What a year! Just after camping season began, Beth’s mom, Margaret, suffered a “mini-stroke” – the doctor called it a transient ischemic attack . Thankfully, there were no long-term effects….but time to let Margaret “retire” -at age 88. She had been maintaining her household almost single-handedly since her husband fell and broke his hip late last year, and the stress was affecting her health.
The Wimber’s moved into a retirement home in July. They are still independent -living in a small apartment in a nicely landscaped area– with covered walkways and easy access to the dining hall. It took the efforts of all the daughters: Shelley to sort, donate, and pack, Beth and I to move, have a sale and clean, and Jan, here from California, to decorate and make them comfortable. At Lakepoint, meals are provided, as is laundry and light housekeeping. The staff is very nice. There are opportunities for bridge, bingo, fitness activities, and the occasional organized party (a luau, car show and a great Veteran’s Day celebration for example). Someone will check on them if they don’t come to meals. Best of all the food is good (for the Wimber’s it was a major concern, trust me)!
As for the house they were living in –Beth and I had owned it for eight years. We had finished a recent remodel of the basement after a flood (a huge, expensive, uninsured project –our agent called it a “maintenance issue”), and then additional construction to accommodate her dad’s reduced mobility after hip surgery (the “porch project”). With nothing but bad news in the real estate sector, we placed the single-family home on the market, hoping for the best, and preparing for the worst. As it turned out, we sold the house in EIGHT days! Not only did it sell quickly, closing took place in the same month. And….that….is what we did…on our summer vacation.
In late March, I graduated from the teacher training program of the Shambhava School of Yoga (it’s based in Colorado, but my training was here in Wichita). It took eight months and I am now a registered yoga teacher (RYT200). I continue to teach weekly classes at a local recreation center.
My best friend’s wedding was in May. For the occasion, I had been growing my hair…well at least that’s how it all got started. J Then it became a challenge to grow my hair to at least 10 inches (the minimum length) for “Locks of Love” -they make wigs for cancer patients. It was a happy day when I cut off that ponytail and mailed it to the charity!
I embraced “social networking” wholeheartedly! It was the summer of my high school’s 30th class reunion. Helped by sites like Facebook and Classmates.com, I was able to re-connect with a number of people, even if they could not attend the reunion. Facebook also helped me find cousins in Maine, California, and New York, college friends, and people from grade school!
Not as much camping as we would have liked, but we made it to Arkansas (Beaver Lake) in September. The group this year included my brother Derek. I was lucky to spend not only a week at the lake with him, but when he was temporarily laid off; he came to Wichita for a week. We built a cedar privacy fence, replaced trim on the outbuildings, and got other little things done. I enjoyed his mellow company.
Even though cut-backs continue at my job with CGF Industries, and with the recreation center where I teach yoga, and with the post office, we look forward to each precious day.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Update on Toyota acceleration........
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-toyota-recall26-2009nov26,0,3295310.story
Toyota Motor Corp. said today it would reconfigure or replace the gas pedals in 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles to prevent the episodes of runaway acceleration that prompted the largest vehicle recall in the company's history.
The announcement dramatically expands the scope and likely expense of the recall, which was announced on Sept. 29. Toyota had initially focused on the possibility that improperly installed floor mats might be causing the unintended acceleration problems, and urged owners of affected vehicles to remove the mats until they could be replaced.Now, beginning in January, Toyota dealers will start reconfiguring the gas pedal "to address the risk of floor mat entrapment."The recall affects the 2007-2010 Toyota Camry, the 2004-2009 Toyota Prius, the 2005-2010 Toyota Avalon, the 2005-2010 Tacoma, the 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra, the 2007-2010 Lexus ES 350 and the 2006-2010 Lexus IS 250 and IS 350.
Toyota Motor Corp. said today it would reconfigure or replace the gas pedals in 3.8 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles to prevent the episodes of runaway acceleration that prompted the largest vehicle recall in the company's history.
