I had a chance to take some yoga classes from various teachers around the city in March 2007.
1) Let's say a student (Sally) was able to sit cross-legged, and completely fold forward onto the floor. Let's say that most of the other students could not go that far into the pose. If you were the teacher, which of the following would you NOT want to say:
a. "Folks that are more flexible like Sally are feeling this pose in their own way, while the rest of us are getting the same benefit to this stretch even if we cannot fold forward as far.....".
b. "Look at Sally, a very flexible student, over there not feeling a thing (she does this all the time because she teaches yoga)."
c. "Yoga is a journey, not a destination. Only go as far as you can today, tomorrow may be different. Search for the sensation of creating length in this stretch and keep breathing! If you don't fold forward very far, it's okay."
2) Let's say another teacher is demonstrating a seated forward bend with legs extended. Which of the following verbal cues would be better?:
a) Fold forward, reach out, grab your toes and pull your chest through your upper arms.
b) Reach out for your toes. If you can't reach your toes, use a strap.
c) As we gently fold forward, hinging from our hips, we can reach out to take hold of our toes. Lengthen the spine, without forcing or pulling ourselves forward. Think about lifting our hearts as we extend through the crown of our heads.
3) Let's say that you are in a class working on a challenging pose. What would you like to hear the teacher say?
a) "This is a hard pose. Don't worry if you can't do it. Try it anyway".
b) "Find the place where you feel challenged yet successful in this pose. There is a part of it that you can do if you focus and concentrate on your breath.
c) "Level 3, raise one leg and then one arm."
All three situations actually happened this month - in classes with teachers of various levels of experience. As the student, I was reminded to follow my instincts, listen to my body, and remember my training.
Namaste, Cindy
(b) (c) (b)
Monday, March 26, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Viva Las Vegas....
Had one of those once in a lifetime weekends in Las Vegas this year. When we left Kansas, it was overcast, windy and 6 degrees. When we landed in Vegas it was sunny, calm and 74!
President's Day weekend, with the NBA All Star Game in town, the Strip was so busy that it took an hour to go a mile in a cab-assuming you could even get one (so we walked everywhere).
Hit a progressive jackpot on a .25 slot machine for $6,788. Rooms and meals comped, saw a fantastic show, played roulette - Beth and I both boxed # 29 - it hit. I split three 8's - won the hand, then got three blackjacks in a row. Bethie played $ 10 on 0/00 (a $170 payout) four different times.....and on and on. Dream weekend. Who-da' thunk?
Viva Las Vegas................
President's Day weekend, with the NBA All Star Game in town, the Strip was so busy that it took an hour to go a mile in a cab-assuming you could even get one (so we walked everywhere).
Hit a progressive jackpot on a .25 slot machine for $6,788. Rooms and meals comped, saw a fantastic show, played roulette - Beth and I both boxed # 29 - it hit. I split three 8's - won the hand, then got three blackjacks in a row. Bethie played $ 10 on 0/00 (a $170 payout) four different times.....and on and on. Dream weekend. Who-da' thunk?
Viva Las Vegas................
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Attitude
There once was a woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. Well," she said, "I think I'll braid my hair today?"So she did and she had a wonderful day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head."H-M-M," she said, "I think I'll part my hair down the middle today?" So she did and she had a grand day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that she had only one hair on her head. "Well," she said, "today I'm going to wear my hair in a pony tail." So she did and she had a fun, fun day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and noticed that there wasn't a single hair on her head. "YEA!" she exclaimed, "I don't have to fix my hair today!"
Attitude is everything.
Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Live simply,
Love generously,
Speak kindly.......
Attitude is everything.
Be kinder than necessary, for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.
Live simply,
Love generously,
Speak kindly.......
Saturday, January 13, 2007
How to eat a truffle......
How to Eat a Truffle....
From "Vosges --Haut Chocolat"
See it. There should be a glossy shine to the truffle, this shows a good temper, a tight bond between the cocoa butter and the cacao mass.
