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February 24, 2006
Reflections on boredom
So I was sitting, thinking about how all of us yogis are so darn boring and something dawned on me. I don't find my life boring, and I can guess that the rest of you yogis out there don't either. My life may seem boring from the outside looking in, but from my vantage point it's quite happy and quite exciting. And here's why: I'm one of the few people I know who is truly happy with where I am right now. I don't know how much of that comes from yoga and the whole yogic attitude/lifestyle, but I like to think that has a lot to do with it.
That's not to say that I want to remain right here, perfectly static, forever. Sure, I have goals, and there are things I want to achieve, but I'm not running from the moment. I'm happy here and now. I truly believe that we have the power to choose our lives..that if we take responsibility for our lives we can choose happiness. I don't need "excitement" to excite me. I'm excited because I love my life and all its blessings. And, as boring as it may seem, that's all I need.
On my iPod: "To Be Young"--Ryan Adams
Posted by alegato at 12:20 PM | Comments (3)
February 23, 2006
Down with boredom!
Yeah...the title talks the talk, but I'm certainly not walking the walk. I'm not really sure what can be done to fight the February blahs. Well, I have a couple ideas, but they both involve expensive plane tickets to Asia, which might be mildly irresponsible and unfeasible given my student (i.e. no income) status at the moment (wait, isn't that why credit cards were invented??!). Alas, I've taken to living vicariously through my friends who are in Asia and other tropical climes at the moment. My goal: to hit the backpacker trail again as soon as I've made enough money to last me for a few months in SE Asia and India.
In her list of why yoga blogs are boring, Jenna wrote the following:
'5. We practice non-attachment, so should not be raving about our new toys (wish I had some new toys), or the dinner we made last night (guilty), or our fancy new mats (also guilty). "
At this very moment, I say screw non-attachment! I just got a hot new pair of shoes (they aren't the same as the photo, that was the closest I could find...) for the greatest deal ever and I'm excited about it! I like shoes. I'm not ashamed of it. I also like butter, but that's a whole other rant.
$325 marked down to $50. I am a shopping superstar, even though I do yoga. I just couldn't help myself.
Okay, I just realised how sad that is: the most exciting thing that's happened to me in days is a new pair of (hot) shoes. Hmph. Well....I tried.
Posted by alegato at 6:22 PM | Comments (1)
February 21, 2006
Mysore Dreaming
I was getting a massage last night. Totally relaxed. Totally chilled out. Very savasana-esque. And I was in that place that's somewhere between sleep and waking...and in my demi-conscious mind I was wandering around Gokulam: the main shala, the coconut man, the chai stand, the children's home where I volunteered...and it dawned on me that I would give so much to just be able to run away to Mysore right now for a few months. I want to immerse myself in practice. I want to practise, period, because not much of that is happening now. I want to be who I was again...I feel like I've lost a lot of that. Lost touch with the spirituality that was so much a part of me before I moved here. I want to eat fenugreek rotis and tomato chutney under Tina's mango tree, and spend all afternoon reading.
What am I running away from? Nothing. Everything. Life here is good. But, it's so removed from everything that truly matters. Call me selfish, but I want some time to be introspective again. I want to be in a room full of deep breathing and sweat and people who are passionate about Ashtanga. I don't know how to find that feeling here. And I'm running away from reality. The reality that in eight weeks I'll be done my master's degree, and then I have to do something real with my life. The reality that I don't know where I going. The reality that I don't know what I want. The reality that I'm going to have to leave someone behind if I want to leave this place. Maybe it's just that it's February in Canada.
Speaking of February in Canada, I seem to be suffering from the same problem as KJS. I can't seem to get through the day without comforting myself repeatedly with baked goods. What's my deal? I currently have two different types of cookies in my house...I never buy cookies. I'm trying to resist the urge to eat one right now!
What I wouldn't give to be in Mexico with my Gay Husband right now...or in Thailand with the Model....ohhh Thailand, India...how I long for thee!
Instead, off the the gym, because that's what we do here in London, Ontario: the land of Wonder Bread and homogeneity.
On my iPod: "Une Annee Sans Lumiere" --The Arcade Fire, "Homeward Bound"-- Simon and Garfunkel, "A New Name for Everything" --The Weakerthans
Posted by alegato at 1:51 PM | Comments (2)
February 14, 2006
Valentine's Day
Single or in a couple, I've never been much of a fan of Valentine's Day. It's always boggled my mind that people need to a day to tell their loved ones that they love them. Anyhow, I'm a little more in the spirit this year, as I seem to be dating the world's biggest romantic. How did that happen to me, the world's biggest cynic?