The announcement dramatically expands the scope and likely expense of the recall, which was announced on Sept. 29. Toyota had initially focused on the possibility that improperly installed floor mats might be causing the unintended acceleration problems, and urged owners of affected vehicles to remove the mats until they could be replaced.Now, beginning in January, Toyota dealers will start reconfiguring the gas pedal "to address the risk of floor mat entrapment."The recall affects the 2007-2010 Toyota Camry, the 2004-2009 Toyota Prius, the 2005-2010 Toyota Avalon, the 2005-2010 Tacoma, the 2007-2010 Toyota Tundra, the 2007-2010 Lexus ES 350 and the 2006-2010 Lexus IS 250 and IS 350.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
The Jews...
Shalom,
First, just know that things will rarely turn out exactly like you expect them to - yet we continue to have and hold expectations anyway, don't we?
I walked into Wichita's Temple Emanu-el 20 minutes early, having come all the way from my camper at Marion Lake to give a free "introduction to yoga" class. It was the start of the Jewish Community Adult Education classes and I had brought a 30 minute "Yoga for the Office" class I have previously given.
The two women who greeted me were all smiles, thanked me and seemed excited that I was there (before shaking my hand, they both clapped!). I quipped "everyone should be greeted this way when they first meet someone!"
They showed me to the library where the tables and chairs had already been pushed aside.
Now a word about books (and precocious young girls who read a lot). When I enter a library, the little bookworm inside of me does a little jig and sings "goody, goody, goody" as she contemplates having a month of solitary confinement with which to read them all. :)
After shaking hands with the rabbi, who stopped in to introduce himself, answer my question about why the posters and historical documents on the wall spelled G_d that way (the name is so holy that you are not supposed to put it on paper or things that may be defaced, damaged or thrown away), I was left alone to wait for the "students".
There were three choices for the adults this day (and I wondered how yoga would rate when I saw them listed on the large poster in the entry):
From the congregation bulletin: http://www.emanuelict.org/emanu_bulletin.htm
"David, our guest speaker, will be talking about building community and our new program. We are also offering Yoga, as well as a traditional Torah Study led by Federation Director, Rabbi Moti Rieber."
First, just know that things will rarely turn out exactly like you expect them to - yet we continue to have and hold expectations anyway, don't we?
I walked into Wichita's Temple Emanu-el 20 minutes early, having come all the way from my camper at Marion Lake to give a free "introduction to yoga" class. It was the start of the Jewish Community Adult Education classes and I had brought a 30 minute "Yoga for the Office" class I have previously given.
The two women who greeted me were all smiles, thanked me and seemed excited that I was there (before shaking my hand, they both clapped!). I quipped "everyone should be greeted this way when they first meet someone!"
They showed me to the library where the tables and chairs had already been pushed aside.
Now a word about books (and precocious young girls who read a lot). When I enter a library, the little bookworm inside of me does a little jig and sings "goody, goody, goody" as she contemplates having a month of solitary confinement with which to read them all. :)
After shaking hands with the rabbi, who stopped in to introduce himself, answer my question about why the posters and historical documents on the wall spelled G_d that way (the name is so holy that you are not supposed to put it on paper or things that may be defaced, damaged or thrown away), I was left alone to wait for the "students".
There were three choices for the adults this day (and I wondered how yoga would rate when I saw them listed on the large poster in the entry):
From the congregation bulletin: http://www.emanuelict.org/emanu_bulletin.htm
"David, our guest speaker, will be talking about building community and our new program. We are also offering Yoga, as well as a traditional Torah Study led by Federation Director, Rabbi Moti Rieber."
Would anyone show up I wondered?
In the library, I had time to move a chair or two and test the light switches for just the right lighting. Then, I stood in front of the shelves quietly perusing the titles, some from famous Jews who's names I recognized. A large volume about the Holocaust caught my eye and I took it down and flipped to a couple of pages.
Just then, 'Abby' came in to look at the rack of children's books free for the taking. She was so talkative, just a-mile-a-minute. She told me about her reading program, the 25 books they were to read, and indignantly said "I can read a lot more than 25 books this year!" Her friend came in and whisked her off to the children's classrooms. She so reminded me of me. I read all the time as a child. Libraries were "cool".
I stood alone again in the quiet library while parents made their way down the halls to their assigned or chosen rooms for the morning sessions. A parent, convincing an upset child that they would be fine, daddy would be right across the hall, not to worry.....a mother walking by, towing a small boy looked up and we smiled at each other. I heard her say "that must be the yoga teacher, she has that 'yoga body'", - - -oh for cryin' out loud I thought, this was getting surreal.
