Saturday, August 23, 2014

I like hard sequences

Like the title suggests, I tend to like hard sequences. I've been playing a lot with how to get in and out of poses in a typical ways, and have been enjoying trying to incorporate some of that into when I teach. I don't think I've come up with anything super creative yet but it's just the beginning. 


Sequence one 
Down dog 
Three legged dog 
runners lung 
Easy hamstring stretch 
Revolved triangle 
Revolved half moon
Standing leg split 
Half moon 
Warrior 2 
Reverse warrior 
Side angle lung 
Half or full bound side angle 
Warrior 2 
Reverse 
Vinyasa back to down dog 
And switch sides 

Sequence 2 
Down dog 
Warrior 1 
Humble warrior 
Toppling tree (aka bound. Standing leg split) 
Bound forward fold 
Toppling tree (other leg raised) 
Humble warrior 
Warrior 1 

That beening said I think in general for a "regular" class I like teaching a more athletic crowed. I also have been gaining a lot of comfort teaching a resorative flow , but it's really hard to pair down a regular flow class. I have yet to try teaching a beginner class ( minus my guinue pigs from biogen.. Thanks guys) and I definitely think I'd still been sweating a lot. But I'm loving the growth opportunity and seeing where all this will take me. 

Friday, August 22, 2014

Fancy title

That's code for I have no idea what this post is going to be about, cause I feel like of nuts right now.  I feel like I've been playing a bit of an emotional ping pong game with myself in a seven sided board. One minute I'm happy, then pissed, then sad, then ok, then scared, then anxious. It's exsausting I mean really exsausting.  

I've definitely been noticing the exsaustion more lately. It's been challenging to get up in the morning, and not just on the days I have insomnia or sugar induced insomnia.  Which is completely legit, and at least is an explaination of being tired or sleeping poorly. The inability to sleep for a not good reason is a really hard pill to swallow.  At least if you're exsausted let it be because I was at some really great party and danced the night away, I mean much better then my body decided it didn't want to cooperate.  On a side note related to that I've gotten a lot better at slowing down and giving myself more time to do things, and more time to just be. I don't try to fit a million things in, in a day and I think it's really made me move slower through life and I think it's a good thing. I mean in mechanics the parts that get pushed to much wear out faster... Right, so why can't that be applied to bodies to. Let's find a homeostatic pace and stay there. And if it is slower then the previous one that is ok.  

On a different note I also had one of those weeks where I was very thankful for the yoga in my life. The realization coming sort of in a weird way.  A brilliant yogi died at the age of 95 this week.  BKS Iyengar, who is pretty much the father of modern yoga flow.  And in reading about him I came upon this quote. 

"Yoga teaches us to cure what need not be endured and endure what cannot be cured." - BKS Iyengar

And It made me very thankful that I found this ability to heal myself, even just a little bit. I know yoga can't heal everything but it sure shows me how to deal with everything. Through cancer and yoga I realize that a lot of stuff I used to make a big deal about aren't really a bit deal. 

My friend tony put it in a different way. 

"Sometimes your day is like toes pose" . It feels completely unbearable but if you send it some breath you realize it isn't so bad. That doesn't mean you're not allowed to bail occasionally, cause that's legit too. Certain times stress is just too much, breath allows us to endure to a certain point.  But sometimes you know that if you just sit with the intense sensation for a few more minutes you realize it ain't so bad. 

I also realized recently that I've sort of been developing my art of practice for a long time.  Some people know I've was an avid musican since about the age of 5. I started with recorder,  then flute, and bassoon for 15 yrs.  and I think that in practicing music and learning the discipline of practicing I was priming myself for the practice of yoga and really the practice of life.  It's through all this practice that I finally feel like I can accept myself on my terms more on a daily basis. And realize that some days aren't going to feel or go as "planned" and realizing that is ok. 

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Side effects can suck it/ ok life is pretty good

I've had a lot of side effects happen to me in my day. I historically get most of the common ones, and sometimes some  a typical ones. All of them suck. I mean really they suck. And cancer brings on a whole slew of side effects that almost counteract each other, so it feels a little you're on an episode of candide camera


This first paragraph was started a while ago. And now that I've had a little more time, and actually some of the side effects have warn down a bit. I realize things are actually pretty good.   Though sometimes I still feel like I'm getting punked with what I have to go with, that whole you're only given what you can deal with mantra (admittedly not my favorite but applicable at the time) came through and most of the chemo side effects have lessened. In other words I don't feel like a 90 yr old women when I stand up. I'll take it. 

Radiation has been going along and it wasn't until recently that things started to get interesting.  Radiation for those new to the party is when they send photons into your body to kill shit.  Topically this results in, can you guess, a burn. An it just keeps getting worse, like you got a bad tanning bed experience in really stupid places( ex. Mamory fold, arm pit) yeh who knew those would be fun places to tan. But anyway. It wasn't a big deal at all until this weekend when skin decided to blister and crack... I will be asking about infection tomorrow. And now it just hurts. Bring on the pain and sleep aids... Two weeks to get through and we'll be good.  

Otherwise things are going pretty well. I've been teaching yoga a bit, or occasionally, depending on your unit of measure ;-) and it's been awesome. I've also been focusing on see people in small or single groups. Large groups haven't been calling my name lately. Taking care of my self with lots of bad TV dates. Experimenting with dietary changes and cravings. ( I have to admit I caved today and had a vegan chocolate chip cookie) damn sugar you scream at me, but bright side... NO DAIRY!!! Hey I'll take it.  And trying new things, or old things in new places. 

Off to yoga cafe @ south boston yoga. 90 min class with live music.... It's going to be awesome tastic