Refiguring my to do's, my importants, and my no thank you's.
Learning to acknowledge things that are hurting me -- letting people know that I feel this way, and not feeling guilty about it.
Wanting more nature in my life...wearing the color green now more than ever.
I have a chronic wrist issue now.
Addicted to coffee.
Excited to mingle with old friends again.
Establishing myself as a yoga teacher. In two weeks, I will only be teaching yoga for income.
It's been a very enjoyable summer.
I don't need a vacation to feel free, relaxed, and detached.
Thankful for new people in my life.
Committing to a sense of curiosity for where my career is going, and maintaining a compassion for myself and my journey along the way.
Loving the colors burnt orange, maroon, pretty purples..
Seeing Britney Spears in a matter of days.
Need a dance community in my life. Some sort of group that does modern dance/yoga/ish stuff. Ideas? This is my missing link in my life right now.
Power Vinyasa Yoga is my dance at the moment.
Learning to talk less, be more.
Reading when I want to, which isn't much these days. Not feeling bad about it.
So happy I don't have cable.
Meditating a bit, but whenever I do I cry. This is ok, even needed.
Missing some old friends pretty badly.
Always coming back to The Walkmen, my old reliable.
So not a city person at the moment, but probably will be again once fall arrives.
Loving the scent of lavender and its relaxing qualities.
It's been a Dave Matthews in the car with the windows down kind of summer.
Grateful for many things, including the love of my life who puts things into perspective for me.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
the powers that be
So I been practicing power yoga a lot these days. I'm doing a teacher training at Power Yoga Works which is totally sweet and awesome and everything I need in my life right now. I'm so tired right now but I told myself earlier that I would update this darn thing so I am.
Last weekend we worked on backbends and I think I found the closest thing to a cure for my back: get over yourself and do full wheel in every class, more than once. As it turns out, I was babying my back. It's very important to baby my back, but I need to compliment that with the strength building back bends. I usually practice bridge or modified bridge with a block, but turns out that's not really what my back is looking for. After two days of practicing locust, camel, bridge, wheel...I felt freakin incredible. No pain. Going into it I thought that the opposite would result, but no. I was so...wow. Stunned, really. This discovery was one that only reinforced my decision to do this training.
Now I love me some Yin Yoga, don't get me wrong. But too many forward bends, especially when they are held for minutes and minutes, can actually do more harm than good for my low back, with its herniated discs, stenosis, degeneration and all that. I was on a break from yin but now I am back. It's definitely helping me. I think because I'm taking my backbends more seriously in my "other" yoga practice...
In other non-yoga news, I love my dog and we're going to cuddle now and sleep.
Last weekend we worked on backbends and I think I found the closest thing to a cure for my back: get over yourself and do full wheel in every class, more than once. As it turns out, I was babying my back. It's very important to baby my back, but I need to compliment that with the strength building back bends. I usually practice bridge or modified bridge with a block, but turns out that's not really what my back is looking for. After two days of practicing locust, camel, bridge, wheel...I felt freakin incredible. No pain. Going into it I thought that the opposite would result, but no. I was so...wow. Stunned, really. This discovery was one that only reinforced my decision to do this training.
Now I love me some Yin Yoga, don't get me wrong. But too many forward bends, especially when they are held for minutes and minutes, can actually do more harm than good for my low back, with its herniated discs, stenosis, degeneration and all that. I was on a break from yin but now I am back. It's definitely helping me. I think because I'm taking my backbends more seriously in my "other" yoga practice...
In other non-yoga news, I love my dog and we're going to cuddle now and sleep.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Michael Jackson..."Boy Prince"
I am fascinated with the childlike essence of Michael Jackson. He never got to grow up like everybody else. Everything about him screams little boy. All controversy aside, there's no denying that he changed the world. This article touches on the inner child and how it relates to MJ.
---
Commentary
By Michael Ventre
msnbc.com contributor
updated 8:16 p.m. ET June 25, 2009
Most kings are destined to be remembered as kings, not as the person they had been before ascending to power. Even though Michael Jackson earned recognition as the King of Pop, the legacy he leaves is that of a boy prince.
Michael Jackson was never comfortable in the adult world. Early on he recognized he would be the happiest in the land of Ferris wheels, cotton candy, docile animals and 24/7 playtime, and he clung to that life. He looked at film of the Jackson 5, circa 1968, noticed the front man was a kid, and wondered whatever happened to that boy’s childhood.
