Seattle Yogini

Hawaii Five-Ommmmmmm

Well, my cab will be here in about half an hour.  I'm packed, ready to sit down for a little breakfast, and have (hopefully) put enough stuff to pass the time in my carry-on.  No liquids, though, that would be bad.  I have a two-hour layover in Honolulu, but somehow just the sound of "Honolulu" makes it seem less long/bad/annoying.

I won't be posting, as I'm leaving my laptop at home.  So, upon my return (in about two weeks) I'll be back.  Look for more exciting tales from this yogini soon!

Namasate.

Serenity Update

I just thought I'd update you on the very pressing "Can one reasonably write an article on serenity while feeling ever-so-slighty rushed?" question.  The answer is yes, if one follows the advice laid out in the article.  Look for it in the KCJ Parenting edition out on the eastside in February.  When the time comes, I'll link to it.

In other news, most of my list of things to do before departing in a mere 30 hours is done.  I am on my way to well, with only a slight congestion persisting in my nose and ears.  I have dutifully chosen my knitting projects(s), which are this (if I can get the hanks balled up tomorrow) and this lovely scarf in Royal Alpaca which is, thankfully, already balled and the first few rows under way.  That'll probably be my "airplane" project, as it's easy to transport and I (hopefully) won't need scissors or anything.

I'm still trying to figure out how to download my own photos, so you'll have to wait until my return from HI to see my latest and greatest shoulder cozy.  I love it, I love it, I love it.  I bought it a button today at Nancy's.  It was my first time there and I swear to you I will never go back to certain chain fabric stores again.  Well, except perhaps in an emergency zipper/button/patch situation.  I also bought ribbon for the baby booties, packed them up with the matching hat (sorry, forgot to take a photo, but trust me, they are CUTE) and left the little bag and card on the screen door of the student who's wife just had a baby.  God, I hope they find it before the squirrels do!

Also bought book, cleaned kitchen, laundry is ready (though neither folded nor packed), shopped for groceries and wore out the dog.  Oh, and business-related stuff, too.  This yogini is now officially tired and ready for bed.  Tomorrow:  packing (insert shriek of horror here).

Typical!

Well, last night was a Sunday night like any other...at about 8pm I realized that we didn't have anything for breakfast in the morning.  Sigh, typical!  I teach an 8:30 class, which means breakfast must be something that I can put together in 10 - 15 minutes with a minimum of "sloshiness" later (hint:  food sloshing in the belly during yoga = bad).  I need real food that will last through my morning, and at 8pm there isn't a lot that can be quickly baked.

Our typical breakfast includes some sort of homemade muffin/fruit bread or store-bought french loaf which we toast.  We make tea and cook eggs or scramble some tofu or, for variety, have a small bowl of yogurt.  What we do not start our day with is cereal.  In fact, cereal is relegated to "emergency use only" status in our home.  And what we do have on hand is not cereal by American standards, oh no!  We have a box of muesli (though admittedly it took us a few weeks to stop calling it "Mueslix", which is something VERY different!) which we will occasionally eat Euro-style.

We stopped eating cereal at about the same time we decided to cut waaaaay back on our consumption of processed foods, sugar, additives and (for me, at least) wheat & dairy.  Along with chips, crackers, cookies and fake-me-out "juices", cereal is a major link in the processed food chain.  It was also around the same time we brought home our first dog, and we couldn't help but notice the resemblance between HIS food, and ours.  Yech.  Anything that bears ZERO resemblance to it's natural state does not, in general, merit access to our bodies.  That includes "extruded" products.  I mean, just say that word.  Feel how your mouth kind of puckers and your face squinches up (or is that just my reaction)?  Do you want to eat something that has you making such a face upon uttering the process that brings it into existence?

And what, you may ask, has all of this "un-American" cereal defiance gotten us?  Well, for starters, I don't crash halfway between breakfast and lunch like I used to, nor do I feel the need to snack in order to keep my blood sugar at a respectable (read, "friendly" in my case) level.  Also, cutting back on wheat and diary helps me keep my sinuses less clogged, and helps me not have tummy aches (due to the milk).  We like knowing precisely what goes into our food, and prefer to actually make/bake it ourselves AND be able to pronounce all of the ingredients.

Sure, it takes a little planning and some orderliness - unlike my Sunday evening which quickly became disorderly - but we have found it a very worthwhile lifestyle change.  And make no bones about it, it WAS a lifestyle change.  Now we have a nice breakfast, we chat and/or listen to NPR.  We're able to digest a bit before we go off to our respective days' activities.  It's really a great way to start the day!

Best Laid Plans...

Things I should do before leaving for the Esoteric Yoga Retreat in Hawaii this Wednesday:

1.  Get well.  I have flown with sinus congestion before, and it is not a happy memory.  Plus, I am not a very "good" air traveler anyway, so the healthier I can be before take-off, the better.