Lick it. Licking the truffle gives a hint of what is to come. A teaser.
Snap it. Quality chocolate should always be dry to the touch. If the chocolate is stored at ideal conditions between 63-65 degrees Fahrenheit when you take a bite you should hear a crisp, snap breaking through the outside to reach the creamy ganache inside.
Taste it. We always like to bite the truffle in two bites. In the first bite you are just getting to know the truffle and in the second, you delve deeper, searching out the flavors and the nuances. You become immersed into the experience of the chocolate, your mouth and the sensations. The taste should have a long lingering finish.
From "Vosges --Haut Chocolat"
See it. There should be a glossy shine to the truffle, this shows a good temper, a tight bond between the cocoa butter and the cacao mass.
Lick it. Licking the truffle gives a hint of what is to come. A teaser.
Snap it. Quality chocolate should always be dry to the touch. If the chocolate is stored at ideal conditions between 63-65 degrees Fahrenheit when you take a bite you should hear a crisp, snap breaking through the outside to reach the creamy ganache inside.
Taste it. We always like to bite the truffle in two bites. In the first bite you are just getting to know the truffle and in the second, you delve deeper, searching out the flavors and the nuances. You become immersed into the experience of the chocolate, your mouth and the sensations. The taste should have a long lingering finish.
Friday, January 12, 2007
Two White Trash Bags by the Side of the Road
Two White Trash Bags by the Side of the Road
Sarah
It was late when he showed up….his car steaming and dripping in the cold rain. Sarah was awake, listening for the slam of the door, so distinctive that no other car she had ever heard made the exact same clunking noise. When she heard it, every hair on her body seemed to wake up. She shivered as the heater came on and started to blow into the room. “Here we go” she thought.
2. Corky
Corky paused before getting out of the car. Except for his breathing, the only noise was a ticking sound from the engine. Leather creaked as he shifted his weight and pushed against the driver’s door. Last summer he had taken a jack to it so that it closed right. Now the door made a clunking noise when it shut. Opening it required Corky to shift his shoulder and lean just right to pop the catch. Once out of the car, he approached the house which was almost completely hidden behind massive oak trees. He thought to himself that it was a bit like being in church. The huge trees muffled noise and gently whispered above him. Although the leaves were brown and wet, they would not fall to the ground until spring. Corky loved oak trees.
He did not need a key; the front door was already open.
Sarah
When Sarah and Jay started the bookstore, they had little expectation of making a profit; but they hoped to break-even the first couple of years. The economy was booming, but they knew that a start-up business does poorly until it’s established. They tightened their belts and made the best of things, eating home grown vegetables, using coupons, wearing last year’s clothes and walking everywhere they could. Then they disconnected the cable, gave up the cell phone, and stopped the paper. It was not enough. The business seemed to be a hungry animal, chewing up most of their savings and even eating into their small retirement fund. They continued to hope, working 70 hours a week, streamlining inventory, and advertising as much as possible.
One day when Sarah arrived home, the house didn’t just seem empty, it seemed abandoned. A stack of paper was in the middle of the desk and things looked out of place. It wasn’t long before she discovered that Jay was gone…and with him the rest of the savings account, anything of value in the house, and the car. The foreclosure notices, credit card statements, and installment loan coupon books stared at her from where he had left them.
Sarah left town the next day.
Corky
Corky set his bag on the table inside of the doorway and started up the stairs in the dark. Lovemaking was first on the agenda; then dinner and wine by candlelight after. His pulse quickened as he climbed the stairs, closer and closer to the room at the end of the hall. He had tried to follow the directions given to him by phone earlier in the day and had finally arrived about an hour later than he planned. At last he reached the door and paused for just a second to take a deep breath. He slowly pushed it open and entered the room. She was there, in bed, gauze curtains barely hiding the sight of her: beautiful......and waiting. By the time he reached the bed, he was undressed as well.