Michael Jackson passed away today. It’s always sad when parents outlast their children. It’s even sadder when the inner child and the adult can’t decide who will go first.
In 1966, when Michael Jackson was almost 8, the Jackson 5 was born. Soon after, these talented young men from Gary, Ind., found themselves playing in seedy nightclubs and dodgy strip joints. That isn’t so bad, in most cases. The musical artist who demands only a dignified path to stardom usually spends a lonely life in the garage or basement. Humble beginnings, or even humiliating ones, come with the territory.
But when you’re a kid, and your father is pushing you ever harder to work and achieve and succeed like Joseph Jackson pushed, the road becomes mean and the spirit turns cold. Michael’s boyhood was Dickensian, even though he grew up in a tight African-American family from an unforgiving industrial region of the Midwest that went on to become rich.
The world knew that Michael Jackson — the 8-year-old with the mini-Afro, the 1,000-watt smile and the footwork of a vaudevillian — as being perennially upbeat. But inside, he had to be wishing that he could skip the next gig and hang out with some kids his age. He had to be lamenting the fact that while the family was going places, he wanted to remain behind a little longer in childhood.
As he grew older, he became a greatly admired creative force. The “Off the Wall” album in 1979 sent his star into a new galaxy. “Thriller,” in 1982, became the biggest-selling album of all time. He had movie projects, he bought the Beatles’ catalog, he did “Captain EO” for Disney theme parks, he co-wrote “We Are the World.” He seemed to have his gloved hand in everything.
Fame made him tabloid fodder
But amid all the success, there was the residual dissatisfaction and longing. The more famous he became, the more he seemed to withdraw from the attention, usually in highly peculiar ways. Much of what was written about him was fiction. Yet because he had a chimpanzee, because he owned Neverland Ranch with all its childlike wonder, because he seemed to alter his physical appearance with each public appearance, he was constant fodder for the media, legitimate and otherwise.
He also made headlines with two marriages, first to Lisa Marie Presley and then to Deborah Rowe, with whom he had two children. The scrutiny intensified.
Like any showman, Jackson drew the spotlight to himself. He was quiet, soft-spoken and fragile, but he knew the business as well as anyone. The freak, the eccentric, the “Wacko Jacko,” might all have been unflattering descriptions, but a lot of the buzz was the result of his own orchestration. He knew that when Michael Jackson set one foot onto any stage, the klieg lights would illuminate it. And when he could work it to his advantage, he did just that.
The struggle between the naïve child and the savvy grown man turned Michael Jackson into a riddle of which the press and the public never grew tired.
The interest was never greater than during Jackson’s trial on sexual molestation charges near Santa Barbara, Calif., in 2003. He was eventually acquitted, but it revealed the most inappropriate aspects of Jackson’s desire to be among children. Whether you were a cynic who felt he was a pedophile who escaped justice, or whether you were a supporter who believed he was a misunderstood genius who only wanted to help people, he certainly seemed to invite trouble, whether through naivete or lasciviousness or a strange brew of both.
After that, there were various Michael Jackson reports. He was living in Bahrain. He was living in Nevada. He was preparing a major tour. He was pondering an extended engagement in Vegas. He lost Neverland Ranch. He made a deal to save it.
What usually was missing from any Michael Jackson report in the past 25 years or so was the music. There was a time when soul and rhythm and blues ruled, when Motown was a dominant force in the record business, when acts such as Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross and the Temptations and the Four Tops and Marvin Gaye were as big in their world as the Beatles and Elvis Presley were in theirs.
They didn’t get that way through subterfuge, gimmicks or spin. They crafted radio-friendly songs that were vibrant and passionate and original, and they made an impact on the music business that is still felt today in newer generations of artists.
The Jacksons were right in the middle of all that. They produced hits such as “I’ll Be There,” “I Want You Back,” “ABC” and “Never Can Say Goodbye” that burned up the charts and remain pop classics. Then Michael went solo and combined songwriting prowess with performance legerdemain to become one of the most astonishing acts ever. Songs such as “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” “Rock With You,” “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and “Thriller,” to name a few, have endured — and will endure.
Perhaps those songs will make future generations forget about the unusual and the unfortunate involving a modern-day prince with king-sized accomplishments and a child’s imagination.
© 2009 msnbc.com.
---
Commentary
By Michael Ventre
msnbc.com contributor
updated 8:16 p.m. ET June 25, 2009
Most kings are destined to be remembered as kings, not as the person they had been before ascending to power. Even though Michael Jackson earned recognition as the King of Pop, the legacy he leaves is that of a boy prince.