2.  Make a gajillion brochures, in case the studio's box runs out over the 12 days I'm gone.

3.  Make a contact sheet for my subs, in case they need to contact students.

4.  Leave instructions for one of my subs, who will very kindly be coming in from West Seattle to teach a morning class for me.  She doesn't have a key, so she'll have to pick one up at the house first, and...well, that's what the instructions are for.

5.  Laundry.  Mustn't pack dirty clothes.

6.  Pack.  Not a supporter of nude yoga, after all!

7.  Write an article on Serenity and the New Parent, due on Tuesday.  Is it reasonable to write about serenity when one is feeling just a wee-bit rushed?  Hmmmmm...I guess you'll just have to wait until the article is published if you want to find out.

8.  Post ad on craigslist.com about Intro to Yoga class that starts on Monday.

9.  Download and learn to use the photo software so that I can post pictures on my blog.

10.  Deliver baby booties, hat and card to student/new parent.

11.  Figure out knitting project to take with me.  Must be something that will last for two horrendously-long flights AND 10 evenings in HI.  Perhaps two projects would be in order?

12.  Pack.  Oh, I said that already.  Right.

Wish me luck!

SAFETY!!!

I spent August of 1999 in Barksdale, LA for AFROTC Field Training.  That's the ROTC version of boot camp.  You see, we did all kinds of training throughout the school year ("Military Science" was the name of the course) and then had the pleasure of spending a horrendously hot month in some ridiculously swampy location.  Louisiana, Florida...places where fire ants thrive and cockroaches can fly - there's a reason I live in Seattle, I tell you!

Anyway, safety was a big concern because cadets are constantly ravenous, sleep-deprived and falling all over themselves to avoid getting called out - not the most "centered" group of young people.  One of the rules was:  when walking in formation and approaching a curb, the first cadet to step up or down the curb must raise a fisted hand and state loudly, "SAFETY".  All other cadets in formation then had to repeat "SAFETY" to indicate that they had heard and understood to look for...something dangerous.

I had forgotten about the safety rule until recently, when I was told about a mis-represented class one of my regular students attended somewhere else.  Now, put on your thinking cap and use your imagination:  when you think of a "Restorative Yoga" class, what comes to mind?  Could it be something like this?  Or perhaps this?  Imagine that you have had a particularly trying week, maybe you're fighting a cold, and you just want to lie with your legs up the wall for awhile, do some supported chest openers and then relax into a nice, long Savasana.  Would you be irked to find that the so-called restorative class was taught just like the "power/flow/abs" class that preceded it?  You might be put out, but hopefully your participation in the class wouldn't lead to injury.  Now look around at your imaginary classmates, some of whom are pregnant, have injuries, limited mobility, or some other physical, mental or emotional issue going on for which they specifically decided to attend a restorative class... would you have the urge to call out "SAFETY" as you watch some of them struggle to keep up with the energetic instructor?

An important component of creating a safe atmosphere for students is ensuring that what is advertised in the class description is, in fact, what they get when they show up to class.  Newcomers to yoga are particularly vulnerable in situations like what I describe above - they truly may not know what to expect, regardless of the class description.  Instructors may  of course choose to vary the theme or focus of a class, but in general students who come to Level 1 class should be able to expect to work at a certain level of difficulty - which will be distinct from Gentle, Restorative or Level 2 classes.

It is completely unacceptable for students to show up to a restorative yoga class and then be led through anything more rigorous.   Certainly, some warming poses or sequences to prepare the body for deep relaxation may be in order, but that does not mean blazing through Surya Namaskar (Sun Salutations) and then expecting the awakened nervous system to slide into relaxation.  Slower, less mobile, or more fragile students will not benefit from this and could even be injured.  While it would be inappropriate to hold up a fisted hand and yell "SAFETY!" in the middle of class, if you find yourself in a situation like this I recommend speaking with the teacher after class.  Perhaps they got the schedule confused, or maybe that really is their version of "restorative".  Either way, it will help you to be better informed the next time you want to take that class - or a class with that teacher.

How Sick is Too Sick?

4:50 pm:  Uugh.  Or, however "uugh" sounds when you have a nostril completely blocked.  I (finally) caught my husband's cold.  He had it for a week and is just starting to feel better, which apparently means it's my turn.  I stayed strong but have not had a good night's sleep all week, so immunity dropped and germs attacked.  I was doing well until last night when - WHAM - sore throat due to the drip.  Stupid germs.

