things are changing.

Life doesn't always pan out as we plan it to.. Things change and that's a good thing. For fucking sure!

I'm in the process of switching jobs. Going from nanny (poopy diapers) to waitressing (shitty customers? haha. only 1/2 the time..) I'll be waiting tables at Dmitri's in Northern Libs, which is a rock throws distance away from my apt. (My bike is actually always parked in front of D's, so if you don't see my bike, it means I'm out and about!)

The family I work for knows that I'm leaving them eventually. We didn't pick a date, but I did tell them that I will need to cut back to part time when I start to hustle people for tips by giving them plates of octopus and hummus. The family I work for is expecting a 2nd child in mid-February. The mom will be staying home full time, so I know they will be ok when I tell them that I am ready to go for good. For now, I will stay part time and see them through the transition into full on parenthood. (1 kid is a breeze, 2 seems like hell in a handbasket!)

I'm about half-way through teacher training at WakeUp yoga. That's a doozie. If you think that a 250-hour certification is easy, well think again! It's massively time consuming, but fabulously fun. I'm making the greatest friends and learning the art and science of teaching asana, among other things. My practice has been half vinyasa, half ashtanga (the ashtanga half is more like a quarter, but let's pretend, for my sake that it's half and half).

We finish the program at the end of April and I can't say that I'm not excited for the end. I'm excited to get my weekends back, but i'll be a little sad when I have no more workshops or weekends of intensive yoga stuff to do...

Jill comes in April for a week long Early Morning Retreat Week. 5 days of early morning Jill!! I signed up, but need to hand in my money in order to be on the list. You know I'll be doing that ASAP to secure a spot.

I'm excited to start the journey at Dmitri's. I'm looking forward to reclaiming my early morning yoga practices. I'm stoked to have my days free to leisurely drink tea and make food and eat well and just be all around free to do whatever it is I want to do.

I went to Tina's Ayurvedic workshop on Saturday for TT. That was fabulous. I tried to write a blog about just that earlier, but the words were just not there. She's extremely smart and funny. I had a blast. I learned that i'm a Vata-Pitta Dosha. (look up Vata Dosha and tell me that doesn't describe me to a T!) ha. I'm fascinated by the Ayurvedic lifestyle. I am taking it all in and incorporating what I can (daily rituals: dry brush and oil, tongue scraper. eating largest meal of the day around 12. getting to bed by 10.. when i'm not working. having my bed be forsex and sleep.. using the 6 tastes ..sweet. salty. sour. pungent. bitter. astringent.. in as many meals as possible..)

Anyway, lots going on. lots changing. I feel like I'm growing up.

practice.

haven't practiced since tina's class on monday night. i feel horrible. tomorrow i am back on the mat.. not sure of the location (home, y2, other) or even what style (led, mysore, vinyasa, flopping around like a sick fish...)

i need the practice. i need some stability. practice is not steady right now. mind is not steady.

oh the trials and tribulations of my life.

a homeless man once said...

On Saturday, in between practicing yoga at Wakeup and working on my yoga class plan, I went to La Colombe with Asher and Morgan. It was a warm winter day, so we decided to sit in Rittenhouse park while drinking our caffeinated beverages. Asher told me that I had hot sauce on my face, so I proceeded to lick my fingers and wipe it off. A homeless man across the way from us, jumped into our conversation and told me how to deal with my "spots." (aka acne). He told me to use Noxzema as a face wash and then to put alcohol with water into the sink and to rub the alcohol rinse onto my face. I just sat there smirking and he told me not to laugh. (I wasn't). He said he knows about good skin and he's 48 and he knows. Anyway, the point of this story is that I bought Noxzema tonight.. I think i'll try it out.. but not the alcohol bath.

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oh what a night!

Yesterday I had a test run at Dmitri's to see if I could 'hustle.' A try out.

I worked all day (8:30-4:30) as the nanny, and then I was off...

I got to Dmitri's by 4:40, sat in Fitler's Square and found some composure. Went inside early, as I'd rather be early than on time or late. I sat with the Bartender and we talked a bit until the Manager came. Manager talked to me about how the night would go. I had coffee and dinner and people started to fill in the restaurant.