Michael Jackson was never comfortable in the adult world. Early on he recognized he would be the happiest in the land of Ferris wheels, cotton candy, docile animals and 24/7 playtime, and he clung to that life. He looked at film of the Jackson 5, circa 1968, noticed the front man was a kid, and wondered whatever happened to that boy’s childhood.
Michael Jackson passed away today. It’s always sad when parents outlast their children. It’s even sadder when the inner child and the adult can’t decide who will go first.
In 1966, when Michael Jackson was almost 8, the Jackson 5 was born. Soon after, these talented young men from Gary, Ind., found themselves playing in seedy nightclubs and dodgy strip joints. That isn’t so bad, in most cases. The musical artist who demands only a dignified path to stardom usually spends a lonely life in the garage or basement. Humble beginnings, or even humiliating ones, come with the territory.
But when you’re a kid, and your father is pushing you ever harder to work and achieve and succeed like Joseph Jackson pushed, the road becomes mean and the spirit turns cold. Michael’s boyhood was Dickensian, even though he grew up in a tight African-American family from an unforgiving industrial region of the Midwest that went on to become rich.
The world knew that Michael Jackson — the 8-year-old with the mini-Afro, the 1,000-watt smile and the footwork of a vaudevillian — as being perennially upbeat. But inside, he had to be wishing that he could skip the next gig and hang out with some kids his age. He had to be lamenting the fact that while the family was going places, he wanted to remain behind a little longer in childhood.
As he grew older, he became a greatly admired creative force. The “Off the Wall” album in 1979 sent his star into a new galaxy. “Thriller,” in 1982, became the biggest-selling album of all time. He had movie projects, he bought the Beatles’ catalog, he did “Captain EO” for Disney theme parks, he co-wrote “We Are the World.” He seemed to have his gloved hand in everything.
Fame made him tabloid fodder
But amid all the success, there was the residual dissatisfaction and longing. The more famous he became, the more he seemed to withdraw from the attention, usually in highly peculiar ways. Much of what was written about him was fiction. Yet because he had a chimpanzee, because he owned Neverland Ranch with all its childlike wonder, because he seemed to alter his physical appearance with each public appearance, he was constant fodder for the media, legitimate and otherwise.
He also made headlines with two marriages, first to Lisa Marie Presley and then to Deborah Rowe, with whom he had two children. The scrutiny intensified.
Like any showman, Jackson drew the spotlight to himself. He was quiet, soft-spoken and fragile, but he knew the business as well as anyone. The freak, the eccentric, the “Wacko Jacko,” might all have been unflattering descriptions, but a lot of the buzz was the result of his own orchestration. He knew that when Michael Jackson set one foot onto any stage, the klieg lights would illuminate it. And when he could work it to his advantage, he did just that.
The struggle between the naïve child and the savvy grown man turned Michael Jackson into a riddle of which the press and the public never grew tired.
The interest was never greater than during Jackson’s trial on sexual molestation charges near Santa Barbara, Calif., in 2003. He was eventually acquitted, but it revealed the most inappropriate aspects of Jackson’s desire to be among children. Whether you were a cynic who felt he was a pedophile who escaped justice, or whether you were a supporter who believed he was a misunderstood genius who only wanted to help people, he certainly seemed to invite trouble, whether through naivete or lasciviousness or a strange brew of both.
After that, there were various Michael Jackson reports. He was living in Bahrain. He was living in Nevada. He was preparing a major tour. He was pondering an extended engagement in Vegas. He lost Neverland Ranch. He made a deal to save it.
What usually was missing from any Michael Jackson report in the past 25 years or so was the music. There was a time when soul and rhythm and blues ruled, when Motown was a dominant force in the record business, when acts such as Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross and the Temptations and the Four Tops and Marvin Gaye were as big in their world as the Beatles and Elvis Presley were in theirs.
They didn’t get that way through subterfuge, gimmicks or spin. They crafted radio-friendly songs that were vibrant and passionate and original, and they made an impact on the music business that is still felt today in newer generations of artists.
The Jacksons were right in the middle of all that. They produced hits such as “I’ll Be There,” “I Want You Back,” “ABC” and “Never Can Say Goodbye” that burned up the charts and remain pop classics. Then Michael went solo and combined songwriting prowess with performance legerdemain to become one of the most astonishing acts ever. Songs such as “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” “Rock With You,” “Billie Jean,” “Beat It” and “Thriller,” to name a few, have endured — and will endure.
