Being snowed in can be fun. It can also get me thinking about things that are beyond my reach. Like.. I wish I could walk to Rittenhouse and get some coffee and sit around other human beings. Or... I wish I was close enough to Wakeup Fairmount so that I could practice with guest star teacher Biz. But, alas, I am in Northern Liberties. The closest place I could walk to for fun would be some over priced boutiques and a tattoo shop or beer store. Hmmm. I'm already stocked up on beer.
Anyway, Being snowed in makes me think about things. Like for instance.. yoga. Haha. Obviously. I have an interview of Norman Allen book marked on my favorite links. He fascinates me beyond words. If you've seen the movie, Enlighten UP!, then you will know who I'm talking about. So. I want to go to Hawaii and find Norman Allen. I want to drink his organic coffee and practice yoga with him. Ha. Ok. That's the first thought of the morning.
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I'm also in the mood to redecorate my apartment. I'm thinking a lot about the color yellow and the color grey. Together. Fabulous.
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What else is floating around my head right now.. Oh. TT was cancelled for the weekend. We were supposed to have Sanskrit Level 1 with Manorama.
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I've been thinking about THE practice of yoga. I'm thinking about how the subtle details come so slowly and that sometimes you forget where you started. Let me paint you a picture. I stumbled across Ashtanga yoga by accident. I was experimenting with all kinds of yoga when I lived in Huntington Beach, CA and was doing a work study at Yoga Works. I had tried every kind of yoga they had to offer, but I saved Ashtanga for last. I knew deep down that something magical would happen (maybe? or maybe I was scared.) Anyway. My first practice was a led class. I knew not what was happening, but I did it anyway. No one told me not to. I looked at people to figure out what the hell was happening, but I had fun. I wore a tshirt and some yoga pants that I got at a goodwill. My tshirt was sopping wet and saggy by the end of class. I couldn't do most of the asana, but I tried all of them anyway. Again, I had no one telling me not to do this. I didn't develop a relationship with any teachers during this period of my life. I went to Saturday and Sunday led classes (two different teachers) and that was that. I didn't know what mysore was. I was totally lost.
Cut to Philadelphia. I'm looking for Ashtanga and I find Yoga Squared. I start the Mysore track of my life here. It's a good life. I make friends. I really really learn Primary Series. I memorize the series. I get pose after pose after pose until I've 'learned' the whole thing. But it's funny. Just because you 'have' the poses, doesn't mean you're 'doing' them right. I still am learning. I am still 'working' the asanas. I'm still learning the energetics of the asanas. I am learning the transitions in and out of asanas. It's always changing.
I have developed relationships with teachers here. Thank g-d for that. If I hadn't, then I would probably still be going to led classes once a week and I would not be the same person I am today. I am learning that although a 'teacher' will teach me 'yoga,' I am my best teacher. I know when I need rest. Or that I've gone too far. Or that I need to encourage myself to work harder. I'm not saying that I know asana enough to not have a teacher. I do know that listening to myself is something I've learned during my time here in Philadelphia. I'm trusting that I know what's best for me now. I'm listening to the teacher within.
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