  like a double. Been years since I did a double. I want to attend a 4 week course in hot yoga this Spring. Must make it happen. Must start doing doubles again.

Yoga tip of the day: Dandayamana Dhanurasana - Standing bow pulling pose.   Set up with correct grip stretch towards the ceiling. Your first action is move your leg upand back. Your front will intuitively move forward. Keep your gaze, your eyes and your chin up.  Fingers between your eyebrows.

I have not felt this good since I was 39!

Day 11

Feel 15 years younger.  Maybe it not working, not worrying, more yoga,  new diet, no dairy, no starches, no sugars, no grains  or  the new hormonal - chemical manipulation.   Driving back from yoga,noticed an Acacia, a  pollen laden tree and the pink blooms of the cherry blossom, both of which signal it is Claratin season. No sneezes, no need for a meds. Have not been sick in quite a while. Breathing is easier.  34 Again!  Maybe I feel 19 years younger. Or maybe I feel like I am 39 again. 

Yoga Tip of the day: Pada Hastasana.  Forward bending hands to feet pose. Keep you chest to knees. Bend your knees, to get your chest to your knees.  The form starts with chest to knee, if progressing in the posture causes a gap, go back. Do not straighten your legs, if you have a gap between your legs and  your chest. Get the front of the body in contract with your legs.  Be aware of your hands and feet always.

Tuesday Afternoon

Day 82. l 18 to go

4:30 pm class.

Still not 100% well but definately not sicker.

Can not tell if sick is increasing fragrence sensitivities
or fragrances are making immune system fail.

I dream of large heppa air filters.

Yoga Tip of the day: Tree Stand. Rotate your leg as you lift it and push your knee as close the floor as possible. Concentrate on releasing your hip to lower your knee.

The Ties that Bind

Saturday notes posted Sunday
Ropes are better. This is a Peruvian skull where someone bound an infant's head to a board with ropes to elongate the skull. The pressure to be perfect has many forms. It's a negotiable world - The Great Recession is here. Am dying to spend spend spend spend at all the auction houses. Saw the term " There Great Recession" in print today. It's time to stock up on beans and rice. The days in row show rambles forward. The studio is closed on Monday- given access to the secret underground lair so the days in row show will continue Monday with a solo class. Work also is a slow drip. Work is lining up slowly, people are lining up slowly, my hips and knees are lining up slowly, the bills are lining up quickly... need stronger yoga.

Yoga tip of the day: For every pose - move one millimeter at a time, breathe one microsecond at at time. go slow slower slowest. Use your strength gently.

Here we go again.

My downstairs neighbor is moving.

Breathe breathe breathe breathe breathe breathe.

Good neighbors are such a treat.

My neighbors have always been great.

Breathe breathe breathe breathe breathe breathe breathe. I always sad to see them move on

Breathe brethe breathe breathe breathe.

Glad they have found better opportunities.

Breathe breathe breathe breathe breathe breathe breathe breathe.

Saturday class is mid morning. Not so crowded, just crowded enough. Taken to placing the mat in the mirror seam to observe the difference between right and left sides.
Now have strong fingers, strong toes plus strong ankles.

Chatter was deafening inside my head today. Tea before class makes it worse.

Yoga pose of the day: Utkatasana - Awkward Pose.

Psuh down on the toes, push forward on the feet, lift the heels as high as you can. Then do it some more.

Day Killer

A 90 minute yoga class that starts as 9:30 am is a day killer. Good class, good spot in the studio near the air purifier. Only one short olfactory hallucination in class, wasabi, during the first compression pose.

Set intention. a break from the internal chatter. No fidgeting, yet fidget and fuss and fall was the name of the game in this class.

Yoga Tip of the day: Arhda Kurmasana Half Tortoise Pose. Get your arms high up in the air and keep your arms as close to your head as possible as you stretch your palms upward. Take forever to move your arms to the floor. The class, like life, will be over before you know it.

Factoring Time

I know what day it is - Day #39, 61 to go. 6 am class. Morning came in the midst of dreaming, yearning for one moment, the ending of some effervescent story. Arrived at class
late for 'the good spot'.


Not exactly sure why.


In Camel not dizzy. Not thirsty during the class. Falling out is fine. Practice does not make your perfect. Deep inside maybe a bit healthier, but it would fade if this practice is halted for a week.

If only I played tennis at the professional level, perhaps this routine would make sense.

There is gerbil on a wheel factoring going on inside my brain. What kind of Kool Aid am I drinking? Why would I want my forehead to touch my knee anyway? What purpose could it possibly serve?




Yoga tip of the day: Ardha-Matsyendrasana Spine Twisting Pose. If you have problems with your your knees, keep one leg straight out in front of you. Keep your shoulders parallel to the floor.