Perhaps those songs will make future generations forget about the unusual and the unfortunate involving a modern-day prince with king-sized accomplishments and a child’s imagination.
© 2009 msnbc.com.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Inner Child Yoga
I will be holding a "Yoga for the Inner Child" workshop at Ocean Earth Wind Fire (www.oceanearthwindfire.com) in Phoenixville June 13. Here is some info in case ya'll are in a playful mood. :)
What does “Yoga for the Inner Child” mean?
The concept of the Inner Child represents the feeling, creative, vulnerable, and playful part of ourselves. As adults, we may think it’s silly or immature to connect with this part of ourselves. After all, we’re not kids anymore, right? Maybe somebody told you that it wasn’t ok to feel your feelings as a kid, and so you’ve brought that into adulthood. When this is the case, our Inner Child shuts down, but wants deeply to be out in the open. It is our responsibility to let the Inner Child know she is safe to do just that, to be spontaneous and cry and laugh and do whatever it is children do without even thinking about it.
When we fully embrace the Inner Child, we honor our truest spirit and give ourselves permission to feel and live out loud again, instead of looking toward outside sources for approval. The Inner Child could also be called our inner voice or truest self.
It is when we neglect our bodies and our deepest desires that the Inner Child feels betrayed. When we aren’t listening to our inner voice, we may notice tension build in the body, frequent headaches, lack of sleep, etc. Our yoga practice is a beautiful place to embrace our childlike needs and learn how to honor them. Child’s pose and Happy Baby are just the beginning – each yoga pose is an opportunity to become childlike as you listen to the body and observe your experience in a fresh new light. In yoga, you can practice loving your Inner Child without judgment and without feeling rushed. Notice whatever feelings come up and observe with compassion and curiosity – remember that it is your choice to take on the responsibility of loving parent to the child within, so be careful not to criticize. You can learn to discover your Inner Child’s joy and wisdom and allow that to dance with the serious adult.
What brought me to connect the concept of the Inner Child with Yoga?
I began to link the idea of yoga and the Inner Child in my own quest for a deeper understanding of my life today. Of course, this brought me all the way back to childhood! Everyone is affected by childhood in some way. Each person’s experience is unique. Some of us do not allow ourselves to feel our feelings, and so our childlike spirit within thinks she’s not allowed to exist. I found that my yoga practice is a beautiful place to practice self-acceptance and listen in to my more playful side, the child who knows what she wants. When you’ve provided a safe space for the child to speak up, it is up to you to be a good listener. Yoga is where the Inner Child can come out to play with the serious adult. Reconnecting with your Inner Child may help you begin healing emotional and physical trauma stored deep inside. In yoga we can practice this new experience without criticism and pressure.
How else does the Inner Child relate to our yoga practice?
In yoga…
We learn to slow down and relax more – Our Inner Child loves this! You are honoring her as you slow down.
We experience new things – Many of us hold onto past childhood traumas and are afraid to feel the anxiety and fear that may come as we approach new situations. Through yoga and the practice of surrender we honor our bodies and do what feels right. We are among others who are feeling their own experiences. We allow ourselves to feel buried emotions. Whether the child within comes out to laugh, smile, or cry, we let her know it’s ok to experience new things with curiosity and compassion.
We give ourselves the time and permission to be present – We can choose to be in “child time.” In yoga class, it’s our teacher’s job to keep track of time while we can focus on the present. Then we can pay close attention to our experiences unfolding before us and relish in the gift of time we’ve given ourselves.
We practice unconditional self-acceptance – As a child, and now, we may not have been accepted and so may carry shame. Even if we were good children, we may not have received the message of unconditional love. In yoga, we don’t have to run away from our shame; we can tell our Inner Child that it doesn’t have to hide anymore. Your love is unconditional for her.
What does “Yoga for the Inner Child” mean?
The concept of the Inner Child represents the feeling, creative, vulnerable, and playful part of ourselves. As adults, we may think it’s silly or immature to connect with this part of ourselves. After all, we’re not kids anymore, right? Maybe somebody told you that it wasn’t ok to feel your feelings as a kid, and so you’ve brought that into adulthood. When this is the case, our Inner Child shuts down, but wants deeply to be out in the open. It is our responsibility to let the Inner Child know she is safe to do just that, to be spontaneous and cry and laugh and do whatever it is children do without even thinking about it.
