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March 30, 2007
Better
Better practice today. I've not completed a full practice for a while but today as the teacher had some late arrivals and ended up practicing himself alongside us all, I took the extra time and did a complete series. It actually didn't feel that bad once I got going. It's funny how that can make me feel so much better coming away from the class knowing I've got that practice just behind me. I know its competitive but I'm not good when I don't have a good practice, just sets me up nicely for the rest of the day when I do!
So it's the weekend. The Project Manager from the J.O.B is on holiday next week so there's not much rush for me to do stuff. Yippee. Some parties on tonight which I'm looking forward too. Knowing me I'll be zonked by 10am and want to go to bed!
Some good news. Came over this 'new' blog. Think you'll find it interesting!
Posted by graeme at 3:32 PM | Comments (0)
March 29, 2007
Ouch
Practices the last couple of days have been very tough. Life at the yoga shala is getting into all the aches and pains from the previous week and its finally taking its toll on my body. I've lost a lot of reach in forward bends and this morning in a pre practice child's pose it was just agony. Atleast by the end of the practice it had eased off a little. So I'm practicing the system, doing it by doing it so to speak to get through this little tough spot. Last week was so much fun as well, being so open, but now it's back to the real world.
Some pics of the inhabitants of the Everglades!
Posted by graeme at 3:20 PM | Comments (1)
Why not?
Was the answer to the question "want to come practice with us?" except that I'd already done a pretty full on primary series already that morning and when they explained it would be an easy early evening affair, I though why not indeed.....
Except that it turned into a lot more than just a walk in the park... other than the fact that I was still a bit sore from earlier, some grat adjustments left me kinda wrapped up in another full practice. Oh, I knew I was going to pay for it this morning.
I was lucky if i could lift my head of the floor by the time I got to backbends this morning. Gads, it was tough coming in today after the twin practice yesterday. Ive heard stories about how the students in the early days would be called back in by Guruji in the afternoon for a second practice, and that some advanced practitioners do primary in the morning and secondary in the afternoon. That takes a lot of balls, and a humungus amount of joint ease lotion. It's not only the aches and pains that get amplified but the lack of any sort of strength or endurance. You could've blown me over this morning I was so out of it.
This afternoon my host took me down to the Everglades to go see some crocs which was kinda cool to see them out there in the sunshine (84F today!), along with the birds, turtles and fish down there. It's the same-o-same-o. People out for some fresh air that can't do without having a smoke. Jeez, people come on, take a look around!! Saw a nice pic of a croc on the opposite bank with it's jaws wide open soaking up the sun. Fierce looking beastie all the same!
Today I got invited to a dinner next week pre Pass-over. I'm kinda excited about it all!
Posted by graeme at 1:15 AM | Comments (0)
March 27, 2007
Yoga Groooove
Today was the first day..... hold on. Didn't I say something similar yesterday? There's a lot of first going on in my life just now. Jeez. Back again at Yoga Grove, which has a different 'colour' as a space than Miami Life. The temperature is as hot but not as moist so it makes for a different sort of a practice. I felt a bit stiff around the hips yet managed to get further in Mari-C on the bad side and my harder-to-get-through arm in fully in Garba Pindasana. Hmnnn. Maybe it's just getting in to the groove of things and settling down to a regular practice. It's been about 10 days since I got back from Encinitas and practicing fully each day has helped ground in all the bits and pieces I think I picked up from there. Class this morning was busy, plenty of people there I wouldn't know not having practiced there very much, but the class went along swimmingly (whatever that metaphor means). My sternum's beginning to ache a little, which apparently is a good sign of things opening up across my chest. Oh and my shoulder nearly fell off today, well, atleast that's how it felt but other than that things are good.
It's been great to be back in Miami and I'm enjoying every minute, especially the bit today that involved me falling asleep in the sun out in the park. When I turned over there was a P.E. athletics class in full flow around me. I think the kids got a kick out of having to run round me as they rushed past doing their 'laps'. It reminded me of my youth. I used to be quite a decent sprinter in my time, and watching them all round around with boundless energy made me a little envious of the space and time that they are in. Still, yoga's helping me come to terms with that and facing each day as it comes.
