foundations first.

i'm feeling better. still have a lingering cold, but it's not bad. 

today and tomorrow i'll be at yoga squared for the foundations first workshop taught by jill!

i think it's the jump start i'll need to get back to practicing next week.

only practiced 2 days last week, but it was totally necessary to take off. 

i'm stoked for today! yay!

musings from the mat.

surya namaskara 1: "oooh. this feels funny. i cant bend over. ok, fine, i'll bend my knees in uttanasana."

surya 2: "i'm just gonna keep on bending those knees, i feel like the tin man in the wizard of oz."

surya 3: "after two days of no practice, should it really be this hard to do a chaturanga dandasana?"

surya 4: "oooh. ok, the hamstrings are opening.. still feel like a tin man."

surya 5: "last one... then 5 more."

surya B's: "i'll just keep on stepping back instead of jumping. amanda, you're taking it easy for the first day back. you know, you haven't had a mysore practice since thursday... doesn't mean you didn't practice... but its like you were gone for 5 days."

eventually, my mind quieted. got through my practice. it was hard getting to y2. the ice, the sleet, feeling like i wanted to sleep although i went to bed at 9:40 last night and woke up at 5:40am today.. meaning i got 8 hours. i'm coming down with some kind of sore throat. i think i might take off again tomorrow. i need rest. this nanny job is draining. and the babies spread diseases like wildfire. 

on garbha p. 

rolling is becoming less fearful. and i'm trying to keep my hands on my head when i roll, which is hard to do, but that's what i'm working on. i got all the way around. and my teacher helped me roll up for kukutasana, although i chose to roll back and forth a bit to work on rolling up on my own.

that is all.

a weak week, as jill would say.

sunday: led primary in balto.

monday: moonday and podiatry appt.

tuesday: foot rest day.

wednesday: mysore.

thursday: unknown?

friday: rest day/date with asher at night?

saturday/sunday: foundations first. 

structure vs. chaos, or why i love led primary counted in sanskrit!

i like structure. i like ashtanga. i like the living tradition. 

i do not like chaos. i do not like it when led primary is not counted in sanskrit. i do not like it when tradition is fucked with!

more on led primary: for some reason i thought all led primary classes are counted in sanskrit. ekam dve trini! that's what i fell in love with when i first took a led class. i was like, 'wow, this is beautiful!" i like the count. i like knowing when to inhale and exhale. without the count, it's chaos. pure chaos. i felt like i was waiting to exhale, when everyone else was already folded over and getting through 5 breaths in whatever pose we were doing. 

i guess i'm spoiled. during the first six months of my ashtanga practice, i got to practice in california. they counted in sanskrit. it was organized. everyone moved at the same pace (for the most part). it worked. here in philly, we have jill-ji who has an awesome count! i've also heard katherine's count is pretty rocking. i don't take many led classes here because of my schedule, but we count in sanskrit here in philly! they count in sanskrit in new york, well at least eddie stern does!

in baltimore, there was no sanskrit. i don't remember my summer practices. i practiced a few days a week, led classes only. they don't have mysore! i really don't remember if they counted in sanskrit or not. damn. i'm losing my mind. 

today's led primary was basically like any old vinyasa class. i'm very disappointed. i'm obviously a disgruntled ashtangi who takes her practice way tooooo seriously! :) but seriously, for the love of guriji and the practice. let's count in sanskrit. please.

pancakes laced with ambien, or my trip to baltimore in 10 points or less.

1- took 2.5 hours to get here. a plate full of food. played scrabble and lost. cuddled sister. slept.

2- sat. am: vinyasa yoga with sister.

3- pancakes and fake sausage for brunch. entire family except mother fell asleep right after!

4- walmart with dad. bought 48 rolls of toilet paper!

5- papermoon diner with owen and abby, i finally confessed how i think babies are secret sanskrit scholars. gaaaa gaaaa khhaa khaaa.

6- patterson theatre/creative alliance for kitty club. saw some peeps.

7- left show at intermission to come home and write this blog.

8- laundry next.

9- bed before midnight.

10-led primary tomorrow at charm city yoga, then brunch, coffee, philly!

bruises. parking tickets. and the sutra.

i was standing in front of the mirror and i noticed bruises on the back of my arms. i know it's from garbha p. 

i got my first parking ticket tonight when i went to go clean y2. i put a dime in the meter and got 3 minutes. and that's all i had. so i figured that i'll probably get a ticket and i did. i know that i shouldn't drive to center city. but i just didn't feel like waiting for the bus any more today. i'm tired and it cost me $36 to be tired.

i woke up at 5:30am today to go to y2 but i felt like i needed more sleep so i skipped practice. i decided to go to yoga sutra for mary flinn's mysore in the evening. there were about 8 people there. the sounds from center city were loud. the lights were bright. the heat was up. i felt kind of out of place. but i just practiced and focused on my breath. i definitely love practicing at y2. i love my teacher. i love my community. i love the space. yoga sutra is very business. mary was a good teacher. she assisted me in most of the poses that my teacher assists me in. and that's the end of that.