When we fully embrace the Inner Child, we honor our truest spirit and give ourselves permission to feel and live out loud again, instead of looking toward outside sources for approval. The Inner Child could also be called our inner voice or truest self.
It is when we neglect our bodies and our deepest desires that the Inner Child feels betrayed. When we aren’t listening to our inner voice, we may notice tension build in the body, frequent headaches, lack of sleep, etc. Our yoga practice is a beautiful place to embrace our childlike needs and learn how to honor them. Child’s pose and Happy Baby are just the beginning – each yoga pose is an opportunity to become childlike as you listen to the body and observe your experience in a fresh new light. In yoga, you can practice loving your Inner Child without judgment and without feeling rushed. Notice whatever feelings come up and observe with compassion and curiosity – remember that it is your choice to take on the responsibility of loving parent to the child within, so be careful not to criticize. You can learn to discover your Inner Child’s joy and wisdom and allow that to dance with the serious adult.
What brought me to connect the concept of the Inner Child with Yoga?
I began to link the idea of yoga and the Inner Child in my own quest for a deeper understanding of my life today. Of course, this brought me all the way back to childhood! Everyone is affected by childhood in some way. Each person’s experience is unique. Some of us do not allow ourselves to feel our feelings, and so our childlike spirit within thinks she’s not allowed to exist. I found that my yoga practice is a beautiful place to practice self-acceptance and listen in to my more playful side, the child who knows what she wants. When you’ve provided a safe space for the child to speak up, it is up to you to be a good listener. Yoga is where the Inner Child can come out to play with the serious adult. Reconnecting with your Inner Child may help you begin healing emotional and physical trauma stored deep inside. In yoga we can practice this new experience without criticism and pressure.
How else does the Inner Child relate to our yoga practice?
In yoga…
We learn to slow down and relax more – Our Inner Child loves this! You are honoring her as you slow down.
We experience new things – Many of us hold onto past childhood traumas and are afraid to feel the anxiety and fear that may come as we approach new situations. Through yoga and the practice of surrender we honor our bodies and do what feels right. We are among others who are feeling their own experiences. We allow ourselves to feel buried emotions. Whether the child within comes out to laugh, smile, or cry, we let her know it’s ok to experience new things with curiosity and compassion.
We give ourselves the time and permission to be present – We can choose to be in “child time.” In yoga class, it’s our teacher’s job to keep track of time while we can focus on the present. Then we can pay close attention to our experiences unfolding before us and relish in the gift of time we’ve given ourselves.
We practice unconditional self-acceptance – As a child, and now, we may not have been accepted and so may carry shame. Even if we were good children, we may not have received the message of unconditional love. In yoga, we don’t have to run away from our shame; we can tell our Inner Child that it doesn’t have to hide anymore. Your love is unconditional for her.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Bryan Kest Workshop
I recently had the opportunity to attend a workshop with Bryan Kest at Power Yoga Works in Philadelphia on April 17. It was a great experience for me. It was considered a teacher training workshop so there were plenty of teachers there, which was nice. I took notes, and much of it is direct quotes from Bryan, so I'm going to basically share those here in this entry:
People come to yoga to strengthen the mentality that they need to change something about themselves to be better - which is, since birth, what we are taught through society, commercials, parents, etc. What we should be working on is in our mind.
Bryan shared his habit of picking his nose. He said that he notices he is doing it and so stops. Soon enough though he is back to his digging, which he realizes after he is already doing it. Where was he during those few moments in between? We spend most of our lives in that in between state. In yoga our goal, or foundation, is awareness.
Meditate on how many things you are grateful for every day. Then that is more on your mind on a regular basis. Instead of walking around pissed, complaining...
Abundance attracts abundance!
Shift yoga away from the physical. The way you will look from the physical practice is a byproduct. The way you think we should look is all programs. Be careful not to reinforce this way of thinking when you practice yoga.
If you're not trying to figure something out, you're mind should be silent. I'm stepping away and letting it come through. And not thinking about anything.
Your body speaks to you in the most succinct language on the planet. It's called sensation. We need to work with what we're feeling and not try to get somewhere. Lots of people do this when they exercise - no matter how they feel, the keep going.
The best way to be a yoga teacher is how you live your life. Because people don't listen anyway, they just watch. Doesn't matter what you say, it's how you live.
If you want your children to be happy, you have to be happy yourself.
When done with a certain quality of mind, everything is yoga.
Can't do yoga; Be yoga. Practice cultivating that state of mind. Are you paying attention to the process?