Posted by graeme at 2:02 AM | Comments (0)
March 26, 2007
Business as usual, kinda
Today I went along to Miami Life Center for their first session in lieu of going to Islamorada. It's not like the real thing, being there with Guruji and all, but it's certainly damn good fun to be here instead. Kino and Tim were busy with the folks that turned up, the room as hot as I've ever felt it, dishing out adjustments and advice right, left and center. These guys put in a fair bit of work this morning.
Today was a day for goodbyes. My two friends from Seattle and North Carolina were making the starts to their respective journeys home. One of the girls I've known since my very first teacher training and it's been so great to hang out with her for so long again. It's a special bond I think between trainees as you all go through the same thing at the same time, growing and learning at the same pace. I'm going to miss the walks down Washington and Ocean drive for sure, as well as her company and spirit. I've got a lot to thank yoga for, and friends like these is certainly near the top of the thank-you list!
Posted by graeme at 2:11 AM | Comments (0)
March 25, 2007
End of another stage
Today ended the second week at Miami Life Centre. It's been a tough time going through the postures, learning the count, trying to remember where foundation goes for adjustments, and dealing with morning practice. Friday was my turn to adjust with the teacher. I had to do the chant then help with adjusting for the remainder of the class. One of the students was a bit late then within 2 minutes of starting another had to leave to blow her nose. Then the last one left to go check where the first student was by phoning him (at the teacher's request) and there I was standing on my own! Well that was a first!
Then, once adjusting was over, I practiced on my own, teacher taking the chance to get some well deserved rest. When it came to the difficult poses the teacher came back in with the other students and they all had a go at adjusting me in one or another of the poses from bhujapidasana through supta kurmasana. At one point I looked up and there was like 4 teachers watching me practice !!! Nothing like being on the spot!
Today teacher did a full practice, which we all counted, posture by posture in rotation. The idea was to keep as close to the count as we could but to maintain an even pace throughout. I messed up with a nava-dasa count in one posture then completely forgot (as I had the day before) that I should've taken the count back to sapta - 7. I didn't even notice, but teacher said that although he'd noticed it hadn't made any different due to the fact I'd just continued counting.
It's been a blast this last week. With only 4 on the course we've all nitted close as friends, ended up having pizza and ice-cream (and the odd glass of wine!) together. We've all progressed as students in our practice and our understanding of the practice has benefitted too. It's been a long trip to get here thus far but it's been worth every popped hip, aching hamstring, sore shoulder and the dent in my wallet.
I'm sparing my last thought here for Guruji. I guess there'll be a lot of people thinking they should be at a party somewhere else tonight a bit further down the coast to where I am, but these things are meant to be. I found out I've almost definitely lost the total money for the second week though it might still be possible for me to go down there. We'll see. As long as Guruji recovers, everything else will just work out how they are meant to be.
Posted by graeme at 1:09 AM | Comments (1)
March 21, 2007
That didn't just happen, did it?
Half way during class today I was looking of the class through the window, day dreaming as every bad yogi does. When it dawned on me here was this guy with his brown hiking boots tied at the laces and hanging from his neck. He was standing at his bike which he preceeded to lift off the parking meter where he had it chained.
"Thats a silly place to padlock your bike if you can just lift it off like that" I thought.
Then the guy started running down the street. Uh-oh. It's not his bike but one of the receptionists here at the center. Ooops, that's not good. Apparently it happens alot around here.
Class this morning was a bit all over the place. Weather's turning this way and that and most of the students said later at break that practice felt a bit flat. Having said that I did get into some nice handstands from navasana (bunny hops style) which was nice. And I'm proud to say I'm the owner of my very first yoga bruise, courtesy of getting both arms through in Garbha Pindasana up to the elbows for the first time. Ha ha!
Class was really educational today as we spent all day on the difficult postures in the middle of primary. It's great to finally get to spend decent amounts of time on these postures as for me they're the hardest things going, and are are right at the point where I'm being stopped. In other workshops I've attended these guys either get cut completely (too difficult for beginners) or skimmed over way to quickly with not much in the way of instruction on adjustments. Today the got the full treatment and I finally saw how John Scott was adjusting me in bhujapidasana over a year ago now.
It looks almost certain now that both Miami Life (Kino and Tim) and Yoga Grove (David, Gretchen and Marisa) are staying in Miami following the tour cancellation. Apparently both studios have been getting a fair amount of emails asking about classes. I know there's even going to be sign in sheets for the 2 weeks at Miami Life. Here's hoping it's going to be that busy!
