:: Intertwine ::

:: Monday, June 02, 2003 ::

I am in touch with the new administrator from the school system who wants to meet with me about homeschooling plans for next year. AAAAAaargh! I have thought about it, but don't have a written plan I like yet. I think I need to call and get support from other homeschoolers.
:: Yogishan 1:14 PM [+] ::
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It was a tough day on the planet. Legal wranglings, corporate negotiations. Not pretty.

I read Hari Kaur Khalsa's book on yoga, especially about health practices for women and kundalini. So I have been practicing kriyas from the books I have. I hope to hear from her and take classes. We went to the closing ceremony of the BKS Iyengar Yoga Center for Patricia's sake, and it was nice to be a part of. This area has so many yoga resources. I spoke to Chip H. at a chanting event on Saturday night. He wrote a new sutra translation, with a Buddhist bent. I should order it and read it. He is a nice and interesting person. The chanting was amazing-I loved it.
:: Yogishan 1:05 PM [+] ::
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It was a tough day on the planet. Legal wranglings, corporate negotiations. Not pretty.

I read Hari Kaur Khalsa's book on yoga, especially about health practices for women and kundalini. So I have been practicing kriyas from the books I have. I hope to hear from her and take classes. We went to the closing ceremony of the BKS Iyengar Yoga Center for Patricia's sake, and it was nice to be a part of. This area has so many yoga resources. I spoke to Chip H. at a chanting event on Saturday night. He wrote a new sutra translation, with a Buddhist bent. I should order it and read it. He is a nice and interesting person. The chanting was amazing-I loved it.
:: Yogishan 1:05 PM [+] ::
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I got an o.k. yoga practice in, from memory of the sequence which I wrote up to follow. I have packed, gone to the bank, the P.O. and then will go to the library and Gabe's classes this afternoon.

Recent book: Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott, on faith. She is very real in telling her story, which is autobiographical. It chronicles addiction and coming out of it, with perseverance, community, and religion. She is a left-wing Christian, not a right wing one who things that the world is coming to an end any moment. Now I am reading Sappho's Leap by Erica Jong.

Gabe is listening to the Narnia books, from me and an audio cd. He loves Aslan, Puddleglum, and Glimfeather. We make Glimfeather talk in a high voice and say "too whooo, too whooo" alot. Prince Caspian and Rilan, Susan, Peter, Lucy and Edmund, and Jill and Eustace are also favorite characters which we sometimes act out. The horse and his boy inspired a K'nex construction of a horse and his boy. There is a tall Puddleglum and invented Puddlehum character. Puddlehum is as optimistic as Puddleglum is pessimistic. We are bring back books, some we had no time to read, and getting some manatee requested books (see 5/5).
:: Yogishan 9:26 AM [+] ::
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I have been studying for the course, and feel prepared. I spoke with an experienced teacher, and she gave me tips. She tries to be role model of kindness, patience, compassion and listening. She teaches through her experience, but lets the class go off in tangents about birth stories, etc. This heals people's birth traumas, and also teaches patience by modeling. Good approach. The other teacher, the one I trained with, is excellent too. She has lots of information and facts to impart. She does it talking fast and enthousiastically. I hope to be able to do all that they do. I am working on flow, and making the workshop more dynamic and less choppy. I think I need to relax more and let it evolve! It is exciting to be traveling to Atlanta, in this role. I will miss Gabe as I haven't been away this long in his life yet.I am sure V. and he will be close, he will be well taken care of, but I can't help but to be concerned. I am a smother mother, I admit. I knew this was true when I went over possible dangers, and how to be safe. Overkill, I know. I guess I want to feel missed and needed, yet have everyone get along fine. Is this selfish?

H. is going to Florence and Tuscany, and I gave her a list of places she should check out, probably too long. The Duomo, San Marco Monestery with Fra Angelico paintings, Uffizi Gallery (everybody's paintings), the fake David and the real David, Pitti Palace (museum), Palazzo Vecchio, that famous bridge with jewelers, the plazas or squares, a cathedral I loved (Santa Croce?). I also said she must see G & F, who live near the Duomo, and will be nice to dine with at least. G would cut off her right arm for my sister if I give her the chance, so I am a little reluctant to ask favors. But they should see each other, in my opinion. I think it is more fun to have people you know of in a foriegn place you are visiting. G was so generous and such a wonderful guide for us. She shopped, bought food, made food, put us up in her sister's empty apartment, gave us a cell phone and car to use. She took Gabe on a scooter ride which I didn't feel great about, but he certainly did. We practiced yoga in her studio with the other teachers and G., plus had coffee/hot chocolate (yum!) together in the a.m. She got us onto the bus and headed in whatever direction we wanted. Quite amazing! We take her up to Maine when she comes here, and take care of her and her friends too. She is fiery and dynamic, and a charismatic person. I can see why she is so hugely popular teaching yoga.