It's not the yoga that's good for you, it's the quality of how you do it. Be gentle!
Sometimes it doesn't feel good, but it feels right, it feels sweet and necessary. Doesn't always have to be comfortable. Our yoga practice could be compared to a massage - we are giving ourselves a massage.
There's no light at the end of a pose because there's no end to any pose.
The poses are just creative ways to touch the many areas in the body. And keep them well.
Be gentle in your poses; everybody's "gentle" is different. So, there's no such thing as gentle. The only way you can be gentle is to listen to the experience. When we start listening, our mind becomes silent. The human brain can only really focus on one thing at a time. But our society values multi-tasking. The only way to relax is to quiet down your mind. When the mind is quiet you leave the old habit patterns of the mind, judgement, etc. We're killing the old mind. We create the mind of our choosing, instead of the one of our parents, coach, siblings, boss, coworkers...
He told us that the class will be "brutally hard" because our lives are hard. How will we be prepared without practices? We learn how to put our knees on the floor and rest, or say "Fuck you, Bryan, I'm not doing it." No competition in class or life.
How the teacher teaches is how she feels at that moment.
Hear the instructor but listen to your inner teacher.
People come to yoga to strengthen the mentality that they need to change something about themselves to be better - which is, since birth, what we are taught through society, commercials, parents, etc. What we should be working on is in our mind.
Bryan shared his habit of picking his nose. He said that he notices he is doing it and so stops. Soon enough though he is back to his digging, which he realizes after he is already doing it. Where was he during those few moments in between? We spend most of our lives in that in between state. In yoga our goal, or foundation, is awareness.
Meditate on how many things you are grateful for every day. Then that is more on your mind on a regular basis. Instead of walking around pissed, complaining...
Abundance attracts abundance!
Shift yoga away from the physical. The way you will look from the physical practice is a byproduct. The way you think we should look is all programs. Be careful not to reinforce this way of thinking when you practice yoga.
If you're not trying to figure something out, you're mind should be silent. I'm stepping away and letting it come through. And not thinking about anything.
Your body speaks to you in the most succinct language on the planet. It's called sensation. We need to work with what we're feeling and not try to get somewhere. Lots of people do this when they exercise - no matter how they feel, the keep going.
The best way to be a yoga teacher is how you live your life. Because people don't listen anyway, they just watch. Doesn't matter what you say, it's how you live.
If you want your children to be happy, you have to be happy yourself.
When done with a certain quality of mind, everything is yoga.
Can't do yoga; Be yoga. Practice cultivating that state of mind. Are you paying attention to the process?
It's not the yoga that's good for you, it's the quality of how you do it. Be gentle!
Sometimes it doesn't feel good, but it feels right, it feels sweet and necessary. Doesn't always have to be comfortable. Our yoga practice could be compared to a massage - we are giving ourselves a massage.
There's no light at the end of a pose because there's no end to any pose.
The poses are just creative ways to touch the many areas in the body. And keep them well.
Be gentle in your poses; everybody's "gentle" is different. So, there's no such thing as gentle. The only way you can be gentle is to listen to the experience. When we start listening, our mind becomes silent. The human brain can only really focus on one thing at a time. But our society values multi-tasking. The only way to relax is to quiet down your mind. When the mind is quiet you leave the old habit patterns of the mind, judgement, etc. We're killing the old mind. We create the mind of our choosing, instead of the one of our parents, coach, siblings, boss, coworkers...
He told us that the class will be "brutally hard" because our lives are hard. How will we be prepared without practices? We learn how to put our knees on the floor and rest, or say "Fuck you, Bryan, I'm not doing it." No competition in class or life.
How the teacher teaches is how she feels at that moment.
Hear the instructor but listen to your inner teacher.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Bill Young / Colleen Thomas & Dancers
Two of the ladies from Bill Young / Colleen Thomas & Dancers. I saw this amazing group perform at Franklin & Marshall College maybe 2 years ago and it was SO AMAZING. Yes, I shed a few tears. It was so heartfelt and bizarre and raw. I love this kind of creative expression. I want to be a part of something like this!
Oh, and when I wanted to buy a video of the performance, F&M gave me Bill Young's cell phone number. So I called him, and ended up buying a DVD of a few different performances, including the one that I saw, except it was taped at another location. He said the tape of the F&M show was poor quality, and just shot from one angle. So I got the fancier version, I guess, with more performances to enjoy.
I think about them when I need inspiration.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
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