As the clock ticked past our start time, I looked at a stack of magazines, picked up the one on top, and found a great quote by Eleanor Roosevelt -something about embracing new experiences...and then in the same magazine (the summer 2008 issue) - right in the middle, an article about Jewish women and yoga.... ok....a sign. A good sign....
http://www.jwmag.org/site/c.fhLOK0PGLsF/b.4193323/
Still, no students -10 minutes after our start time for the short 30 minute class.....yet I knew that things would be just fine. I was not nervous but open, no expectations, I let them all go.
Then they came. Of the dozen adults who came late to the library (apologizing), 8 had practiced yoga before. I joked that i would "give them the history and practice of yoga in 18 minutes..." :)
It was fine. It was fun. And if I want to use the library....I am welcome to! Here's hoping everyone comes back in October for the "real" thing!
Namaste, Cindy
Sunday, August 16, 2009
the immediacy of yoga
"The immediacy of yoga is astounding, everything essential is right here, right now....." ....so says my thought for the day on the calendar for August 9th.
I maintain several journals, this blog, and my history on the social networking sites. What will become of all these electronic bits? What good are they? As soon as I post, or journal or blog, the moment is over.
What matters is my practice, how I move in the world, and my attempts with yoga to be more of who I really am. Note: If you were really honest, you know that you are not your authentic self for every moment of every day. You are an actor, acting as your professional self, or you in the role of spouse, mom, friend, neighbor, teacher, or daughter.
I only seem to find my true, authentic, uncovered, and natural state in yoga or meditation. The rest of my life peels away layer upon layer and only the moment, the movement, the breath is left. It is so immediate, so essential, so accessible.
This, above all, is why I continue my yoga practice. When I do enter the world of play-acting, I can be more aware of the reasons for being the way that I am, and the reasons to try and change what may not serve me anymore. At a party, I can legitimately explain that I am an accountant by trade, and a yogi by choice...and that the two worlds, while seemingly contradictory, are two sides of the same coin. I use my talents, and share my gifts, then reflect on what makes me "tick", and what makes me happy. I think a perfect example of this is how we are around our parents. If that is not a lifetime of play-acting, I don't know what is! I now notice my reactions to my mother and step-father, how they are grounded in habit, many years of conditioning, many past experiences, and have absolutely nothing to do with the moment that is. When I realize this, I can pause, and be more myself, and not "Daughter". It's worked! It's really worked......over and over.
Then I journal it, to learn the lessons, and to be (as one of my mentors says) "protected and nourished by the teachings."
Namaste.
I maintain several journals, this blog, and my history on the social networking sites. What will become of all these electronic bits? What good are they? As soon as I post, or journal or blog, the moment is over.
What matters is my practice, how I move in the world, and my attempts with yoga to be more of who I really am. Note: If you were really honest, you know that you are not your authentic self for every moment of every day. You are an actor, acting as your professional self, or you in the role of spouse, mom, friend, neighbor, teacher, or daughter.
I only seem to find my true, authentic, uncovered, and natural state in yoga or meditation. The rest of my life peels away layer upon layer and only the moment, the movement, the breath is left. It is so immediate, so essential, so accessible.
This, above all, is why I continue my yoga practice. When I do enter the world of play-acting, I can be more aware of the reasons for being the way that I am, and the reasons to try and change what may not serve me anymore. At a party, I can legitimately explain that I am an accountant by trade, and a yogi by choice...and that the two worlds, while seemingly contradictory, are two sides of the same coin. I use my talents, and share my gifts, then reflect on what makes me "tick", and what makes me happy. I think a perfect example of this is how we are around our parents. If that is not a lifetime of play-acting, I don't know what is! I now notice my reactions to my mother and step-father, how they are grounded in habit, many years of conditioning, many past experiences, and have absolutely nothing to do with the moment that is. When I realize this, I can pause, and be more myself, and not "Daughter". It's worked! It's really worked......over and over.
Then I journal it, to learn the lessons, and to be (as one of my mentors says) "protected and nourished by the teachings."