Thankfully, I only have one class to teach, and since I wasn't able to get a sub, I'm ON!  The good news is that after a delicious bowl of spicy, super-garlicy Thai soup and a hot, Thieves-laden bath, I feel pretty good.  In fact, by the time I got home from eating that soup for lunch, the fever I felt earlier in the day was nonexistent.  Huh.  Anyway, the plan is to teach (no hands-on adjustments today, kids!) and then retreat to cozy time at home.

Situations such as these always bring up an important question for yoga teachers:  when are you too sick to teach?  Considering that much of what we do is set an example in self-care for our students, it is important to recognize when you should really just stay home and rest.  On the other hand, if you make your living from teaching, it is not easy to cancel a class and then have to explain to the cell phone company why your payment is a bit short this month.

I will admit defeat if I feel so lousy that I can't concentrate on the task at hand (which I consider to be a safety issue), if I am infectious, if it is clear that I need rest in order to regain my health, or if I am so gross that it will be disturbing to my students.  My skill at using words rather than hands became well-developed during my recovery from the ectopic pregnancy this summer, so it's pretty easy to refrain from giving adjustments and further spreading the "ick".  Since today I have no fever and I'm not "out of it", I'm heading out to teach.

If you're a teacher, or a student for that matter, what are your thoughts on the issue?  Clearly no one wants a sneezy, drippy-nosed teacher slogging their way through class.  But when your options are a slightly under-the-weather teacher or class being cancelled, which do you prefer?

9:30 pm:  Hello, again.  Class was a breeze and I felt really good.  It's funny, but those few times when I start a class feeling not-so-great, by the end of it I'm much better.  We twisted, we looked at Mr. Bones, we discussed serenity - it was lovely.  By the time I got home I was more tired than usual, which was not surprising.  Maybe tonight I'll get a good night's sleep...if this nostril ever clears!

Another Reason to Love Seattle

Today I dropped Rob off at school.  Usually he takes the car, but I need it today in order to run some errands.  Said errands will keep me out of the house for a little while, so I decided to take Sirius, explore the North Seattle Community College Wetlands and hopefully wear him out a bit before I leave.  These wetlands are a wonderful example of Seattle's effort to protect our streams/wetlands and provide green spaces for urban dwellers.  It isn't as quiet and pseudo-wilderness as Discovery Park, where you can't even hear the traffic of the city, but it was a lovely walk filled with the sounds of birds, frogs, and small creatures scurrying off the trail in front of us (albeit I-5 noises filled the background).

We walked for half an hour, meandering along various parts of the trail.  Sirius jumped into one of the ponds up to his knees before I got him back out again.  It made his day.  Now we're sitting in the backyard - me writing while he reacquaints himself with the flora of his territory.  That mostly means taste-testing.  I try not to think about what he's ingesting and hope that we won't see it again at 3 in the morning.

Today is a gorgeous, clear, warm day, which is a bit of an anomaly for a Seattle January.  It is the kind of day that helps us get through the rainy season, and that people who visit in the winter months cannot believe we have...ever.  I'm sitting in the sun, completely comfortable in jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt.  For me, that is the definition of "perfect temperature".  Oh, how I'd love to just sit here all day and forget the errands!

Dust Puppies

We have a dog who, although no longer technically a puppy (he's 2 1/2), as a Lab he will be puppy-like for many years to come.  One of his many nicknames is, of course, Puppy.  He is wonderful, and we love him dearly.  We love him so much, in fact, that we almost-happily clean up after him all the time.  He is not destructive, and in general he follows the basic household rules - he understands that his bathroom is outside, he knows (though he sometimes pretends he doesn't) that he is not allowed to chew on a bone anywhere but the kitchen, he does not hump people (though he loves nothing more than a good long sniff of the nether-regions).

In spite of his generally good behavior, as a dog Puppy exhibits a number of interesting behaviors that create messes which the people who share their home with him (namely, my husband and me) must constantly clean up.  For example:

• For reasons we cannot fathom, he will fill his mouth with water from his bowl and rather than swallow...drool it out the sides of his mouth as he walks across the kitchen.
• He loves to lick the edge of the counter - the part that hangs over and is perpendicular to the countertop itself.  He'll sniff and lick the air first, indicating that he's picked up on something potentially yummy, and then he's at it:  lick, lick, licking the edge of the counter.
• If you don't have a dog, you may not know this, but their drool is practically insoluble.  You can't just wipe it off of a surface once it's dry.  It stains.  Weird, huh?   So, whenever we see him licking something (the coffee table, the window ledge, a wall - seriously, a wall!), it has to be wiped relatively quickly unless we've deemed it "not worth it".  Please note that MANY things have fallen into that category.  We would go mad otherwise!
• Oh!  And the nose prints at dog-height crack us up.  We gave up even trying to keep the lower panels of our living room windows clean.  It's his favorite lookout position, and for whatever reason he seems to believe that if he plasters his wet snout to the glass, he might just get an actual sniff of the dog who had the gall to pee on our parking strip.