off to bed. then off to work. then off to b-more. then doing some vinyasa class on sat. and a led primary on sun. woo woo. 

this is MY outfit.

this is in d.c. the weekend after my grandma passed. that is her necklace. i think i like black shirts and jeans.

or white tshirts and jeans. that will be my staple outfit for the summer. white tshirts and jeans. yummy.

glass in foot.

i told my teacher last week that after my weekend of workshops and fun in ny, i would talk to my boss about the glass in my foot. 

so today, i asked my boss to look at it and she said to schedule an appt. with a podiatrist and that she would pay for it to be removed. (i guess it's good to work for doctors...) she gave me two people to call and i scheduled an appt. for monday, jan. 26th. i'm excited to get this glass out finally. it's been there for far too long.. probably since october. i know i'll have to take a few days or maybe a week off... but i'm ok with that. 

this is what needs to be done.

life is calling. are you there?

ashtanga ny. a mini-photodocumentary.

my weekly calendar via dry erase board: what does it say?

sat. go to adam's by 1:15pm. dropbacks 2-5. sleep@ jill's. 8:30.pm

sun. nyc! eddie's shala w/ jill m. leave by 4:30am! (clean pm?)
self-portrait in the guest room, 9:20pm sat.
charlie in the kitchen, 4:20am sun.
a determined jill. driving in inclement weather! (approx. 6:30am, sun)
making our way through the lincoln tunnel, 7:27am sun.
c and k, led primary after-glow! (approx. 10am, sun)
getting ready to listen to eddie stern's lecture, (approx. 10 am, sun)

tick tock tick tock.

it's 2:30 am. i'm awake. wide-eyed. mysore time ticking away in the background. thoughts of guriji, india, david, philly, nyc, backbends, socks, indian food, vegan cupcakes, garbha p. running through my head.

couldn't fall asleep. can't stay asleep.

i'm excited for ashtanga new york. leaving with jill-ji and doug in a few hours.

maybe i'll nap in the car?

lots of blogs to look forward to: maybe some photos from today... thoughts on backbending... some photos from the past few weeks? we shall see.

how are things going?

on my goals:

dairy consumption has been cut back drastically. still eating indian food with dairy but i try to take lactaid pills and that normally helps.

sugar.. not putting it in coffee... not eating candy.. but still eating occasional sweets... it's the winter. i'm hibernating, obviously! 

garbha p! my arms in. they touch my face. and i'm beginning to almost make it around 9 times.. getting into kukutasana afterwards is another story.

honesty... sometimes i still lie to myself. i'm trying not to.

positivity... think i'm doing alright. occasional set backs, here and there. 

photoshop course: haven't thought about it yet.

computer time... still on it a lot... it's time to cut back though.  i have books i'm reading now! yay.

things to look forward to:

a workshop tomorrow called: looking forward while dropping back by jill manning. going with adam and i'm super excited!

going to eddie stern's shala in NYC for the first time ever with jill and whoever else is in the car.. going to the led class and workshop. i'm excited but nervous because i haven't taken a led class in a while. oh well! it will be fun and hard, i'm sure.

sage! (circa thanksgiving)

sage, cowering in the spotlight.    

sage, pretty in profile.

weekend in baltimore.

family portraits on the purple sofa!
sisters!!!

went to baltimore for my sister's graduation party and graduation ceremony. i had a blast mingling with all the people at the party. and got to return to my alma mater to make fun of it! ha! this weekend i ate too many cookies, but i had a blast.

xoxo.

hair cut.

i just cut my hair and it looks pretty horrible. i don't know what i was thinking. it was just so thick and bulky. normally i do a decent job... but i'm out of tune. i actually haven't cut my own hair in a while. my last two hair cuts were by professionals.... it took from october until now for my hair to look good after my last hair cut. and now i just messed it up real bad. 

i guess i'll be wearing my hat... not that i don't wear it everyday... all day. even in yoga (at least during the surya's).

i have a fantasy of having long hair. but it never happens. i was growing out my mop of a head this summer and i ended up with a mullet... got it cut in philly while visiting... i just have little patience for hair. 

i've shaved it twice and i asked asher if i should just shave it and start over and he said no... don't go there..

a shaved head was not a good look for me.. although if it were... i would shave it every month. 

sigh... oh goodness.

there are things i believe in... aka always listen to your motha!

i believe in pre-determined destiny and i believe in free-will. i believe we have choices to make in our life that will either positively or negatively effect our path. i believe Hashem (my g-d) will lead me in the right direction. i just have to trust and listen to myself to find the way.

i believe in listening to my mother. (most of the time). i believe she knows what is right when it comes to staying alive, as she has been alive 27 years more than me. she always told me to wear a helmet and i still always wear a helmet. i always try to get my friends to wear helmets. it's just something i believe in.