Namaste.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
A new beginning....
If you knew you could not live in the home you live in now (because it was too much to care for, the space was more than you could handle -cleaning, cooking, shopping, lifting, sweeping, stairs, laundry, trash) and moved into a retirement community, would you be sad at the "ending", or excited about the "beginning"?
The answer - individual for each of us - depends upon our perspective.
It's why the Wimber's (88 years old and enjoying their new "beginning") will live forever.
The answer - individual for each of us - depends upon our perspective.
It's why the Wimber's (88 years old and enjoying their new "beginning") will live forever.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
How I met my college roommate....
From my college roommate:
Dear Cindy,
"Last weekend, I attended a highschool class reunion, where several years of classes were involved. My first real boyfriend was there and I visited with him and his wife briefly. That Monday, when I returned to work, I had an email from him."
Once upon a time..."M" was at college while we were there, a year ahead of us. The year we entered college, he had spent the summer in town, and since he was friends with the housing director, he was there in his dorm room painting, and getting ready to move back in. His fiance was a girl named "J" who was our age, coming to college to major in art.
He asked his buddy who "J"'s roomate was going to be. The guy couldn't remember the name, but only that her bio matched hers pretty well, and she was also majoring in some art-type field. "M" pressed him for more info, and the guy finally told him he really couldn't remember the name, but she was from the same home town and her name was spelled funny.
"It was me."
"M" said when he saw my name on the papers, he about had a nervous breakdown and couldn't believe that out of all the girls coming into college that year, they would select me to be his fiance's roomie. Well, he freaked out. He told me he begged them to switch me with someone else. He finally got his way,(or, I prefer to think it was blind fate...) and I was switched to be roomies with you instead.
The rest is history! I felt like it was something one might discover while on the Sally Jesse Rafael show where old beau's confess old secrets. If it wasn't for the fear of this past boyfriend feeling out of his comfort zone, I may have never received the letter stating that Cynthia I. Ascanio would be my dorm room "partner in crime."
"Certainly, it could not have been the same without our infamous blue rug dance floor, your stereo blasting popular dance music, our runs to the pizza joint, our laundry shopping cart, your grandma's excellent apple/raisin pie, and all our many diverse, mullti-cultural and least we forget interracial friends."
Dear Cindy,
"Last weekend, I attended a highschool class reunion, where several years of classes were involved. My first real boyfriend was there and I visited with him and his wife briefly. That Monday, when I returned to work, I had an email from him."
Once upon a time..."M" was at college while we were there, a year ahead of us. The year we entered college, he had spent the summer in town, and since he was friends with the housing director, he was there in his dorm room painting, and getting ready to move back in. His fiance was a girl named "J" who was our age, coming to college to major in art.
He asked his buddy who "J"'s roomate was going to be. The guy couldn't remember the name, but only that her bio matched hers pretty well, and she was also majoring in some art-type field. "M" pressed him for more info, and the guy finally told him he really couldn't remember the name, but she was from the same home town and her name was spelled funny.
"It was me."
"M" said when he saw my name on the papers, he about had a nervous breakdown and couldn't believe that out of all the girls coming into college that year, they would select me to be his fiance's roomie. Well, he freaked out. He told me he begged them to switch me with someone else. He finally got his way,(or, I prefer to think it was blind fate...) and I was switched to be roomies with you instead.
The rest is history! I felt like it was something one might discover while on the Sally Jesse Rafael show where old beau's confess old secrets. If it wasn't for the fear of this past boyfriend feeling out of his comfort zone, I may have never received the letter stating that Cynthia I. Ascanio would be my dorm room "partner in crime."
"Certainly, it could not have been the same without our infamous blue rug dance floor, your stereo blasting popular dance music, our runs to the pizza joint, our laundry shopping cart, your grandma's excellent apple/raisin pie, and all our many diverse, mullti-cultural and least we forget interracial friends."
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Quiet
Think of a quiet place. Put yourself there. Notice your surroundings, imagine the clothes you are wearing, and set the desired temperature. If you are outdoors, imagine the sky above you and the earth below. You are in-between....breathing, part of both sky and earth.
There really is no "quiet place" though -is there?