So this year, Valentine's Day consists of the following:
Tulips, my favourite flowers.
Shrimp cocktail.
Baked brie, on a bed a greens.
Lobster ravioli in a saffron butter sauce (which he stayed up until midnight on Sunday making).
And my contribution, caramelized banana tartlets with bittersweet chocolate-port sauce.
To drink.
Could we get any cheesier??
On my iPod: "Constellations" --Jack Johnson, "One" --U2
Posted by alegato at 6:03 PM | Comments (0)
February 7, 2006
A million years
Yes, I realise that I haven't blogged in a really long time. It feels even longer than it's actually been. SO much has happened. SO much.
First of all, I spent the month of January working as an associate producer at the CBC, i.e. my holy grail. The first week was rough, but after that things went really well and I LOVED it. It was a great experience and it's helped give me a little more direction as to where I want to go next.
After my time at the CBC was over, I was off to Ottawa and Washington for the International Notebook conference. It was a conference run by the Department of Foreign Affairs for 15 journalism students from across Canada who show a strong interest in international affairs. It was amazing! Essentially, we attended about a thousand hours of briefings a day about Canada's international affairs, on topics ranging from Canadian aid in Africa, to Canada-China relations, to Canada-US relations, which we covered at the Canadian embassy in Washington. Along the way there were a lot of 'mingling' events, where we got to rub shoulders with some pretty fancy-schmanzy people. Best of all though were the other people. We had all travelled extensively and had similar interests in development and foreign policy. It was a fantastic, fun and incredibly intelligent people and it was amazing to be able to spend time with so many people who share so many of the same interests.
During my time in Ottawa I discovered a great, traditional Ashtanga shala (add it to the list of reasons that I'd love to live in Ottawa), called Downtown Yoga, and I decided to take a led primary class there. Keep in mind that my yoga practice while in Toronto was sporadic, thanks to my LONG hours (7:30-5) as well as the fact that I got quite ill while I was there). But, I thought, hell, I can still do full primary. I walked in. The teacher asked me who I'd practised with, I told him Darby and Sharath. He was impressed...foolishly! He asked me how far I'd gotten in my practice while I was in Mysore, and I said full primary, but that I'd regressed since then.
He told me that it was a full primary class, full vinyasa. For some reason, it didn't click in my head that when he said full vinyasa he meant FULL VINYASA. I was thinking that he meant vinyasas between sides, not just between poses, and I was like, "Yeah, okay, no problem." Well, it was a problem! The class was from 6:30-8:30 p.m., and I hadn't eaten anything since lunch...and I'm hypoglycemic (dumb, I know). We flowed through at a pace that could only be described as "Sharath on speed," not to mention the full vinyasas. By the time we were part way through seated series I'd lost my ability to jump to standing, it was more like a very sloppy step. And a couple times when we came to standing during the full vinyasas I was pretty sure I was going to pass out. Anyhow, it was SO nice and toasty in there, so I slid right into kurmasana, straight legs and all, and then wriggled into supta, but didn't bind. I was about to thank Shiva when we got to the end of the series, but before I could I heard, "Pasasana!" We went until shalabasana B, at which point I was pretty sure of the rare, but serious, yoga induced death! Then, after class he told me to come back to Mysore the next morning at 6am. I think I looked at him like he had two heads. I was so shaky and tired that I had to take a cab the 6 or so blocks back to the hotel!
Anyhow, I'm back at school this week...and I'm having a little trouble getting back into the swing of things, given all the excitement of the past 5 weeks. It has been nice to be back in London though with the Guy, and to not have to rely on weekends to see one another. We've done the obligatory meet-the-parents thing, and things are going well...so well.
10 more weeks of school. 10 more weeks to figure out my future! No pressure.
"All I want is one more chance to be young and wild and free." --"Reunion", The Stars
On my iPod: "Natural Anthem" --The Postal Service, "Across the Universe" --Rufus Wainwright, "Letter from an Occupant" --The New Pornographers, "Relative's Eyes" --The Most Serene Republic
Posted by alegato at 3:20 PM | Comments (1)