Dive right in the waters fine

Wednesday morning and up before the wake up call. Time for tea and careful folding of towels.

Intention intention intention, breathe breathe breathe. Tonight is a metoer shower. Head to countyside hills and look up and see what where we all began. Ran into a neighbor this morning after class and he spoke of how bad yoga made him feel. "After three weeks, when I came home, I ached all over. " Small movements, follow your breath. Breathe breathe breathe breathe breathe breathe in, then breathe breathe breathe breathe breathe breathe out.

Yoga tip of the day: Standing Separate Leg Stretching Pose Dandayamana–Bibhaktapada–Paschimotthanasana stretches the spine and back of the legs. I imagine I am Greg Louganis everytime I set up for this pose. It helps to keep the spine straight out then down and the chin up and out.

Boondoggle

Tuesday's child is full of grace. A boondoggle is activity full of waste.

Tuesday's class was the last of the day. Workday lurches forward, one remains vigilant. Choose to spend each moment moving towards a free life. Freedom from excessive acquiring, escaped from envy and avarice, freedom from jury duty. Efficiently quash the inner boondoggle. Make time for the last class, even with work projects left undone. Take a minute to converse with a child, scratch a dog's ear. Learn to lallygag. Is a lallygag a boondoggle, or freedom at it's best?
Making more minutes between here and there. Get here, there or anywhere more deliberately. Find your rhythm with the passing of the sun, and the rumbling of your stomach.

Yoga tip of the day: In each posture let each moment pass. Do not count the moments. Be present for each breath, and if you catch it, let it go.

know shaking, know wobbling

Yoga is a meditation.

Concentration on breathing, elimination of distraction, singularity of focus.

(on a six count breathe, on self alignment, on the parts of the breath)

Slowing ones breathing with attention can alter your brain state

and make one more susceptible to instruction and suggestion.

Like whispering in the right ear of spouse, take out the trash.

One might purchase Amway products, believe est is a good idea, invest with Bernie Madoff.

Or dutifully take out the trash.

In a meditative state people hear what is said, not what is meant.

This is the summer of "know shaking, know wobbling."

Each day I try and stand still after each standing posture and feel the body rocking back and forth on unsure feet, seeking stability like a roly poly clown.

Know shaking know wobbling.

This Monday morning 6 am silent class, with just a continual reminder to change.

At one point everyone was elegantly lost.

Posture tip of the day: Janushirasana with Paschimottanasana Head to Knee Posture, Stretching posture concurrently. In the third (center) stretch, legs together, pivot at the hip joint with straight back, like a plank. Keep your head and eyes toward the wall or mirror. Move your chest to your thighs, chin to your toes simultaneously. Do not use arm strength. Expand the rib cage, loosen the shoulders, let go of muscle tension in the head back and arms to allow the exhale to gently move your body straignt forward and down.

B Itchy (C)

Thursday's dinner guests for a spaghetti feed were a no show for "Eat at your own risk Thursday." For me, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, spaghetti on the menu chez moi.

Sunday waddled into class with big Buddha belly bloat. All tolerance for comfort foods gone.

Time to Breathe.

Minds chatters and yields a slogan for the "butts" of yoga pants ... ala juicy couture.

B Itchy. (c)
Spa wear for the AARP generation.

This is a visual joke.
You need to want to see it.

While in a savasana the yoga instructor announces a days in the row challenger was in class and was about to "get on the wall".

Linda Blair would have be proud of the head snap. Spine straight up. Neck muscles relaxed, head spun, lips barley touching, jaw loose, mouthing words "liar liar pants on fire" while profound finger gestures filled the air.

Yoga pose hint of the day: Standing separate leg forehead to knee pose.
Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Janushirasana.
This pose follows the curvature of the spine, not a straight line like a plank.
Note: Too much spare flesh makes compression poses difficult.

to start Hips aligned, arms extended, elbows locked, forearms smashed into ears, no air between, palms and fingertips actively stretching out with maximum strength throughout the pose. Plant locked forearms with ears and curve neck back first before bringing chin down to the chest. Spine follows curving neck slowly down eyes look for the ceiling behind, head curled under. On the way down Hips aligned, arms extended, elbows locked, forearms smashed into ears, no air between, palms and fingertips actively stretching out with maximum strength throughout the pose. coming back up press arms and head smashed together, reach out with fingertips to slice a semi circle through the air from the floor to the walls and up to the ceiling apex, stretching fingertips out to all points of the 180 degree arc from floor to ceiling. Bring neck all the way back to your first bend, where the stretch started, and pull with all your might to the ceiling.

This circle awareness will slow the posture, maintain the spine curve. Use equal fingertip stretch to reach each point on the arc, see each degree as you pass it, this aligns hips and feet stay firmly planted as you return up.

Trying on new titles for size.
Decided Your Highness may be more apt then Your Majesty.