Outdoors, even in a peaceful setting, there are probably the sounds of birds or animals, insects or the wind in the trees. There may be traffic, human voices, or the distant drone of a lawnmower. We may notice these sounds, but can relegate them to the background.
Indoors, even in a library, there are sounds - machinery, air flow, water in the pipes, the whoosh of a ceiling fan or the rustle of pages in a book.
Even if you were in a soundproof room there would still be sound. The sound of your own heartbeat and the sound of your own breath might be as loud as thunder and ocean waves.
The same is true for your mind. Even when our minds are quieter, the undercurrent of our thoughts are always there. They just are. Thoughts are under the surface of every moment of our lives, even perhaps when we are sleeping.
So just take the time to imagine your quiet place, before you start yoga, in the middle of your commute, anytime during the chaos of daily life. Let sounds, and thoughts, sink underneath - or into the background of the practice. Hone your skills of stopping, breathing and turning your attention inward.
There really is no "quiet place" though -is there?
Outdoors, even in a peaceful setting, there are probably the sounds of birds or animals, insects or the wind in the trees. There may be traffic, human voices, or the distant drone of a lawnmower. We may notice these sounds, but can relegate them to the background.
Indoors, even in a library, there are sounds - machinery, air flow, water in the pipes, the whoosh of a ceiling fan or the rustle of pages in a book.
Even if you were in a soundproof room there would still be sound. The sound of your own heartbeat and the sound of your own breath might be as loud as thunder and ocean waves.
The same is true for your mind. Even when our minds are quieter, the undercurrent of our thoughts are always there. They just are. Thoughts are under the surface of every moment of our lives, even perhaps when we are sleeping.
So just take the time to imagine your quiet place, before you start yoga, in the middle of your commute, anytime during the chaos of daily life. Let sounds, and thoughts, sink underneath - or into the background of the practice. Hone your skills of stopping, breathing and turning your attention inward.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Essay questions for sharing.......
Selected Yoga Sutra 1.14 "Regular, whole-hearted application over time will create a foundation whereby the practice is firmly integrated."
a) How is this sutra relevant to my hatha yoga practice?
I am 48 years old. The first year of my yoga practice nearly six years ago resulted in great progress as far as my physical body. I was stronger, had greater endurance, developed better breathing, suffered less stress and anger. As most yogi’s know or eventually learn, the progress made in the first year or the first two or three years is not sustainable. There is not a “multiple” of gains. What I learned, what a lot of practitioners learn, is that grasping for something that is not ours is greedy. Example: Janu Sirsasana, with my nose on my knee and my hands clasped around the base of my foot is not for me, not this year, not next year, not ever. And if I reach for it –like I did in 2007, I will injure myself . But the regular, whole-hearted, mindful practice of that pose (or any other difficult pose you want to attempt) is how to build the foundation of a hatha yoga practice. I will have my own Janu Sirsasana – and whole-heartedly, I will perform it to the best and highest of my abilities…..not my desires. That is what this sutra means to me.
b) How does this sutra relate to my yoga teachings?
I must teach what I know, that progress is made in small increments. There is no magic potion, no instant gratification, very few dramatic breakthroughs with yoga. You can either stretch or bend in certain ways right now, or you cannot. You will either be able to stretch or bend certain ways in the future (with practice), or you will not. And if you cannot, or will not be able to do certain things with your body, then I will help you find ways to practice yoga that are both possible for you – and more importantly ---satisfying for you. Otherwise, you will give up too soon and not learn or experience the truth of this sutra. I am called to teach the lessons that I have learned from my teachers and my own experience.
c) How does this sutra relate to my meditation practice?
There is only one answer to this question – this sutra helps me to sit on my mat, over and over and over again. It may be too cold, or too hot. I may have to get up too early, or I am on the road for vacation or business. I may be tired or have guests in my home, but the famous shoe commercial quote is relevant here: JUST DO IT!
a) How is this sutra relevant to my hatha yoga practice?