Today my clean-up project is rounding up "Puppy's Minions".  Sometimes referred to as "dust puppies", these are the clumps of dog hair that accumulate over the course of a couple of days.  It doesn't matter that I just brushed him, he is constantly shedding some amount of hair, and we only wish we could use it for something useful - like insulation, or stuffing for a pillow, or spin it into yarn for a hat (I saw that on an Animal Planet show once.  I still have mixed feelings about it - mostly "Eew").  Anyway, puppy's minions had gathered strength and appeared to be preparing to launch an attack on anyone who dared step into the front door.  I had to engage in a preemptive strike or be forever shamed.  So, out with the vacuum.

I don't enjoy vacumming, it always seems like it will take half the day to do.  Everytime I pull out the darn thing, I am amazed that I did the whole first floor in only 20 minutes.  My new goal is to do stuff like this A) often enough that the minions from one room in the house don't have time to join ranks with those of other rooms and B) to do it during slow parts of the week so that we don't have to do a whole house round-up every weekend.  I want to have my weekends free to sit around and be cozy, knitting or reading or baking.  I don't want to have to clean the kitchen (including counter edges) just to be able to mix up some cookie dough, or vacuum before I can invite friends over with a straight face.

So far, today's effort has been successful.  All visible minions have been sucked up, though I know that there are always a few strays hiding out somewhere out of reach.  Oh, well.  In a couple of days they will have migrated to more public spaces, in search of friends.  When that time comes, I'll pull out the vacuum and get them, too.

It's Official!

My business, Maple Leaf Community Yoga, has had a website for a little over one year.  It is a lovely site, designed by my dear friend Kerrie.  For technological reasons that are WELL beyond my understanding, try as we might we could not get the site to show up on Google searches.  We tried many tactics, heeded a ton of advice, but to no avail.  If someone was looking for my business, they would only find it by going to other sites where I had cleverly listed it, such as the Maple Leaf Community Council list of businesses.

Well, my friends, as of tonight you can Google (I just love that "Google" is a verb now) my studio and it will pop up as - drumroll please - the number one result!  Yes, after a year in existence, my website is now official.  We are very proud.

Snow Day

It's a snow day here in Seattle, and I mean that in the most third grade way possible.  Literally, about three inches of snow on the ground and schools are closed, city buildings (probably) shut down, buses running snow routes, etc.  It's so great!  If you aren't from Seattle, you may think we're a bunch of wimps.   Au contraire, mon ami!  It is wisdom that drives us to close up shop, stay home, and refuse to drive on our ice-covered hills.  The slip-sliding is so bad that many people have to park at the bottom of a hill and walk up it in order to get home safely.  Humility allows us to see that the work-a-day world will not actually fall apart without us.

Tuesdays happen to be my busiest teaching day, but looking out the window this morning made it an easy decision to cancel my morning classes.  Well, the Mommy/Baby class that I teach in Bellevue was canceled for me, but I called my local students and kept my studio closed this morning.

On the radio they're soliciting listener reactions to all this snowy weather.  What are people doing with the time home?  Are they starting to feel housebound?  How are they managing?  I find this funny.  It assumes that staying home, away from work or other commitments, is a waste of time or in some other way not what people want to be doing.  Surely they will become bored, feel listless...after all, nothing will "get done".  Ummmm, who are these people whose homes run so smoothly (in spite of 40+ hour workweeks) that there's nothing for them to do on a Tuesday at home?  I have been doing things here and there since our first snow day last Thursday, and still I plan to:

• finish knitting the sweater I started almost two years ago, sew in ends on a baby blanket, and a handful of other "finishing" projects that have laid in my stash for too long
• do laundry
• clean the upstairs bathroom
• vacuum
• take it easy to alleviate my cramps (between the other "to do" items - ha!)
• meditate
• watch a movie I rented last night
• try to find my website (I lost it trying to get it to forward - a thing that was supposed to be easy but resulted in my website being lost in [cyber]space)
• maybe teach my evening yoga class

And we're only two grown-ups and a dog!  It seems to me that there's plenty to do, it just isn't the kind of work that people consider worthwhile - it's the kind of stuff you do when you have to, as in "I have no more clean socks to wear and it'll take me too long to knit a new pair.  I guess I should do a load of laundry."

For me, it's all about perspective.  I wouldn't say housework is my favorite activity.  On the other hand, the fact that I have a home to clean, that I have the kind of schedule that allows me to do housework when I want to, my ability to choose to do it with a sense of joy - these are all blessings.  This snow day, another opportunity to take care of some things that, yes, need to be done, but that also underscore how wonderfully full my life is, is a great day as far as I'm concerned.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've a load of laundry to fold.  Happy snow day!