Sarah
Sarah met Corky in the spring. As she tried to pinpoint the exact date, all she could think about was spring. She remembered the earth smelling musty and damp, the feeling of freedom as she started life over in a new place with new optimism. Even a simple walk in the evening was exciting as she shed her old life and the pain from Jay’s betrayal started to fade. The sign on the front of the building said “Counter Help Wanted” so she went inside the shop.
When she first saw Corky, she saw only his butt sticking out from under the hood of a car. When the rest of him emerged, she was startled. Such intense blue eyes! He stared at her and she stared back at him. What followed was an affair so intense that the two of them stopped every other activity to be with each other. Now, six months later, the passion was cooling off like the weather. They had started meeting each other in unusual places to keep the excitement high. This latest place was Sarah’s idea. While house-hunting, she had unlocked a window in the utility room of one really nice house she had visited. She and Corky would be back later for a private tour.
Corky
Dinner was served late of course. The food wasn’t as good at 4:00 in the morning, but the lovers did not care. By 6:00 a.m. they had cleaned up the mess, erasing all signs that they had been in the house. Now they were loading Corky’s car; smiling at each other as they stowed their bags in the back seat.
By 7:30 a.m. it started to rain and the road turned icy. At 7:47 a.m. Corky lost control of the Plymouth and it rolled off the interstate, down into the ditch, flipped over twice, and landed on its top. By the time the state troopers arrived, both passengers were already dead. The radio was still on - draining the last of the battery. A local station was playing a song called “One in a Million, Chance of a Lifetime”, and the smell of gasoline hung heavy in the cold air.
Bob
The tow truck rumbled along the side of the highway and then parked. Bob got ready to work his fourth accident of the morning. He looked down at the Plymouth and said under his breath: “What a bummer, that’s a nice ride”. He got right to the task and soon had the car taken care of. A trooper handed him two white trash bags he said he found on the side of the road. “What’s in those?” asked Bob. “I don’t know.” said the trooper, “I think they belong with the car. Maybe they fell out when the car flipped over.”
Bob opened the trash bags and saw leftovers, an empty wine bottle, sheets, pillowcases and a few candle stubs. “Someone must have had a party” he thought, as he tossed the bags into the tow truck and drove away.
Sarah
It was late when he showed up….his car steaming and dripping in the cold rain. Sarah was awake, listening for the slam of the door, so distinctive that no other car she had ever heard made the exact same clunking noise. When she heard it, every hair on her body seemed to wake up. She shivered as the heater came on and started to blow into the room. “Here we go” she thought.
2. Corky
Corky paused before getting out of the car. Except for his breathing, the only noise was a ticking sound from the engine. Leather creaked as he shifted his weight and pushed against the driver’s door. Last summer he had taken a jack to it so that it closed right. Now the door made a clunking noise when it shut. Opening it required Corky to shift his shoulder and lean just right to pop the catch. Once out of the car, he approached the house which was almost completely hidden behind massive oak trees. He thought to himself that it was a bit like being in church. The huge trees muffled noise and gently whispered above him. Although the leaves were brown and wet, they would not fall to the ground until spring. Corky loved oak trees.
He did not need a key; the front door was already open.
Sarah
When Sarah and Jay started the bookstore, they had little expectation of making a profit; but they hoped to break-even the first couple of years. The economy was booming, but they knew that a start-up business does poorly until it’s established. They tightened their belts and made the best of things, eating home grown vegetables, using coupons, wearing last year’s clothes and walking everywhere they could. Then they disconnected the cable, gave up the cell phone, and stopped the paper. It was not enough. The business seemed to be a hungry animal, chewing up most of their savings and even eating into their small retirement fund. They continued to hope, working 70 hours a week, streamlining inventory, and advertising as much as possible.
One day when Sarah arrived home, the house didn’t just seem empty, it seemed abandoned. A stack of paper was in the middle of the desk and things looked out of place. It wasn’t long before she discovered that Jay was gone…and with him the rest of the savings account, anything of value in the house, and the car. The foreclosure notices, credit card statements, and installment loan coupon books stared at her from where he had left them.