I am 48 years old. The first year of my yoga practice nearly six years ago resulted in great progress as far as my physical body. I was stronger, had greater endurance, developed better breathing, suffered less stress and anger. As most yogi’s know or eventually learn, the progress made in the first year or the first two or three years is not sustainable. There is not a “multiple” of gains. What I learned, what a lot of practitioners learn, is that grasping for something that is not ours is greedy. Example: Janu Sirsasana, with my nose on my knee and my hands clasped around the base of my foot is not for me, not this year, not next year, not ever. And if I reach for it –like I did in 2007, I will injure myself . But the regular, whole-hearted, mindful practice of that pose (or any other difficult pose you want to attempt) is how to build the foundation of a hatha yoga practice. I will have my own Janu Sirsasana – and whole-heartedly, I will perform it to the best and highest of my abilities…..not my desires. That is what this sutra means to me.
b) How does this sutra relate to my yoga teachings?
I must teach what I know, that progress is made in small increments. There is no magic potion, no instant gratification, very few dramatic breakthroughs with yoga. You can either stretch or bend in certain ways right now, or you cannot. You will either be able to stretch or bend certain ways in the future (with practice), or you will not. And if you cannot, or will not be able to do certain things with your body, then I will help you find ways to practice yoga that are both possible for you – and more importantly ---satisfying for you. Otherwise, you will give up too soon and not learn or experience the truth of this sutra. I am called to teach the lessons that I have learned from my teachers and my own experience.
c) How does this sutra relate to my meditation practice?
There is only one answer to this question – this sutra helps me to sit on my mat, over and over and over again. It may be too cold, or too hot. I may have to get up too early, or I am on the road for vacation or business. I may be tired or have guests in my home, but the famous shoe commercial quote is relevant here: JUST DO IT!
Friday, March 13, 2009
2009....so far
2009 ....so far (March)
Yoga Teacher Training is nearly complete...with a trip to Colorado planned for graduation. The leader of the ashram is coming to Wichita in late April and it is expected that he will hand out the certificates to each graduate in person during the special weekend events......
I'm back in the regular rotation teaching yoga on Thursday nights at Edgemoor Recreation Center and looking forward to using my recent experiences in teacher training to help the yoga students have a satisfying 10 week session. I missed teaching during the winter session, both nights taught by teachers I asked to come there. I subbed twice over the winter. I freely gave up the regular position over the winter-to concentrate on my training and the study that went along with it. But now that I have it back........I think I'll keep it.
My family of "snowbirds" is back in town (my folks winter in Gulf Shores, Alabama as well as cruise the seas....and my aunt and uncle spent six weeks in Ft. Meyers, Florida and the surrounding area with their Harley but without their dog Sam -he stayed with Beth's parents) and we are planning a large celebration of Aunt Bobbie's 65th birthday.
I renewed my food handler's card......has it been 4 years already????? and then spent an afternoon making 100 pounds of coleslaw while the guys in the back kitchen made chili. The chef(s) just said what they wanted and left me.....guess I know my way around by now.
Leaving this thought on this blog:
"Worry is the darkroom where negatives are developed".........
Until next time................
Yoga Teacher Training is nearly complete...with a trip to Colorado planned for graduation. The leader of the ashram is coming to Wichita in late April and it is expected that he will hand out the certificates to each graduate in person during the special weekend events......
I'm back in the regular rotation teaching yoga on Thursday nights at Edgemoor Recreation Center and looking forward to using my recent experiences in teacher training to help the yoga students have a satisfying 10 week session. I missed teaching during the winter session, both nights taught by teachers I asked to come there. I subbed twice over the winter. I freely gave up the regular position over the winter-to concentrate on my training and the study that went along with it. But now that I have it back........I think I'll keep it.
My family of "snowbirds" is back in town (my folks winter in Gulf Shores, Alabama as well as cruise the seas....and my aunt and uncle spent six weeks in Ft. Meyers, Florida and the surrounding area with their Harley but without their dog Sam -he stayed with Beth's parents) and we are planning a large celebration of Aunt Bobbie's 65th birthday.
I renewed my food handler's card......has it been 4 years already????? and then spent an afternoon making 100 pounds of coleslaw while the guys in the back kitchen made chili. The chef(s) just said what they wanted and left me.....guess I know my way around by now.
Leaving this thought on this blog:
"Worry is the darkroom where negatives are developed".........
Until next time................
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