Posted by graeme at 11:31 PM | Comments (0)
March 20, 2007
Up!
Teacher's gave us a wee course on learning to fly today. We looked into the lift from Utkatasana, the second one legged up from Vira B, and the up after bhujapidasana (ok with a lot of help). As part of a secondary practice we each individually too turns to count a colleague through standing, with perhaps only 1 Sun A and 1 Sun B seeing as how we'd already practiced that morning. As one person counted, one practiced and another adjusted. Teacher was there for counting support and to give guidance on the adjustments being given. I had a particularly nice second session, managing to get really floaty in the 'ups'. I'm very happy with progress!
The atmosphere here's really great. It's so supportive and conducive to learning that we all simply forgot to check the time we were having so much fun getting in to this stuff. We're carrying the sanskrit into the session after lunch and it's been good to
keep this stuff fresh. We got into the difficult postures in the middle of primary today, had a look at the mechanics then teacher ran through some of the simplest, yet most effective adjustments I've seen. I've had most of these done to me but could never work out what was going my face was always eating mat at the time. I was quite shocked to find out that was all that it took to inflict that much pressure into my hips!!!
In more pressing matters it looks like I may be staying in Miami now following the cancellation of the tour in Isla Morada. The ground swell here seems to be to stay in Miami and practice as a group at one of the shalas around town. I think Coconut Grove has a bigger practice area, and it's certainly easier to park down there though it's further for me to go. I'm sure something's going to be worked out. I think the crux of this will come down to whether people are getting their money back on accomodation. I know I'd like to go down to Isla Morada for a look see anyway as I'm sure the tour will be back there at some point in the future, though I'll probably not be there for that, atleast I'll be able to picture the place when I read about peoples experiences there when it comes around. And to be honest. Being the stingy Scot that I am, if I've paid for something I'd like to get my money's worth!!!
It'll all come out in the wash.
Posted by graeme at 11:38 PM | Comments (0)
Get me some PCP!!!
Sounds like a recipe from some drugs cocktail. Practice here has been hard but this stuff is the real kicker, wow it hits like a mother when it goes down. Just lovely. It's amazing some of the things I'll put into my body to try and make it feel better after a particularly hard practice, or week of them, but this stuff rocks. Plus you can get without prescription, you just need to know the right people to ask.
First day of Mysore practice at the second intensive week. Oh, jeez, it was real great to get back under the teacher's hands. Ok, so I've messed about with my practice a little with being at different teachers on this trip, all of which I'm sure he spotted, and its just ego me putting that stuff in there when I know I shouldn't. Still. It's been making a lot of headway in my practice, in some specific areas, but for me mostly on the whole aspect of how I feel after practice. I've literal stopped hurting. Knees, hamstrings, shoulders, wrists. Ok, they ache a little straight afterwards but in the long run of the day I'm a lot more comfortable now than I've ever been. 2 people in th class remarked already how my practice has improved since the first week of the intensive. Still. I feel a little guilty about putting some of that stuff in there, a tad selfish I feel. Disrespectfull? Oh yeah.
I didn't go as far through as I did the day before in the practice group where we were all practicing together but today there was no way I was going to push past baddha konasana when it's kinda obvious that my hips are no way near being open enough to accomplish a decent version of this pose, though a darn site closer than what they were this time last year.
Bummer about Islamorada being cancelled cos Guruji got sick. I guess stuff like that can't be helped. Now, what do I do with the 2 free weeks I've got and the 600 extra dollars????
PCP = papaya, coconut + pineapple. Athens Juice bar, 12th and Washington. Get it blended, it rocks!
Posted by graeme at 12:23 AM | Comments (0)
March 19, 2007
Dude!
I guess it had to happen. I know I'm like super irresistable and all that (especially it seems to the same sex unfortunately for me straight that I am) but some drunk geezer decided he preferred my bunk to his own last night and climbed right in. Oh, yeah, I was in it at the time.
"Dude! Get the f*&k! Your in the wrong bed, man"
Jeez. Had me pretty shacken up most of the morning. If It wasn't for the fact that I was back in high school doing sanskrit 101 and had to concentrate like super hard I'd have freaked all morning. Not that I'm homophobic or anything, it's just like a bit greepy to have some stranger climb into bed with me. Ok, for sure I admit if it had been a she instead of a he then I probably wouldn't have complained so much, in fact probably would've thanked her for the company, but y'know what I mean.
