ashtanga yoga providence.

the seeds have been planted... all around town. a flyer for ashtanga yoga providence outside of julian's (we ate there last night).
me on jill's comfy chair being comfy in my sweatshirt. 

after practicing, we ordered delicious mexican food from la lupita and ate it while hanging out in the park by the armory basically all afternoon. we played this frisbee game, sat and talked, did a little sun salutes, talked to strangers.. then we went home and made dinner and had some drinks and played this crazy card game that has little beans on the pictures. bohnanza.

i'm loving this town. i'm loving hanging with jill and mike and their RISD buds and RISD wives.. everyone is so nice and we're having a blast. we're going to flyer the city some more with ashtanga providence flyers. this city is so ready for some mysore style lovin'.

also, i dropped back without fear today in the presence of my friend and teacher jill. thank you for sharing your practice and your space with me. i loved it. tomorrow i will work on standing up solo. 

also, i've been taking pictures with the digital camera adam gave me and some pictures with my holga. i will post the digital ones when i get back but for now you get these lovely phone pics! night night!

blogging from RI

i left philadelphia around 12:45 yesterday and made the solo journey to providence to visit jill, mike, angie and charlie. i missed the nj turnpike, but other than that, it was an uneventful trip. hit a little traffic around the g.w. bridge in ny. i remember driving through new york when i was a kid and always being fascinated with the scenery. i had to remind myself to keep my eyes on the road. i had an awesome trip. listen to good music. ate some dried mango, beef jerky and pumpkin spiced granola. i made it to providence by 6pm, with one bathroom stop and on less than a tank of gas!! killer!

when i got here i was freezing, so i changed into warmer clothes... and we went out to dinner with some friends at julian's. good food, good friends, good times. good sangria! 

came back to the house and lounged around a bit and then went to bed. yoga room to guest bedroom in less then 5 minutes flat. it's peaceful here. i wouldn't mind living here for a little chunk of time. life is nice and i like it here. 

just practiced in the yoga guest room with jill-ji. now off to eat and play some frisbee in the park and relax on this lovely labor day.

nyc. you defeat me.

it rained it poured. i bought a poncho and when i opened it, this is what i saw... officially a tourist in times square after a long day of photo assisting.
this is mr. gilbert. he's a puppy. very cute.
my very first strand bookstore bag. swanky pigeons.
defeat sticker on bike in alphabet city.

----

this is my second trip to nyc recently and i always feel defeated afterwards. i feel no desire or urge to live in that city. ever. never. even if i was a millionaire. it's extremely tense there. i find myself walking much slower than everyone else and i get pushed around a bunch. philly is a good place for me. i'm tired.

----

i practiced mysore at yoga sutra nyc. john campbell and his assistant constanza roldan. got an amazing assist in supta kurmasana from constanza. she's so great! i like practicing in a new place and not knowing anyone. no drama. no fuss. i keep to myself on the mat and it's nice. back to yoga squared for a few days before making the big move over to yoga sutra philly. hope everything goes smoothly for everyone making that transition.

----

i almost didn't make it...or old speckled hen is so yum.

let me set the scene: went out last night for some brews with my college buds. we went to barbes. it was packed. we got some drinks. stood in a corner. i flirted. i cause trouble. it's who i am.

old speckled hen. great beer. i got it solely for the name.. but it turned out to be good. i had 1 and a half.. alexis drank my other half.

------
we make it home. hang out. watch old college videos. it's insane to see yourself a few years back. i was definitely like 15-20 lbs heavier... but i never thought i was "fat." i guess my confidence was so strong that i never realized i heavy for a short girl.

----

anyway, this blog is not about weight. or beer. it's about my philly life and the adventures that ensue.

-----

scene starts here:
alarm goes off at 7:20am. i turn it off. get back into the twin bed with alexis. she asked me if i was going to yoga, and i said, i need a few more minutes. after going over the reasons why i should go to practice or should just sleep... practice got the best of me... and i got dressed and went out the door by 7:40 am.

5 minutes to get to subway.
10 minutes to wait for train.
15-20 minute ride to 2nd Ave stop..
15 minute, slow and steady, no rush walk to shala.
i still get there at like 8:30... too early. (50 minute commute i think...)

i sit in tomkins square park and think about life. i read my new book. i see a yogi walk by. i figured she was also going to guy's shala. so i follow her to see if she knows when the doors open.
we wait together. her friend shows up. another guy shows up. eventually the door opens.

once inside, i have no idea what is happening. i hang up coat. take off shoes. drop trous. shove clothes into bag. head into shala...sign my waiver, leave my 20 dollars on a counter and hope for the best.

i do my sun salutes slow and steady. i'm always always always nervous practicing in a new setting. i take deep breaths and just jump in. guy walks over to me during my b's and asked my name. i said amanda. he shook his head in a nod of approval seeing that i already signed my waiver and left money and let me go on my way.

during the opening chant, my heart was pounding. i don't know why i got so nervous, but i could barely chant. maybe just being in new york was overwhelming. or a new setting. new teacher. not knowing a single soul.

practice was so intense. i felt like had to do my best practice since i was new. i was very focused. breath so strong. sweaty doesn't even begin to describe my life.

guy adjusted me in a few poses. i didn't expect that. but on my waiver it says i practice 4-5 times a week, so i guess he knew i wasn't fucking around with the practice. i normally don't expect to get adjusted from new teachers right away, but his adjustments were exactly what i needed.

i did my closing. he helped me in headstand and i have a little more clarity over the headstand situation. i grab my belongings from cubby, and as i head out the door, i mouth the words "thank you" to him and he nods.

-----
50 minute commute back to brooklyn. i walked slow and steady on the way home because of my yoga high. i felt like i knew the area really well and i found my way back to the subway no problem.

train had a bunch of delays. but i read my book and waited for my stop.

got a little turned around when i got out of station.. but eventually found my way back to alexis's apt. now she is cooking me breakfast and singing prince. i love her. xoxo

-----
david comes in a little over a week. i'm ready. ready ready. and steady.

this is me posting from bk.

i worked yesterday from 8-545. 

walked to chinatown. finally found my bus company. new century 2000 travel.

let me tell you, it was horrific. mobs of people. chaos. disorder. 

all i could do was squeeze my yoga mat against my chest and breathe.

patience is a virtue and all i could do was breathe and be nice to people. 

i missed the first 2 buses. but finally squeezed my way onto the 3rd that had come by.

i sat next to a brooklyn girl who is my age. has a master's and has been unemployed for almost a year. 

i got into chinatown around 9:10. quinn couldn't find me for like 20 minutes. so she took a cab to come get me. 

we finally made it to brooklyn at like 10:30. went to eat at kitchen bar. i had a burger and a pomegranate mojito. 

at quinn's by 12:30 or so. in bed. slept really well.

it's quiet here except for this song.....

umm all i hear are birds. it's amazing. but i still would never live in new york and that's that!