Biding my Time

I skimmed a great article in LearnVest yesterday about time.

I skimmed. I did not read.

Reading comprehension has never been my strongest suit. I am a creative individual, but did better on my math SATs - which surprises many. Perhaps it's the smaller problems - but that's not the point.

The point is that I skim. I don't jump in wholeheartedly, I float on the surface.

And I want to know why I don't feel settled and my Muladhara is under-active?

I have been reading half-heartedly a book recommended to guide my Life Coach practice, but the truth is that I probably need one myself. A motivator for the motivator?

Tomorrow I will rise early, take a yoga class and start at the beginning of the book. Re-reading, if necessary and taking action.

Laying Low

I said I was going to start to get going and well, I haven't. 

I have been teaching yoga and my after school drama class. And while I gave notice with my personal assistant client, I have been doing a bit of work there, too.

And heck, it's only Tuesday.

I have also been catching up on The Walking Dead and playing Bejeweled Blitz and Words with Friends as if the world as we know it was ending and the place was being overrun by zombies.

But it isn't.

The biggest thing is I have to get well. Now that I am reunited with my neti pot and my body clock is restored allowing me to sleep - I do feel better. 

I did start my Unlimited Monthly pass at Barefoot Yoga down the street and have the rest of the week full of catering excitement. My aim is to take a yoga class each day, but we'll see how I do.

I do need to focus, but I think this week that means keeping my white shirts clean and lifting from my legs.

Because Daily Challenge Told Me To

As if gratitudes were not already a part of my daily routine, Daily Challenge asked that we announce 3 things that we are grateful for.

I'll give you 5.

1. great food

2. being with my family

3. my nephew

4. public transportation

5. yoga

Today I met with my old friend Blair. And after breakfast in downtown Manhattan we took a walk on the lower west side and then grabbed a good yoga class. I have not been very physical since I've been in NY and it was great to connect with my body and my breath. I need to take more yoga classes and I will certainly activate my monthly pass with Barefoot Yoga on Monday when I get back to town.

Now to get rid of my sore throat for some ease in my traveling and all will be well.

Lack of Gratitude

For someone that counts her blessing many days - I had a hard time posting my gratitudes on Facebook yesterday. I saw the long lists of what people where thankful for and I just could not say the same. I don't have a great job, a great love, I do not feel settled in my life and I certainly do not have a strong support system.

But when we went around the table last night at Allison and Scott's house, I could certainly say that it was great being back with my family.

And even though I got "stuck" playing with the small children, I ate good food, drank good wine and had a laugh or two. I have a roof over my head, food when I need it, money trickling in and people who do care about me.

I do sense change a-coming. And it may be in two weeks or 2 months but it will come. I just think I need to figure out what will give me the most happiness and the biggest amount of gratitude and just do it.

New York State of Mind

My internet connection is spotty at my folks house, so it's not until late in the evening when I can get a strong enough WIFI connection from one of the neighbors. My parents have WIFI, but they don't know the password or their server name and I certainly cannot figure it out.

It's nice being in NY but I do miss my routine and my little furry nubbins.

But there are things I am grateful for:
1. seeing an old friend and catching up
2. a good job interview
3. beautiful weather
4. good food with the family
5. podcasts

Too tired for much else, as I am also nursing a cold and a cough. Hope to write soon.

Thursday night Gratitudes

Reciting 'Namaste' is the traditional end of a yoga class and my class is no different. As it means "to bow to you" in Sanskrit, some find the physical action of bowing a little redundant, but I really don't mind. While I rarely fully prostrate in a seated position, I tend to begin in anjali mudra

then bring my hands up to my third eye, to my throat and then return to my heart with a little bow. There's something about the combination of a strong mind, voice and heart that I feel best express the gratitude of my students' joining me in practice. I have been chanting 'om' more regularly since I find the joint sound and vibration incredibly powerful and somehow brings the group together. Perhaps I will add more chanting - but that means I will have to learn more than the Gayatri mantra.

Here are some other things for which I am grateful:
1. Bakesale Betty's chicken sandwich eaten outside in the sunshine
2. a great visit with my good buddy Tony Shayne
3. ticking items off my to-do list
4. an almost empty kitchen sink
5. continued job opportunities

My Vishuddha feels threatened by Svadisthana.

One of my students last week was curious about the chakras. She said something about the masculine and feminine sides of certain centers and that was completely new to me. I adore the chakras. It allows us to think of something so spiritual in a very physical way. And even though that student didn't come to class as we played with the first 3 chakras - muladhara, svadhisthana and manipura, it was well needed by those that did show.


I tend to get bored with my teaching practice, so I change it up lots. I noticed a few weeks ago that Yoga Today did a podcast on chakras so I downloaded it yesterday and practiced a bit in my tiny kitchen. The kundalini component of the class got me all light headed. So in class today, I gave the option with some poses to go slower with ujayii breath rather than full steam with the Kundalini breath of fire. 


But after class one of my regular students said that her throat bothered her. Gosh, we worked with the root, sacral center and solar plexus. We didn't get close to the upper body. But I realized that during the practice, my voice was weak. It cracked in places and I lacked air when speaking. Both my student and I were probably dealing with similar things.


I took one of those online tests around the chakras. And here are the crazy results:

Root: under-active (-38%) Sacral: under-active (-6%) Navel: open (31%) Heart: open (19%) Throat: over-active (81%) Third Eye: open (38%) Crown: open (25%)

So, as we spent so much time working on our root and sacral, my throat - or center for communication - felt threatened. I do find that I either talk lots or not at all. I have not found that happy medium. But either way, I did feel a huge opening in my first 2 centers. When I mentioned my theory to my student, it felt like it hit home.


I have been very aware of my breathing and internal energy today and I need to continue to do so. There's a lot of great movement - and I believe very necessary movement.


I am going to shut up and let it take it's course.

Saturday evening chill

A long day of catering and I sit in bed listening to the rain - and the pull from the kitchen blinds hitting my water bottle. That will drive me crazy.

Better.

So my week of eating healthy was marginally successful. While I didn't make my yummy chicken and veggie stew until yesterday (and only ate a cup of it) I didn't eat sweets all week. I did find it rather easy to abstain. I don't necessarily feel better, so in order to do that I think I need to change my diet in a more significant way and do a bit more exercise.

And yes, I still need to start meditating on a more regular basis.

But how 'bout some gratitudes

1. big tippers
2. a good job interview with a request for a second
3. time to do laundry - and remembering to buy quarters
4. catering leftovers
5. living in a beautiful part of the country

Weekly food challenge - Monday

So I have not been feeling so hot lately. Lots of processed foods and sugar have made me more tired and just generally yucky. So, I decided to start watching what I eat today. Yesterday I worked a catering gig for the restaurant I used to work. I figured that I'd just pig out on sliders, tots and s'mores bars. However the free event attracted more people than expected and we got nothing to nibble on.

I did have dessert - a shake and a few bites of butterscotch parfait - at the restaurant when we stopped by at the end of the evening to return extra ingredients and supplies. But it was enough.

So today I did 2 catering deliveries and taught 2 yoga classes. And here's what I ate:

MONDAY
coffee with skim milk
1 corn tortilla with leftover turkey bolognese topped with an egg (a little butter, no cheese)
3/4 cup veggie stew (with beans and potatoes)
a mini veggie sandwich
spinach salad with avocado, jicama, radishes and oranges - with a homemade ginger vinaigrette
8 pieces of California roll with brown rice

And I am still hungry, so think I'll have some almonds and 1/2 banana

Here's to feeling better!