So, do you guys know what "killed her kipper" means? As in...
"That was so bad she killed her kipper". Didn't think so. Said that very thing to day and got blank stares all round. It means to laugh really heartily that you're banging the table (gx interpretation!). Caught me as kinda strange that no-one understood that one. Learn something new every day.
Had a real nice experience this morning in practice. The start of this second week training course was a self practice group of 6 people. I got to supta kurmasana an out of the back row someone reached over and helped me get a better grip on the rug I use to help me get closer to binding. It was a pleasant surprise as if the big man upstairs had leant down to help me himself. It was nice that someone doing their own practice would help me that way. Thanks!!!
Posted by graeme at 1:03 AM | Comments (1)
March 18, 2007
Practice with Kino
Yesterday was my first practice back at Miami Life Centre and the first with Kino taking the class. I'd heard an awful lot about her practice, seen her do her thing up on the stage in Mysore itself (holy shit!) but never paid any thought as to what she may be like as a teacher, it just never dawned on me.
Well, practice was pretty good as I hadn't done anything for 2 days so the legs were nice and open. Kino helped out a lot and although I couldn't see her I got into conversation with one of the other students in the class who said Kino had been watching everyone in the class pretty closely. I got good help in the usual places , Utthitta Hasta, Prasaritta C, forward folds, and I must say she's got pretty darn good hands and for a wee lass she certainly knows how to use what weight she does have to good effect. She's also pretty darn sweet, even said sorry when I stumbled out of the lift into titthibhasana and she later discovered my hands were in the wrong position so wasn't ready to lift with her help.
She totally got me in backbends. At Tim's I've been trying to build up to do as many of these as I could as my arms are pretty weak, due to my lack of being able to straighten my arms fully (broken collar bone). She got me to try a couple of things, hands in different places, focus on a different place and held my hands from slipping differently than before. It was hard work but it felt great. Afterwards I waited to ask her what she'd been driving at, it's so hard to work out sometimes when you're upside down. She spent a good while explaining and even demonstrating what I was doing and contrasting that with what she does in her own backbends. She did all this in the reception area as well. Real great of her to spend that time essentially only a day after meeting me. She gets the thumbs up from me anytime.
She's got a good sense of humour too. When demo-ing her backbend she had a band in her hand to put her hair up. She said it was really ultimately important to do this first, get your hair out of the way, at which point she looked at me and said, "Especially for you!" Cheeky wee monkey. "But that's the one part of backbends I can do !" I replied. We had a good laugh.
Today it's mu mum's birthday and for the first in a longtime I'm missing home.
Posted by graeme at 12:22 AM | Comments (1)
March 16, 2007
Back home (in Miami)
The flights back home to Miami were non eventfull other than the fact that both were delayed by about an hour. What with the time shift and the recent daylight savings I'm a bit out of whack of sorts and found myself awake at 3.30am this morning. Needless to say I didn't make class though I did go over to the Life Centre to find out about evening classes. I finally managed to meet Kino McGregor and say hello, we met in Mysore by the coconut tree but I didn't realise who she was back then so didn't speak. I'm hoping to make her Mysore class tomorrow morning which will be my last class before the second session with Sanskrit and my teacher here in Miami for the rest of next week.
Miami's hot! It's spring break here so when I went for a walk along the beach front this afternoon I could hardly see the beach for all the people out there having a great time. It's weird having the sun and water on the opposite sides to what I got used to in Encinitas but it's nice as the beach here is so huge. Oh and it was 72F at 11pm when I got here, phew!
So in the end I didn't practice at all today either. I've been feeling like a bit of a break was in order. I'm real bad at over doing things and had a bad overtraining injury about 10 years ago. Ever since I've been mindful not to get too caught up when things start going well, it's usually when things start to break down, and seeing as how I've been having little or no pain in my knees recently (the left hip finally popped last week in Tims Mysore class), it's been nice to kinda coast for a little and enjoy the view from the top of the current plateau I've reached. Next week back on the training circuit will be hard again so an extra days rest was easy to justify to myself.