Sarah left town the next day.
Corky
Corky set his bag on the table inside of the doorway and started up the stairs in the dark. Lovemaking was first on the agenda; then dinner and wine by candlelight after. His pulse quickened as he climbed the stairs, closer and closer to the room at the end of the hall. He had tried to follow the directions given to him by phone earlier in the day and had finally arrived about an hour later than he planned. At last he reached the door and paused for just a second to take a deep breath. He slowly pushed it open and entered the room. She was there, in bed, gauze curtains barely hiding the sight of her: beautiful......and waiting. By the time he reached the bed, he was undressed as well.
Sarah
Sarah met Corky in the spring. As she tried to pinpoint the exact date, all she could think about was spring. She remembered the earth smelling musty and damp, the feeling of freedom as she started life over in a new place with new optimism. Even a simple walk in the evening was exciting as she shed her old life and the pain from Jay’s betrayal started to fade. The sign on the front of the building said “Counter Help Wanted” so she went inside the shop.
When she first saw Corky, she saw only his butt sticking out from under the hood of a car. When the rest of him emerged, she was startled. Such intense blue eyes! He stared at her and she stared back at him. What followed was an affair so intense that the two of them stopped every other activity to be with each other. Now, six months later, the passion was cooling off like the weather. They had started meeting each other in unusual places to keep the excitement high. This latest place was Sarah’s idea. While house-hunting, she had unlocked a window in the utility room of one really nice house she had visited. She and Corky would be back later for a private tour.
Corky
Dinner was served late of course. The food wasn’t as good at 4:00 in the morning, but the lovers did not care. By 6:00 a.m. they had cleaned up the mess, erasing all signs that they had been in the house. Now they were loading Corky’s car; smiling at each other as they stowed their bags in the back seat.
By 7:30 a.m. it started to rain and the road turned icy. At 7:47 a.m. Corky lost control of the Plymouth and it rolled off the interstate, down into the ditch, flipped over twice, and landed on its top. By the time the state troopers arrived, both passengers were already dead. The radio was still on - draining the last of the battery. A local station was playing a song called “One in a Million, Chance of a Lifetime”, and the smell of gasoline hung heavy in the cold air.
Bob
The tow truck rumbled along the side of the highway and then parked. Bob got ready to work his fourth accident of the morning. He looked down at the Plymouth and said under his breath: “What a bummer, that’s a nice ride”. He got right to the task and soon had the car taken care of. A trooper handed him two white trash bags he said he found on the side of the road. “What’s in those?” asked Bob. “I don’t know.” said the trooper, “I think they belong with the car. Maybe they fell out when the car flipped over.”
Bob opened the trash bags and saw leftovers, an empty wine bottle, sheets, pillowcases and a few candle stubs. “Someone must have had a party” he thought, as he tossed the bags into the tow truck and drove away.
Monday, January 1, 2007
The Banana Spider in the Window
The Banana Spider in the Window
by
Cynthia Ascanio
The banana spider crawled into the cowboy boot just after midnight. Jacky was sound asleep and oblivious to the event.
Jacky’s week on the island was over and what a week it had turned out to be!
Through each weapons search at the airport, flight delays, and greasy fast food, she kept telling herself “I will have a good vacation, I will. I deserve to get away and have some fun, I do.” When she finally arrived at her destination (17 hours later than planned) a pretty dark-haired girl smiled and motioned for her to duck her head to accept the wreath of flowers placed around her neck. From that point forward, things started to go right for Jacky Johnson.
Jacky scuba-dived, dined on expertly prepared meals fresh from the sea, drank all the wine she wanted, and slept late every day. She started to turn brown from the sun. By the sixth day, she had lost track of time (no watch), the ups and downs of the stock market (no TV), and her carefully planned budget (plastic was so easy to use!).
In an attempt to squeeze the most out of her time on the island, Jacky signed up for a horseback ride by the ocean. She bought a cheap pair of boots, a straw hat, and a red bandana. Her knees hurt when the ride was over, but she enjoyed it more than she thought she would. What took Jacky by surprise was how tired she felt after dinner. She fell into bed exhausted and slept her last night away without dreaming or waking.
