sign on the highway:
“Spread love thick like Nutella”
—true words to live by
Month: June 2019
I recently started taking a yoga class* and I’m finding it fascinating. There is the immediate attention grabbers, like noticing one hip is significantly tighter than the other or that my flexibility isn’t quite what I thought. And then there are the deeper attention grabbers that work on a more profound level.
Slow down.
Breathe.
There is nothing/no one to compete with.
The instructor is different from the yoga video instructors I’m used to. While she has a similar mellow, relaxing tone of voice, and she is encouraging (“Beautiful!” as we assume a widely diverse execution of downward dog poses), she is not that flexible.
I’m used to Rodney Yee and Barbara Benagh who can tie themselves in knots, with the most serene expressions on their faces as they look off into the Grand Canyon or the beaches of Antigua.
My instructor does what she can in a conference room and says, “Well, it looks like my Tree pose will be down here today,” as she places the sole of her foot against her lower calf.**
The matter-of-fact way that she accepts where her body is in that moment is refreshing, and inspiring.
We move slowly through the few poses. There is no rush, no pressure to perform a perfect or idealized form. I only notice the other students when I check to make sure that my outstretched leg won’t hit theirs.
But the true gift of the class is coming out of it calm. I’m not a zombie or in any way unconscious. I’m just relaxed. My legs aren’t in a hurry to get me to the next place, my mind isn’t racing furiously about from topic to topic.
I’m just doing the next thing.
Calm.***
Which feels really good.
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*As in going to a live class. This is different from videos and books, oddly enough.
**Yee and Benagh would have their heels up in their crotches for Tree pose.
***Today’s Daily Stoic reading is “Calm is contagious”, and is an excellent reminder.
soaring overhead
the falcon rides the thermals
lazy summer day
-with the extreme heat we’re seeing, the thermals must have been amazing
Here are three things I’m loving right now*:
- What I’m reading: Kindle Paperwhite—The only reason I got a Kindle was to read War and Peace. Seriously. There was no way I was going to be able to read the paper version, by which I mean ‘hold up as I lay in bed without the tome smashing into my face’. The Kindle performed admirably**, and then proved itself again on trips where its built-in light was so very handy late at night when I couldn’t sleep and didn’t want to wake my husband by turning on a lamp. And now it’s been great for downloading library books.
- What I’m wearing: Fitbit Alta—I got it to help track my sleep, but its been far more useful as a pedometer. Took it on our recent trip to New York City/Washington, DC***, and I’m pretty sure it lied to me because I KNOW we walked way more than it was stating. Still, it’s been good to me. Besides, I like to swap out the wristband with the seasons.****
- What I’m drinking: Tension Tamer Tea—Did I mention some stress lately? As much as a strong drink would be awesome, I can’t exactly imbibe during the workday*****, so I turn to this Blessed Tea Relief from Celestial Seasonings. They must put some sort of mood-altering herbal in it because it definitely smooths the stress out. Lovely.
Now back to the writing…
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*Because I’m in need to looking at the bright side, since the weight of looming deadlines has things looking just a wee bit dark lately.
**Especially with the built-in dictionary, so I could look up all sorts of ancient cannon terms with the touch of a finger.
***More to come about that trip.
****Currently rocking a fuchsia band. The black was too gloomy for summer.
*****Whatever happened to the corporate wet bar?