Posted by graeme at 1:07 AM | Comments (0)
March 14, 2007
Last day with Tim
Today was my last practice with Tim, and as all good ashtangi's do I decided to sleep in! Well, I knew there was a Mysore class after the led primary and as my Mysore practice has been such fun recently I think I already had decided this was the class for me before I even went to bed.
Tim gave me a parting present to remind him by, a ful squash in baddha konasana. Oh, it was great! Not only that, but it's one of the adjustments I remember seeing online almost 2 years ago now that kinda prompted me to come out here in the first place. Tim and his assistants, and indeed many of the students in his care, are some of the most genuine people I've met out here. There's no airs or gracies with them, they call a spade a spade and are happy to do so. Hopefully it won't be too long before I get back here, fingers and toes all crossed.
This afternoon I took the rental car back thankfully. It was a major pain in the ass for me, noisiest thing I've ever heard, and kept locking the boot as soon as I got above 5miles an hour. Arrghhh!
Afterwards I spent a most wonderful afternoon with friends I had met down in Maya Tulum. I had a great time just hanging out, kicking back and talking. I got a chance to play some guitar and jam for a little while so my finger tips are a bit sore as I type.
Tomorrow I'm back 'home' to Miami to some heat!!! :>
Posted by graeme at 4:10 AM | Comments (1)
March 13, 2007
City of Angels
I knew this place was going to be trouble...
This weekend I travelled 90 miles up the coast to Los Angeles to see my good friend Return To Mysore. I know he hasn't posted for a while but rest asured he's doing well, looks in good shape (for a phillipino!) and is as vibrant and friendly as ever. He's also a pretty darn excellent host.
I got into Santa Monica after taking the long way round by staying on the 5 instead of the much quicker 405 (like 30 mins quicker on the way back), and found myself directly standing on Santa Monica beach, 1 block away from Venice Beach. The setup here is nothing like I've ever seen. The beach is huge, there's individual lanes for people out walking, or 'peds' as they're called here, and people on bikes, or pretty much anything with 2-4 wheels that isn't motorised. And the people, loads of them. The city welcomes you with a sign saying its population is nearing 3.75 million people and today I think the .75 had descended on Venice beach.
Venice Beach
Venice beach, famous for it's 'Muscle' gym is backed by people playing basketball, paddle tennis that looked super competitive and a 2 mile stretch of sidewalk littered with varying arrays of talented people, artists, and side vendors. Heck I even saw doubles for David Beckham, Posh Spice, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes getting video'd. Best was some old dude who'd carted a tie-dyed painted piano down and was playing like some demented virtuoso!
I travelled across town to meet my host then we went for a quick bite to eat. In the morning we went across to the Shala which soon filled up. It's a great place, lots of dedicated practitioners, and visitors, and some great Andy Warhol colour inspired pictures of Guruji doing Sun A from Yoga Mala to inspire you.
After breakfast we went to the local fruit market then around town. Here's some snaps..
Hollywood sign in the distance
The only real 'star' in Hollywood!!
If I'd been here last weekend the place was amok with movie celebrities for the Oscars
I'll be back!!!
Outside the kodak building where the oscars were held was mental. It was real busy, people mingling about going in to see the cinema, the little mall they have and watching the street entertainers do their thing. I wanted to do a little window shopping so we headed to the best place in the world for that, ok the most expensive.
No, I didn't buy anything! Though I did see this place from Pretty Woman
and this nice ass!
After me and host parted company I went back across town to West Hollywood where I wanted to try and find this place, probably the most famous fire escape I know of.
Then down to the beach at Santa Monica for the sunset. The place was real busy, people out there on the sand very much like the scene from City of Angels. And then it was time for a quick walk through 3rd Street Promenade and the trip home.
Santa Monica
Oh, yeah. How's about this for a version of 'tree posture' !??!
Posted by graeme at 2:58 AM | Comments (1)
March 9, 2007
This is busier than work
It's over cast here this morning so I've come over to starbucks to sort out some admin stuff before heading for breakfast, or so I thought. Here's what this morning involved...
- 3 simultaneous instant messenger conversations with work, my good friend Chuck, and Miss Chasey, a good friend I met at John Scott's retreat in Prussia Cove and haven't heard from in a while.
- download netscape for mac so I can update the center's workshops. Mac's versions doesn't display the hosts html very well
- updated my podcasts downloads from iTunes
- emailed Return to Mysore who I'm excited about seeing again tomorrow
- emailed my teacher in Miami back regarding IslaMorada. There's a chance of some accomodation there now first week. Keep your fingers crossed.