The next morning, Jacky called room service and started to pack her things. She looked at the cheap boots (already cracked where they bent into the stirrup), and considered leaving them behind, but decided at the last minute to take them home in the duffel bag.
Back to her everyday life, Jacky unpacked and did laundry. The boots ended up in the back of the closet. She downloaded her pictures and showed everyone at work how much fun she had on vacation.
The banana spider was no longer dormant. Tucked into the toe of one cowboy boot, she spun a protective web and slept. She got her name from the banana shaped mark where her deadly poison was produced, just below her head. She laid her eggs and then crawled out of the boot, making her way to the window next to the king-size bed in the master bedroom.
Summer ended and Jacky needed to air the house. She took a few days off and worked her way through the house ending up in the bedroom. She spent a few minutes pulling back curtains and raising blinds before using a duster, (one of those colorful static-cling kind) on the sill.
Something landed on Jacky’s hand and she looked down in visceral horror at a large green spider. In the next instant the banana spider bit Jacky in the webbing between her thumb and first finger.
Jacky was dead in about five minutes, paralyzed, unable to move or cry out. She died next to the bed, within reach of the telephone, no longer able to breathe in and out.
The offspring of the banana spider, just hatched that morning, smelled death and filed out of the closet (all 147 of them), to investigate.
The end.
by
Cynthia Ascanio
The banana spider crawled into the cowboy boot just after midnight. Jacky was sound asleep and oblivious to the event.
Jacky’s week on the island was over and what a week it had turned out to be!
Through each weapons search at the airport, flight delays, and greasy fast food, she kept telling herself “I will have a good vacation, I will. I deserve to get away and have some fun, I do.” When she finally arrived at her destination (17 hours later than planned) a pretty dark-haired girl smiled and motioned for her to duck her head to accept the wreath of flowers placed around her neck. From that point forward, things started to go right for Jacky Johnson.
Jacky scuba-dived, dined on expertly prepared meals fresh from the sea, drank all the wine she wanted, and slept late every day. She started to turn brown from the sun. By the sixth day, she had lost track of time (no watch), the ups and downs of the stock market (no TV), and her carefully planned budget (plastic was so easy to use!).
In an attempt to squeeze the most out of her time on the island, Jacky signed up for a horseback ride by the ocean. She bought a cheap pair of boots, a straw hat, and a red bandana. Her knees hurt when the ride was over, but she enjoyed it more than she thought she would. What took Jacky by surprise was how tired she felt after dinner. She fell into bed exhausted and slept her last night away without dreaming or waking.
The next morning, Jacky called room service and started to pack her things. She looked at the cheap boots (already cracked where they bent into the stirrup), and considered leaving them behind, but decided at the last minute to take them home in the duffel bag.
Back to her everyday life, Jacky unpacked and did laundry. The boots ended up in the back of the closet. She downloaded her pictures and showed everyone at work how much fun she had on vacation.
The banana spider was no longer dormant. Tucked into the toe of one cowboy boot, she spun a protective web and slept. She got her name from the banana shaped mark where her deadly poison was produced, just below her head. She laid her eggs and then crawled out of the boot, making her way to the window next to the king-size bed in the master bedroom.
Summer ended and Jacky needed to air the house. She took a few days off and worked her way through the house ending up in the bedroom. She spent a few minutes pulling back curtains and raising blinds before using a duster, (one of those colorful static-cling kind) on the sill.
Something landed on Jacky’s hand and she looked down in visceral horror at a large green spider. In the next instant the banana spider bit Jacky in the webbing between her thumb and first finger.
Jacky was dead in about five minutes, paralyzed, unable to move or cry out. She died next to the bed, within reach of the telephone, no longer able to breathe in and out.
The offspring of the banana spider, just hatched that morning, smelled death and filed out of the closet (all 147 of them), to investigate.