I started a new yoga routine for myself up in Maine, this past weekend. Vinyasa, standing poses, balances, then to backbends. I am challenged by urdva and ustrasana, plus the locust. I believe the locust is ultimately very good for computer wrists, which could use stretching. Then I go to abdominal work, and then forward bends and seated poses including twists. I work towards kurmasana which is difficult, and the foot behind the head pose, with Gabe's help. He pushes on me. He also helps lift me in backbends. I decided to do this routine of serious yoga after thinking that I wasn't progressing just using videotapes for guidance. I want to keep building a practice on my own. I certainly have the tools meaning I know lots of ways of working different types of asanas from Iyengar, power, ashtanga, and recently Bikram classes. But I will use a video if it means I will practice, versus not practicing. I am working on breath and eye focus (dristi). I am working on alignment, stamina in holding poses, correctness of form, not wobbling or fidgeting. I may not do total vinyasas on my own, but I do try to make a pretty transition between poses. Baron Baptiste is masterful at sequencing, with flow that comes naturally between poses. I accidently attended an intermediate class for 2+ hours, and ended up loving it. I am proud to have made it through. Favorite poses: natarajasana and 1/2 pigeon for hip opening work. This week I had a bad cold, so did timed forward bends, for 2 minutes a side. I used to do longer, and think it is good when you aren't feeling well or are menstruating.

Here is hoping that the travel goes well, Gabe is fine without me, that the workshop is an effortless success. Peace and healing to all beings.



:: Yogishan 5:37 PM [+] ::
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This is a blog about my yoga practice, my parenting and homeschooling, reading, travel, learning and teaching, birth, and alternative healing. Some other stuff, as it comes up, in case you were wondering.
:: Yogishan 6:59 PM [+] ::
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I am gearing up for the workshop in Atlanta which I am about to teach for labor assistants. Bad cold today-so yoga was timed forward bends, and very gentle. Gabe assisted. Hope I am better soon.
:: Yogishan 5:11 PM [+] ::
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We are back from Florida. Went to the beach, visited relatives, saw the aquarium. Today's homeschooling: Gabe is interested in whether Florida is on the equator, or just near it, as it was warmer there than here (New England). We looked up what countries are crossed by the equator: Equador, Brazil, Congo, Zaire, Columbia, Gabon, Kenya, Uganda, Sumatra, and Indonesia. At the Mote Aquarium in Sarasota, we enjoyed seeing fish, jellyfish, crabs, sharks, sea turtles which are being rehabilitated, and manatees. Manatees are monstrous creatures (1800 pounds), at least near Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. They also have them in the Amazon River, and in the Pacific Ocean. As for the turtles, they had some different varieties. One had been found unable to eat, due to brain parisites (yuck!), but was almost ready to be released back to the sea, when it gained another 10 pounds. Another was a blind turtle who had to be hand fed and couldn't be released for that reason. She had a head injury which destroyed her optic nerve. An albino turtle was on display because he wasn't safe in the sea due to lack of camouflage. Enchanted Learning has a sea turtle page with basic info and anatomy. There was a huge shark tank, next to where a high school prom was slated to happen that night. Hope no one got crazy! A giant squid, dead but preserved, was on display, and apparently they aren't found live anymore. You could handle starfish, and other sea critters in "contact cove" and then touch a sting ray as the group swam around in a pool in circles. Sting rays are soft and a bit slimy. They look like underwater bats.

:: Yogishan 10:55 AM [+] ::
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I am watching Fox News, and they are talking about peace protests with civil disobedience. The outraged commentator was complaining about protesters costing taxpayer money to cover the cost of police and firefighters. They apparently were keeping police too busy to look out for terrorists, which should be their priority. Protesters were called bad Americans.

Meanwhile, Bush has finally put a price tag on the war, and is asking for 75 Billion Dollars for paying for 5 monthes of occupation in Iraq, though it could go longer and be more costly. This is likely to easily slide through congress. He is also asking for a substantial tax cut at the same time. Our economy isn`t doing well, and homeland security needs money. Does charity not start at home?

The money for the police at the protest rallies is a tiny drop in the bucket. America is a place where we can show our freedom of expression, protected by the fifth amendment. Libertarians and others want to protect that freedom even for groups with predjudicial opinions. I don`t like Fox putting down people`s right to protest the government when they disagree. How can government be just if people can`t express their opinions?

I have been reading some war blogs. Raed Iraq seems to be one person`s account of life in Iraq right now. M.L. Lyke is a reporter aboard ship. She quotes some of the servicepeople as being opposed to war, and not quite sure why we are there. Others are in full support.


:: Yogishan 5:29 AM [+] ::
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