- checked in with the going-ons in ashtangi blog world. Read Tiffany, Julie and Vanessas blogs
- looked into Boodiba's blog for the first time since Mysore. Discovered it's her birthday today.
- also checked out cj's blog for the first time. Read the words "Josey and the Pussycats" in her profile and laughed when realised I own both the DVD and the CD!
- had a small hot chocolate and some grenola (not very nice)
- finally worked out who OKRGR is. Doh!
- wrote my blog
That's a lot to be doing when I'm supposed to be on sabatical. So I'm going to go off to the beach now for a wander. I ended up at Swami's cafe yesterday late afternoon. Food there is just fab so may go back to try something else.
Practice? Glad it's over with for this week though for sure I'm sad that its coming to an end. "Avoidance is not an option" Tim said when he helped me in forward folds and a I moaned that pain was coming. Hamstrings? Aren't they just wonderful teachers! Got cranked again in backbends which is always fun and was dumbstruck when Tiffany grabed her thigh when doing a back bend with help from Tim's assistant. Jeez-oh!
Tomorrow I'm off to L.A. to catch up with the guy who kept on at me to start writing a blog for so long that finally I did. My journey took this meander in the blog-sphere following that, and I'm very, very grateful to him for getting me started!
Posted by graeme at 7:35 PM | Comments (0)
Hootie sings sanskrit
I turned up again for Tim's level 4/5 improv, not because I can do much of it but because I like the class. It's damn good fun. Needless to say class was a blast. It's got a real nice vibe about it mostly because Tim talks to the entire class. Today he told us all about the current planetary movements (Jupiter and Venus at 120 degrees to each other, very auspicious apparently).
Highlight of the class for me this time was getting to do some partner work. Two I remember was after a lot of prep work against the wall, Tim showed us where a student goes into a down dog, feet against a wall, then the other student lies over their pelvis, back to back, and attempts to walk their hands down the wall behind them, or, grab hold of the down-dog student's upper thighs. Tim cracked a funny here about being carefull about what you try and reach for here. I was in stitches.
Second one involved a student doing a handstand then the adjuster effectively lays them over their own shoulders and picks the student off the floor (they've got a hold of the adjuster's ankles) by bending their knees and pushing their butt out as they lean forward (dont try this at home). Sheshadri did this to my friend the last day I was in Mysore the first time around. She said afterwards it was better than sex!
At the end of class in savasana Tim put on some music. At first hearing I was convinced it was Hootie and the Blowfish singing in sanskrit. I later found out it was Krishna Das chanting Puja from 'Door of Faith'. I went out and bought the album it was that good then found track 4 'Rudrashtakam' to be the one I liked the most. It's unreal.
Today I walked along the beach from South Carlsbad to Encinitas and back, talking myself through the count for a led primary series up to Paschimottanasana. It's the homework for the 2nd part of the course I'm doing in Miami. I'm back there next week for 2 weeks then down in Isla Morada for 2 weeks if I can only find accomodation for the first week. Eeeek.
Posted by graeme at 1:46 AM | Comments (2)
International House of Pain
No, I'm not talking bondage whips and candles and the like, but rather where I had breakfast this morning. I was thinking about my good friend Chuck after class this morning. I've known him for about 10 years or so now and I'm looking forward to the next time I'll see him. Anyway, talk about instant manifestation and up pops this place, one of the places Chuck would take me on the odd occasion, not for a good spank but for breakfast.
Pain coming, yup, in the number of calories that I consumed for breakfast this morning at this place! No doubt it's going to bounce back on me tomorrow morning for practice! Heck, life's too short to worry sometimes about that, and I was in a reminiscing sort of a mood so next thing I know I'm sitting with this mountain of pancakes in front of me slathered in maple syrup, blueberry syrup, and you'll never lift up into lolasana-syrup too!!! Gawd it was good though!!!
(This was actually part of yesterday's post but I held on to it until I got the picture ported across....)
Plus here's some better pics from the sunset from atop Palomar Mountain.
Posted by graeme at 1:40 AM | Comments (0)
March 8, 2007
Palomar Mountain
Today I took a drive out to the countryside behind Encinitas, a place called Escondido, near where the House of Pain can be found, and at the foot of the Palmora Mountain, all 5000+ feet of it. Thankfully those nice Americans have built a somewhat windy road up the side of it (dual lane of course) so I'm here at 3.30pm writing my blog entry looking at this...
