yoga, books, movies, tv and WAY too many crime procedurals – not necesarily in that order
That’s something I’m looking to change very soon. But in looking for a particular yoga place out here, my google search led me to this link. All I really have to say about that is “BULLSHIT.”
As a teacher with more than 200 hours of training and certification, AND as someone who TAUGHT at a gym, the bottom line is that any class is only as good as your confidence in (and comfort with) the teacher. If you are a beginning student, I’ve posted about good ways to begin your practice and find a good class but ultimately every student has different needs.
I’ll break it down in bullets:
1. Call the gym/studio and ask about the classes. They’ll be honest.
2. If you feel uncomfortable in/during a class, tell the instructor.
3. NOTHING SHOULD BE PAINFUL.
4. Ask the teacher about their training/certifications.
5. Ask other students.
I’ve been a legal Colorado resident for one year. My trip to the Driver’s License office was on New Year’s Eve 2008. What a year!
We’ve enjoyed the town and love living here. That bodes well as we never felt that way about Saginaw. I’ve also nailed down some full-time work, which kicks the year off famously.
I also finally finished East of Eden today. Despite my earlier Farrah-induced prejudice, I really loved this novel. I wouldn’t have read it at all but for my GoodReads group, so I’m thankful for that. I’m looking forward to rereading it just as soon as I get through some of my TBR list. It was incredibly timely and does a fantastic job of looking at nature vs. nurture and the complexity of family interaction. Loved it.
During my shift tonight I also read the latest Sookie Stackhouse book. I continue to admire how Charlaine Harris pulls off the books in the series without becoming repetitive or dull, and I enjoyed it as much as I’ve enjoyed every other book in the series. While I loved season 1 of True Blood, it really doesn’t hold a candle to the charm, humor, and intensity of the novels.
Next up from Chicks on Lit: Middlemarch. Given my own personal dislike for George Eliot, I’m hoping this turns out as well as East of Eden.
I’m not much for resolutions, but mine for this year is to live each day like it’s my last. Enjoy every minute. More reading, more yoga, more great conversation.
We went and saw Avatar in 3D yesterday and it was precisely as awesome as has been retold all over the intarwebz. The most amazing thing about it was that it reminded me of when I was a little kid and desperately wanted my stuffed animal/Transformer/Bugs Bunny to come to life and hang around with me. Avatar looked REAL – incredible, in-your-face, I can’t believe how real REAL. It’s worth seeing just for that. The story was somewhat predictable but, as Spouse said, “For a three hour movie, there wasn’t a single part that was boring.” You stay involved the entire time. It was excellent. Two thumbs up, worth every penny to see it in the theater.
One of our ‘family’ holiday gifts was Wii’s Super Mario Brothers and it’s FANTASTIC. Being able to play two players at once is simultaneously the best and worst thing than ever happened to SM – great because no one sits around bored, terrible because if you’re like me then the other person playing will use your character as a springboard. We’ve had a blast relearning an old fave. For those attempting to play: even though it’s tempting to use two controllers, stick with the Wiimote and skip the nunchuks. The game is MUCH easier to navigate without the second controller.
Tonight I tested out Your Shape for Wii (by Ubisoft). I first heard about the game through an online commercial feedback survey at least six months ago. Having seen the promo, I was anxious to see the reception for the game because it looked pretty awesome. In a serendipitous twist, I entered to host a Your Shape Fun, Fit, and Guilt Free party (in conjunction with the new Jello Mousse Temptations) and won. I got a free copy of YourShape as well as some coupons for Jello Mousse Temptations* in order to test the game (and Mousse) with friends and post about it on the House Party website.
Your Shape doesn’t really come with an extensive instruction booklet (there’s a really short one inside the game). With the Wii off, I plugged in the camera and then situated the camera on the Wii sensor strip on top of the TV. I put the game in and it was pretty easy going from there. You can skip the Jenny McCarthy intro by pressing the A button (fyi) but if you’re not familiar with the game it might be helpful. The idea is that you’ve got a coach inside the game and the camera tracks your movements to make sure you use correct form, letting you know what you need to adjust and when.
Most of the reviews I read on Amazon mentioned that the camera is picky about your motions. I made sure that I could fit my whole body on the screen (which seemed to help) and the only issue I ran into is what seemed to be a slight lag in the camera picking up my motion. Regardless, the 15 minute workout I did was DEFINITELY a workout. I’m really looking forward to seeing if, based on my results today, the game will adjust my workout routine for Wednesday.
I was worried that McCarthy might seem kind of annoying as a coach, but the best thing about the game is that you can set your mood at the beginning: Nothing can stop me, Pretty good, You’re lucky I’m even here. I’m guessing the amount and type of coaching changes based on how you’re feeling. I went with “Pretty good” and it was just enough – not too perky, not too persistent, and the attaboys weren’t over the top. The form in individual exercises was really good. Since that’s a pet peeve of mine- and a big part of the reason I stopped using the yoga portion of Wii Fit – I was really happy to see that. The workout scheduling setup was also pretty cool and the fact that you can adjust your workouts by 15 minute intervals is fantastic.
All in all, I’m very happy with Your Shape. I’m looking forward to testing it out more in the next week but so far I’m optimistic. I’d recommend setting the game up wearing a typical workout outfit. I was in baggy flannel pajamas and I’m pretty sure I’m going to have to redo my profile, now that I know how the game works and what can/can’t be in the field of view. P.S. Your dog will not help your score.
*I’d already tried (and liked) Jello Mousse Temptations so that was just kind of an added bonus.