The end.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
2006 Retrospective - It's all about yoga....
January: I teach my first ever yoga class. There are 23 students (and my teacher) present for the hour long class! Though I needed to speak up louder, it went well. I was so wound up that I had trouble sleeping that night - it was all I had hoped for and dreamed about.
February: My first paycheck from teaching yoga - February 4, 2006 (I give it away to the person who made it possible). One yoga teacher and good friend celebrates her 30th birthday, and another moves away -leaving for Texas at the end of the month. I have to accept that teachers do sometimes leave, it's up to me to continue my practice without them.
March: So that we can share images as well as text in our e-mail, we purchase a digital camera. Many long hours of research went into the decision and once it arrives, many more hours are spent practicing and learning the features and capabilities of the Canon.
April: Purple Pansies!
May: My former teacher (and now close personal friend) visits from Texas and we attend two different classes together. This is the apex of my now 3-year old practice. I am strong and flexible. My endurance is better than ever, and I feel wonderful. The world of yoga is at my fingertips.
June, July, August: I injure my lumbar spine on the first camping trip of the year. How? Don't really know. Did it just happen on the camping trip or was it cumulative? Don't really know. What will my yoga practice be like from now on? Don't really know. A spinal surgeon recommends surgery -and I agree to it. My first ever surgical procedure takes place on July 21st. The results from the microdiskectomy are positive, my nerve damage begins to heal slowly.
September: We are able to vacation in Arkansas. I hike and swim and begin each day with a short outdoor yoga practice. Slowly and with great mindfulness of my limitations in forward bends and spinal twists, I approach my practice. By the middle of September I return to the recreation center, teaching one night per week. We attend the Yoga Journal Colorado Conference in Estes Park. I attend classes from some of the best teachers in the world.
October: I attend teacher training in Oklahoma, YogaFit Level 2 - good thing I had been practicing headstand as that proved to be the focus of the second master class on Sunday.
November and December are spent on the interior of the house - we basically had to move out. New carpeting was laid throughout the living areas and bedrooms over a span of two weeks.
Christmas: with my family and my friends - and yoga as my refuge from a chaotic world.
February: My first paycheck from teaching yoga - February 4, 2006 (I give it away to the person who made it possible). One yoga teacher and good friend celebrates her 30th birthday, and another moves away -leaving for Texas at the end of the month. I have to accept that teachers do sometimes leave, it's up to me to continue my practice without them.
March: So that we can share images as well as text in our e-mail, we purchase a digital camera. Many long hours of research went into the decision and once it arrives, many more hours are spent practicing and learning the features and capabilities of the Canon.
April: Purple Pansies!
May: My former teacher (and now close personal friend) visits from Texas and we attend two different classes together. This is the apex of my now 3-year old practice. I am strong and flexible. My endurance is better than ever, and I feel wonderful. The world of yoga is at my fingertips.
June, July, August: I injure my lumbar spine on the first camping trip of the year. How? Don't really know. Did it just happen on the camping trip or was it cumulative? Don't really know. What will my yoga practice be like from now on? Don't really know. A spinal surgeon recommends surgery -and I agree to it. My first ever surgical procedure takes place on July 21st. The results from the microdiskectomy are positive, my nerve damage begins to heal slowly.
September: We are able to vacation in Arkansas. I hike and swim and begin each day with a short outdoor yoga practice. Slowly and with great mindfulness of my limitations in forward bends and spinal twists, I approach my practice. By the middle of September I return to the recreation center, teaching one night per week. We attend the Yoga Journal Colorado Conference in Estes Park. I attend classes from some of the best teachers in the world.
October: I attend teacher training in Oklahoma, YogaFit Level 2 - good thing I had been practicing headstand as that proved to be the focus of the second master class on Sunday.
November and December are spent on the interior of the house - we basically had to move out. New carpeting was laid throughout the living areas and bedrooms over a span of two weeks.
Christmas: with my family and my friends - and yoga as my refuge from a chaotic world.
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