Isn't that nice?
You could just set yourself up here with a view over this and like never leave. There's actually snow on the ground about 200m from where I'm sitting but the car thermometer's reading 88F when it's sitting here, but a chilly 56F when it's moving. I'm planning to stay here to watch the sun go down, it's so peaceful other than the fact that I'm parked at the side of the road looking at a 3000 foot drop to the valley below. Oh, and the one enormous building that I can see from here, even though it's miles away, yup, it's a casino! Yeuch!
On the way back I stopped in to a plaza and caught 'The number 23' with Jim Carey in it. If you can get over the thought that he might pull a rediculus face every second and maybe trying to crack jokes every other minute the films actually not half bad. Worth a look......
Posted by graeme at 7:09 AM | Comments (0)
March 7, 2007
Never expected to see this today...
Some brief history...
Where I come from back home, there's a wee town where my granny lived that sits just over the hill in the valley. There, some couple of hundred years ago, Athelstane was stationed with his troops totally outnumbered by the approaching armies of the English King. Looking for some inspiration to drive his troops on to what seemed like certain death on the battle field, Athel turned to the powers that be and seeked some sign, some vision to come to his and his men's aid.
In the morning of the battle, there in the sky came his sign, and, as in all good stories, the men rallied, defeated the enemy (well they are nice English after all, they're good at that sort of thing - and of course I'm joking) and lived happily ever after (I made that bit up). Athel, in response to the help, adopted the sign as his standard, which is when you ever see a Scottish flag, it's why it should be on a sky blue background.
So I'm sitting on the beach down South Carlsbad, reading my book when this appeared...
And seeing as how I'm in the mood for posting pics, here are some more....
Seen this on some surfing stuff back home, I'm sure....
The beach next door to this place...
Swami's. The guy of 'Autobiography of a Yoga' fame, who was apparently sold the land for 1 dollar by Charlie Chaplin no less!
Mr Ben's Clothes Shop, where you go in as yourself and change into something other than yourself. Well, actually the new you!!!
Posted by graeme at 4:25 AM | Comments (1)
March 6, 2007
That's an interesting question
I practised opposite Tiffany this morning, least I thought it was her. Julie had mentioned to look out for Tiff's backbends but I kinda guessed it was her when she popped up into handstands, which by all accounts to me looked pretty darned perfect. Dena Kingsberg spent a fair bit of time with students in her class doing handstands, never against the wall, and I've always been amazed how incredibly graceful it looks when people get it right. One of Dena's assistants has the most amazingly effortless looking handstands, the ones where you'd tic-tac back and forward over into backbends then to standing, all done without any crashing down into the floor. I'm sure they're not easy by any means but when students just pull themselves up like that - inspiring stuff!
I ran into Tiffany outside class as well, and got a chance to say hello (and make sure it was her) when she said the most profound thing to me.
"Where do you live?"
I kept thinking about what I said for ages afterwards. Well, it's technically Glasgow (Scotland), but I don't physically own or rent property there now. I'm effectively homeless, and it rattled around me head most of the afternoon that there's no where now I call my home. Where my parents live and where I grew up for sure is my 'ancestral' home if you like, but having been on the road now for nearly 6 months I'm not sure where I actually belong. I guess a lot of this comes out of the fact that I've been thinking alot about where I'm going to be when I get back to Scotland, geographically speaking. The 6 month minimum rental thing doesn't sound appealing at all......
There's a poster in a shop window near here I'm going to take a picture of and post up to the blog sometime soon. It talks about travelling being like reading a book. That when we stay in one place for any lenght of time it's like being stuck with that one page, but when you travel you get to read more of the book. I kinda like that.
Posted by graeme at 7:10 AM | Comments (3)
March 5, 2007
You're joking, right?
I turned up for the led primary class this morning at 10am. Tim's away in Alabama so one of his assistants was taking the class. As the second series class filed out I put my mat down beside the teacher who had led the class and who I had met in Maya Tulum. She turned to me and said.
"Why late" in her best Indian accent.
"You what?"
"Why late for class?"
"You mean, like for second??? Err cos I'm not there yet."