I basically brought food to table, bussed tables, filled waters, etc. I did all the jobs that a server would do, except I didn't take orders and I didn't bring alcoholic beverages to the tables. I had a freaking blast. The way the service is at Dmitri's is really great. All servers help each other. It's non-competitive. Tips are split at end of the night depending on how many hours you were there. It's like one big, somewhat happy, somewhat sweaty, serving family. I really enjoyed my time. I was there from 5-9:30 and the time flew by. I was sweating. I was focused. I learned the menu pretty fast. Tattoos are great. Clothing is casual. Laid back attitude. The manager said he would send a text to the Manager of the Northern Libs. Location and let her know that I did a fabulous job. He and some of the other servers checked in with me through out the night to see how I was doing and I said great everytime. I love being busy. I love making money fast. This is what I need to do...

When I got off, I got a Kenzinger and sat at the bar and just took the whole experience in.

I hopped on my bike after and enjoyed my almost 4 mile trek home.. The streets were really empty last night and I just coasted along. It was warm enough that I didn't need a face warmer. I was extremely high on endorphins.

I'm 99.9% positive that this job is mine. I'd like to say 100%.. but you never know.

All the love in the world. xo

practice makes sense.

Jill is blogging from India and people are reading and by people I mean specifically: me.

I've been thinking about practice. Specifically in regards to Vinyasa yoga. I am in teacher training for Vinyasa yoga and I'm starting to create a class plan which, with a little tweaking here and there, will probably be the class I teach for my final. There are so many little bits and pieces to put together and it's slightly overwhelming to me.

Ashtanga Yoga makes sense to me. I see how the sequence is pieced together. I see it and I feel it. I practice it and I study it and I understand it.

I am not saying that I do not understand Vinyasa yoga. That is not true. I understand it, but sometimes sequencing doesn't seem like it 'fits together.'

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I went to Tina's class tonight and I'M SO GLAD I DID!!!! (getting to the mat is seriously the hardest part...biking... cold weather.. makes for a difficult journey). This class, I can say from the bottom of my heart, was very much based off of the Ashtanga method. It made sense to me. This is how I want to teach. Simple sequencing. Less talking, more silence pauses. Less is more. I can appreciate an intricate vinyasa yoga class, for fucking sure! I mean that takes work and when it's done well... you sweat and laugh and have fun and sweat and it's all around a good time.

For me, the reason I practice Ashtanga yoga is for the silence. The Silence that is created in my Mind. In mysore style class, you hear ujayi breath and silence. You might hear someone stomp a foot. Or laugh (ADAM!) Or a teacher teaching quietly to one student beside his or her mat You might here baby Julian say "yoga! or david!" But all and all it is the silence I am there for. In Ashtanga led class, you hear a count. Ekam, Inhale. Dve, Exhale. And in those moments, you know that you are Inhaling your arms out and above your head, palms touching, gaze thumbs. Exhaling folding forward, deeply in half, finger tips in line with toe tips. It's magical to be in a room full of people that know what is happening next, but still wait for the count to move on to the next asana. Anyway, this blog is just a ramble now... but what I wanted to say is just that I want my sequencing for this vinyasa open class plan to make the most sense. I am drawing from my experience in the Ashtanga Method to make this happen.

This blog is not about Ashtanga versus Vinyasa. One is not better than the other. It's all personal preference. Obviously Vinyasa sprouted from Ashtanga, so in reality, they are same same. Yoga is Yoga is Yoga. Practice is Practice, despite what method you are practicing.

Anyway, just needed to journal and didn't feel like writing it all by hand in my TT journal, so I figured I do it here for tonight.

goodnight my lovelies. goodmorning to jillji and kcdv in mysore!!

don't give up.

got this poster recently at print liberation (a shop in the piazza in no.libs.) it's great to look at every day when i walk into my apartment. i think i want a t-shirt that says this also. i would probably wear it everyday.
this is an old pic from my trip to brooklyn last year. q and k and i went out for coffee after i had practiced at guy's studio. i love this coffee cup design. 9th street espresso.

"out of the egg" by tina matthews

Out of the Egg by Tina Matthews:

One day a Red Hen found a green seed.

"Who will help me plant the seed?" she asked.

"Not I," said the Fat Cat.

"Not I," said the Dirty Rat.

"Not I," said the Greedy Pig.

"Then I shall plant it myself," said the Red Hen.

And she did.

Soon the seed began to sprout, but the sun was hot and it shone down on the seedling day in and day out. "Who will help me water the seedling?" asked the Red Hen. "Not I," said the Fat Cat, said the Dirty Rat, said the Greedy Pig. "Then I shall water it myself," said the Red Hen. And she did.

Every day the Red Hen fetched water, but as the tree grew up, so did the weeds around it. "Who will help me dig out the weeds?" asked the Red Hen. "Not I," said the Fat Cat, said the Dirty Rat, said the Greedy Pig. "Then I shall dig them out myself," said the Red Hen. And she did.