i know other's believe in helmets. i've heard stories. "i was riding my bike late at night, a woman hit me, my head hit the curb, the helmet saved my life." i believe the helmet is connected to our path. we can choose to wear one or choose not to wear one. some of us are lucky and never get hit. some of us are not so lucky, get hit and are saved by our helmet, our protection.

i got a text this morning from my amazing friend, "the helmet you made me buy saved my life last night. i got hit by a car. im ok. the man got arrested for dwi."

this confirms my belief even more. i have my helmet in my closet for when i choose to start riding a bike... but for now, i walk. and i hope i walk in the right direction. a direction where i listen to myself and always follow my beliefs. even if i look like a major dork in my helmet.

ashtanga anniversary and pineapples galore!

i remember my first class...

 i had bought my two week unlimited pass for yoga works in orange county and was dabbling with all kinds of yoga at the costa mesa and huntington beach studios. i tried iyengar (twice!), some vinyasa flows, a restorative, kundalini (multiple times, but i just couldn't hack it!) and finally, the last class i decided to try before my trial pass was up was an ashtanga led primary class taught by suzy gill. since the name ashtanga was something i had never heard of, i decided to do a little research before heading over to costa mesa to try it at 7am on a sunday. i found videos on you tube but not a whole lot of information on what i would be getting myself into. 

i remember going into the room. suzy gill was practicing on the mat next to me. i kind of had a feeling she was the teacher, but i wasn't sure. there were fresh flowers in the room, some candles. a very nice atmosphere to practice yoga. the room filled up with a ton of people. i really didn't know what i was getting myself into. suzy counted in sanskrit and it resonated in me. even though i didn't know all the names of the poses, many of them were familiar once i was in them. i looked across the room at people when i didn't know what bhujapidasana was. the led class was hard, but i could handle it. for some reason i decided that this was it. this was the yogasana that i had been looking for. i had been on a asana journey for a few years. dabbling in hatha, obsessing in bikram, trying a fake bikram and finally making my way to yoga works and finding ashtanga. i'm glad it was the last class i tried there because i knew that i had tried every kind of yoga there was... and ashtanga was it. 

i don't remember much else about my first class. but i do remember wanting to go back and do it again. i kept taking led classes on saturdays (with rachel) and sundays (with suzy) while doing my work study with yoga works huntington beach. i learned a lot from both of these women. rachel held me up in my first headstand. suzy would come over and make sure i wasn't causing any trouble on the mat. i still remember her telling me to put my palm down on the ground and relax my head in ardha baddha padmottanasana. 

i remember seeing mysore listed on the website, but not fully understanding what it was. i did a little research and decided i couldn't do mysore style because i hadn't memorized the sequence. i also was scared out of my mind.  i do regret not starting mysore earlier, but i found an amazing studio here in philly and have an awesome teacher who started me on a fantastic mysore journey. 

it's been a year since i found ashtanga and i wanted to thank everyone who has influenced me, or taught me, or listened to me talk about asana and what not.

i also had a tradition of buying a pineapple on fridays, cutting it up, putting it into tupperware and into the fridge. it was my yoga pineapple. i would eat it after led classes on the weekend. it's been a while since the pineapple, so i bought some cut up pineapple tonight to celebrate my journey. 

happy 1 year ashtanga!

what am i excited for?

my sister graduating college next weekend! (yay! she's all grown up!)

ashtanga yoga workshop: foundations first with jill on jan 31st/feb 1. (need to sign up for this!)

eddie's led class in nyc on jan 18th! (paid for!)

a week of mysore and a led class with david in march! (deposit down..)

rolling in garbha p! (working on it!)

bringing in the new year right.

this week was full of asana practice. sunday mysore. monday mysore and vinyasa. tuesday mysore. wednesday mysore. thursday vinyasa. friday mysore. i also "taught" a little on monday and tuesday.

i am sore, but in a very rewarding way. 

i went to wake up yoga on new years day and got to practice with an amazing teacher, jill manning, and a very welcoming and warm community. there were a bunch of folks from y2 there and it felt very good to connect to them in a different studio/atmosphere. wake up yoga fairmount was super adorable. i like that there is no front desk or waiting room. you walk in and you're in it! in it to win it! i've never seen a studio set up this way and i think i love it. :)

jill played her harmonium while we chanted and that was also a treat! sooo fun. 

today i opened up y2 for a freestyle mysore practice because jill is sick. (feel better!) 5 of us practiced together with no teacher.. it was very quiet and quite beautiful. i think practicing on your own is hard... but with other yogi's... the energy picks up a bit and it's somewhat easier. 

i did try and roll in garbha p. didn't make it all the way around... working on it... "round things roll!!!" i kept saying this in my head after hearing jill say that during wednesday mysore. 

been doing a lot of backbending this week. i feel open. 

i also feel tired. now i must take rest.