To which she gave a smile.
Doh. Ok, so I gate crashed the level 4/5 improv but this is a different kettle of fish entirely. Ha. It'd be a laugh all the same. My friend suggested maybe I should try the intro to second series class instead. Hmmmnn. Maybe's I'll just stay where I am. Or maybe next week I'll do both.
Och, I dunno.
Posted by graeme at 4:19 AM | Comments (3)
March 3, 2007
End of the week
Whew! I made it to the end of the week and manage a somewhat pleasant practice today. Highlight of the day was getting my arms far enough underneath my shoulders in kurmasana that they didn't pull on the back of my knees for the first time ever. Nice feeling and I hung out there for more breaths than usual before getting put into supta kurmasana.
Tim's out of town for the weekend and tomorrow's a moon day. There's a moonday practice on at the Studio but I may end up going else where or just having a much needed rest.
Work has been interesting. I've had enough juice in the laptops to be able to sit outside and do what I've needed to do. Nice. Best office I've ever been in. I can see the sea, feels the sun on my back, and admire the world as it passes by. Stuff I'm doing is a bit on the repetitive side so it fits in well to this set up. Anything I need to use more brain power for I can leave until early evening and do inside. Ahhh, this is the life. Actually it isn't! I'd rather not be working at all but it fills in some time and keeps everything sweet with the colleagues back home.
Let the weekend begin. Yeeeehaaaaaa!
Posted by graeme at 3:38 AM | Comments (0)
March 1, 2007
You want me to do WHAT with my foot???
I think I boo-booed here a bit this morning. I went along to Tim's improv class not realising it's on the schedule here for levels 4/5. Well, me being about a level 1-2 you can imagine the 'fun' I had in the class. Not only did I not have a clue to the names of most of the postures, I think Tim was taking most of the postures from the back of the Iyengar book that has all those rediculously looking difficult postures in them.
Hell, I was up for anything. Not sure what these guys are called but one posture he had us 'try' putting your foot into the arm pit on the same side as the foot, then curl up the foot of the other hand into your hands. The second 'fun' one for me was when in a deep lunge I tried to get my shoulder, arm and head underneath my bent leg, then with my other hand as grounding lift my bent leg clean off the floor. When Tim said "Now lift your foot off the floor" I'm like man, that's what most of my foundation's grounding through, there's just no way!!! It was an experience in non attachment for sure. I was lucky if I could do 25% of the class. Still, I enjoyed it immensely, especially the prep for the one where you lie face down then go up basically onto your face with your legs up over the back of your head, hands interlocked and arms straight under your torso as the lever. Prep involved going up into a handstand, facing away from the wall, then to lower to the floor bending the arms until your torso's on the floor but your pubic bone's still against the wall. Man, that felt real nice for my back.
Laptop arrived from work today. Jings, back to the world of Microsoft and PCs, yeuck!
Posted by graeme at 9:44 PM | Comments (0)
You want me to do WHAT with my foot???
I think I boo-booed here a bit this morning. I went along to Tim's improv class not realising it's on the schedule here for levels 4/5. Well, me being about a level 1-2 you can imagine the 'fun' I had in the class. Not only did I not have a clue to the names of most of the postures, I think Tim was taking most of the postures from the back of the Iyengar book that has all those rediculously looking difficult postures in them.
Hell, I was up for anything. Not sure what these guys are called but one posture he had us 'try' putting your foot into the arm pit on the same side as the foot, then curl up the foot of the other hand into your hands. The second 'fun' one for me was when in a deep lunge I tried to get my shoulder, arm and head underneath my bent leg, then with my other hand as grounding lift my bent leg clean off the floor. When Tim said "Now lift your foot off the floor" I'm like man, that's what most of my foundation's grounding through, there's just no way!!! It was an experience in non attachment for sure. I was lucky if I could do 25% of the class. Still, I enjoyed it immensely, especially the prep for the one where you lie face down then go up basically onto your face with your legs up over the back of your head, hands interlocked and arms straight under your torso as the lever. Prep involved going up into a handstand, facing away from the wall, then to lower to the floor bending the arms until your torso's on the floor but your pubic bone's still against the wall. Man, that felt real nice for my back.
Laptop arrived from work today. Jings, back to the world of Microsoft and PCs, yeuck!
Posted by graeme at 9:44 PM | Comments (0)