The winter came with the wind and the rain. "Who will help me shelter the tree?" asked the Red Hen. "Not I," said the Fat Cat, said the Dirty Rat, said the Greedy Pig. "Then I shall shelter it myself," said the Red Hen. And she did.

Through wild days and mild months and slow-turning years, the tree grew bigger. And one warm spring day the Red Hen found a safe place... and laid a perfect white egg.

Out of the egg hatched a little red chick.

And in good time a little cat, a little rat, and a little pig came out of the house and walked past the Red Hen on the hill. "Who will let us in to play under the tree?" said the little cat, said the little rat, said the little pig. "Not I!" said the Red Hen with a wry smile.

"Mum, that's MEAN!" said the little chick, and everyone else was very quiet. The Red Hen looked from the little cat and the little rat and the little pig to her own little chick. "Perhaps it is," said said softly. "Do you think I should ask them in?"

"No, I shall ask them myself," said the little red chick. And she did.

So the little cat, the little rat, the little pig, and the little chick played all day around and about the great green whispery tree. And when it was time to go home... the Red Hen gave them each a green seed.

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So this is what I'm thinking of starting my lead the Om with. I was going to relate this story to aparigraha, non-hoarding.. i think it could work. but at the same time, not sure. i still have a month to figure it out. from this story, i would go into talking about Om (bija/seed mantra) and that would get me started. ok that's all.

the little red hen.

i recently got a version of the little red hen that has a different, more positive ending.

i'm thinking about reading this short story to the TT class for the beginning of my 'lead the om.' (on feb. 3rd)

the lead the om is basically a 20 minute "opening" to a vinyasa class. we are all required to lead the om as a practice for becoming a teacher.

i want to read this story and relate it to the yama: aparigraha (non-hoarding, non-possessiveness). i think it works. i need to think on this, but i think it would be cool to tie this traditional story with a positive ending to yoga.

just a thought..

also, we have an open class plan due on jan. 20th and i started to plan mine yesterday. i'm going to practice it today and see if it flows and makes sense. i only got the standing parts done, when we get to the floor i'm not sure about how to put shoulder stand into the sequence. i need to talk to my mentor. or jill. yeah, that's what i gots to do. xo

2nd series.

This past weekend I went to David G's 2nd Series workshop.

We 'learned' 2nd series. Friday night a few asanas. Saturday a whole slew of asana (almost all of it). Sunday 2nd series led class (except the last pose where your leg is in bound lotus and you're on your back and we skipped the 7 headstands.).

I definitely learned a lot about the mechanics of the poses, I learned the vinyasa in and out of the asana, but when it comes down to it, I also forgot most of what I learned... I also can barely do any of this series. It was a humbling experience. I just bought Gregor Maele's "the intermediate series" book. I'm reading it before bed at night. I just am browsing and kind of relearning the asana in my head. I am fascinated with how this series is put together. Gregor really breaks it down in a cool way. I'll have to get my book out and pick out the things that have been catching my eye.

Y2 has moved their morning mysore to Dhyana @ Rittenhouse location. I went to David's led class on Friday, which he taught as a "vinyasa" style class. (I guess there were a lot of newbies there to Ashtanga). We only did half primary. I was disappointed. I was so ready for the count and for the sweat and for the meditative quality of the led class. Oh well. Sundays are led primary days. I can't go this week because I have TT at 11 on Sunday and I have a feeling that getting finished at 10:45 from led will cause me to be late and I can't be late!! I'll get in trouble. haha.

I'm tired. I just spoke to JILL!!! on skype! Hi Jill!!!!! Good luck at registering at the Shala!! (She's in Mysore!! and it's hot there, be jealous, I am!!) :)

goodnight.

6 changes.

I was reading Christina's blog and her most recent post is about 6 changes for the new year, for a new life it seems as well. I'm definitely into making new year's resolutions that will not only impact your year, but your entire life. I like the concept of having only 6 new changes, giving yourself 2 months for each goal.

Here are mine:

1) No white foods: sugar, bread, rice, etc. (only brown rice, brown bread, etc. and agave/honey will my choice of sweetener if I decide to use it at all)

2) Think before speaking and really decide to use my words for the positive. (no shit talking.)

3) Honesty with myself so I can be honest with others. (this is always reoccurring...)

4) Continue to spend time alone with myself and take myself on "self dates"

5) Figure out a hobby and devote time to exploring it and enjoying it

6) Start to be more aware of how I spend my money.. put more into savings, less into buying stuff I don't need..

Do you have any changes you'd like to make for the new year? Life goals?