People are often surprised that we celebrate Christmas or that I make a holiday music mix each year. After all, what do two atheists have to do with Christmas? For me growing up, Christmas wasn’t about church or Jesus. Christmas was a time when all of our family (even the extended family) got together to celebrate. It wasn’t until much later (junior high) where church became part of the holiday season. As a result, I still think of the holidays as a time for family celebration rather than religious. As to the music- just because I don’t believe in god doesn’t mean that I can’t enjoy songs that express joyfulness and hope. Even if it’s inspired by something I don’t share, it’s JOY. And HOPE. If I could find a great holiday song that used the word “namaste” I totally would, because THAT’S what I think the holiday season is about.
“Namaste” is a traditional South Asian greeting which is translated as everything from ‘hello’, ‘goodbye’, and ‘thank you’ to its more literal root: The Divine Light that resides in me recognizes and appreciates that same Divine Light residing within you. The last is how I use namaste. Divine Light can mean anything from spirit to God to enlightened consciousness. I choose to believe that that thing – the divine light – is that electrical spark which animates us and the shared human experience. Not the collective unconscious of Jung, but close. We are born, we live, we struggle, we experience joy, we die. Those things are what make us uniquely human and something that all humans – regardless of color or creed- share. And THAT seems like a divine light – we are each alone but simultaneously not alone because millions of others have shared these experiences, even if not in the same time or space. THAT is what I believe in.
That’s what I think the holidays are about. Sharing the good things (and sometimes even the bad things) about our human experience.
Because of that, I also believe in dharma and karma. Not the serious Buddhist reincarnation kind of karma, where your life’s actions determine your path to enlightenment via punishment-by-life-as-an-ant, or the idea of dharma as your life’s path being determined for you.
I believe that we all have a path but I also believe that we choose that path every day. The decisions we make create the life we lead and therefore CHOOSE to lead- dharma is simply the acknowledgement that none of our actions happen in a vacuum. My take on karma is similar- it shares the bones but not the elaborate theory. I think that all of our actions are energy in the world. Putting out positive energy can only lead to good things. That’s not to say that you never do/say/think bad things (because we do) but I also don’t believe that having one shitty day makes a house fall on your head. Sometimes bad things happen to people and they are in no way to blame – the number one reason that Law of Attraction stuff is bullshit. You can’t control the actions of others – only the reactions that YOU have to them. I fail to see how trying to put the positive spin on things, or being kind just to be kind, can ever lead to bad things.
So have happy holidays. I hope for health and wellness for you and yours, an ease to suffering for all, and joy to offset your sorrow.
I’ve been spending a lot of time at the Dooce community and I kind of love it because some of the conversations there have given me blog fodder (not that I’ve done anything with it yet). Of course, with the positive comes the negative. 
Someone was asking about yoga vs. Pilates and which was better and someone else generalized that Pilates was better for body sculpting and the top of my head blew off a little.
Every yoga class is different. Every one of them. Even if the class has got the same name, two different teachers will teach the exact same class differently. One of the most egregious generalizations I see is that “Hatha yoga” is “gentle.” Grrr.
First, “hatha” yoga simply means forceful path. In technical terms, it refers to ALL physical yoga practice. So Iyengar, Anusara, Baptiste- they’re ALL hatha yoga. Yep. That’s right. No matter how they brand themselves, it’s all hatha.
Second, the intensity of your class depends on two things: YOU nd your teacher. In any class (including the most gentle yoga for seniors class) I’m able to break a sweat because I know how to make my practice more muscle work if I want to. My muscles are typically sore after EVERY yoga workout, because that’s how *I* choose to work out. Your teacher is there to guide your practice and help you get where you want to go.
When I teach my students, I’m constantly teaching the modifications and small muscle work because the thing I love best about yoga is how MALLEABLE it is. It can be whatever you want- gentle, relaxing, ass-kicking, invigorating, and a combination of all of the above. I’m not there to run a boot camp, but I’m trying to give my students all the tools they need to have their best yoga experience.
Related to this is that you should always try as many classes as you can. I don’t tend to go places that don’t offer at least the first class free, mostly because exercise classes are the kind of thing you can’t be sure you’ll like until you try them. I think it’s shitty and dishonest to charge folks for 5-10 classes without giving them a taste of what they’re getting into. Corollary to that is just because you don’t like one teacher doesn’t mean you don’t like yoga. Personality and teaching style are pretty important to your enjoyment of the class, so check until you find someone you DO like. Don’t be afraid to call the studio/gym and ask them about their classes. Ask them to recommend something to you or -better yet- ask for contact info for the teacher.
Find out about the teacher’s certification. No one ever asks about mine. Ever. I’m always surprised.
Things to keep in mind before going to yoga class:
1. Don’t eat a big meal within a couple of hours before your class. Trust me on this.
2. It’s not all about the flexibility. Most people in any yoga class do NOT have a dance/gymnastic background and aren’t especially flexible. The whole point is to IMPROVE flexibility. If you think you’re going to be self-conscious – don’t worry. EVERYONE is self-conscious in an exercise class.
3. Yoga does not require fancy, expensive equipment. This is the second thing I love best about yoga.
4. It’s not just for women. I think of all my students, the guys are always more impressed with the classes. It’s more work than they expect and they seem to see results faster than most of my female students. The key is getting in the door.
5. It should be fun. Really.
Yoga is also about more than just stretching. There are many types of practices that are part of yoga and this is just talking about what you’re likely to find in MOST classes.
