Weekend Recap

I have a lot to blog about, but am totally swamped with work. On the upside, my life is certainly not boring!

Here are some highlights from my weekend. Pictures and descriptions to follow.

• My laptop power cord broke Friday night so have been using the tiny Sony Vaio my advisor gave me. Good news is that it has Internet and Microsoft Office. Bad news (or good news for my productivity) is that it doesn't have the software for me to watch Youtube videos, and it is lacking all the games and pictures and music I downloaded onto my own laptop.
• Saturday I had lunch with some of my lovely yoga ladies between teaching classes and learned that I can order a little contraption that records my sleep cycle. I could never afford such a contraption, but I hear it comes with a 30 day free trial. Also taught my last 1:30 vinyasa class where we played with koundinyasana. Starting this Saturday the class is switching to Ashtanga. SO EXCITED!
• Saturday evening went to a really fun party. Afterward headed downtown where I had a little less fun. Seriously, the downtown club scene really isn't my thing anymore. I prefer a nice wine bar, a pub, or a low-key lounge with some eats.
• Sunday did pro-presenter for church. Then roomie and I got all dressy-uppy to see Broadway's Wicked. SO GOOD. I was teary-eyed through at least half of it. Afterward we went in all our fancy dresses and strappy heels to a little hole-in-the-wall seafood joint and had oysters and queso.

Fun, fun weekend, but now I'm paying for not getting enough work done...yikes!

Overheard at the Grocery Store

A dad with 2 daughters was in line behind me at the grocery store. The way the dad talked to his daughters was hilarious! It was all I could do to not turn around and stare. Here are a few exchanges I overheard:

6 year old girl: Oooh...mommy would like that. Let's buy it!

Dad: Uh....no. I don't think mommy would appreciate me buying her an advice article on how to lose weight.

Dad: Honey, your intonation is annoying me.

6 year old girl: What's intonation?

Dad: Your tone of voice. Stop it.

3 year old girl: I want cotton candy.

Dad: No, we made a deal and you can't break it now.

*3 year old girl starts crying*

Dad: Oh your life is soooo hard. Boo-hoo.

Mushi Sushi *edited*

Celebrating Madeline's 28th at one of the best sushi restaurants: Musashino.
The rolls:
The sashimi platter:
Last night I went out for some ridiculous sushi. The yoga girls don't joke around when it comes to food! We not only ordered a $100 platter of sashimi, but preceded that with 2 orders of appetizers and 7-8 orders of sushi. Add to that a bottle of bubblies, sake, and carrot cake with cream cheese frosting from Whole Foods - let's just say I am still recovering from the food coma. I love my girls (and Jon, who is indeed an honorary yoga girl). I laugh more with them than when I'm with anybody else in Austin! (Though roomie does come in a close second...)

I have been at school since 9AM and in fact am still working without a break. Today was the first day of official classes and already it has been a ridiculously productive day. I made headway on the revision for PSPR (my advisor and I are hoping to turn the whole paper around in a week or two), and discussed some possible paper ideas with another professor in my area whose class I'm taking this semester.

Since I can't make it to yoga on Wednesdays, I get to work straight through the day. It's really a lot more productive that way! I really miss a consistent morning mysore practice. I'm actually finding myself looking forward to December when I might go back to Michigan for a full month to relax with the family and practice at Matthew's shala!

Wisdom from a fellow yogini

After a year of failed attempts, roomie and I finally got a decent picture of the two of us!

I was thinking during yoga practice today of what separates some yogis from the rest of the pack. I don't mean it in a competitive way, but there are yogis who practice for years and years without any breakthrough, and then there are yogis who seem to really take to the practice and grow. My friend Madeline said it well this weekend when she said there are yogis who play it safe and have a maintainance practice, and there are yogis who challenge themselves and don't shy away from their edge. The edge is that fine line between pushing yourself too far, and challenging yourself. The first is driven by the ego. It is driven by the need to achieve at the cost of your own body, and it goes against some of the foundational principles of yoga philosphy: non-grasping, non-harming, non-stealing, self-study. The second is driven by being true to who we are and working to reach our full potential. A lot of yoga teachers tell students to be true to who they are. Most of the time that is taken to mean don't push yourself farther than you are able to go. However, it also means to not cheat ourselves from reaching our full potential - to not hold back when it is safe and possible to keep going. Of course, we are limited by our bodies. There is a woman who I see often in yoga classes whose body is naturally inflexible. But she has the most beautiful practice to me because despite the limitations of her body, she shows up to the mat and works her edge on a daily basis.

The reason I thought of this was because I was thinking of my friend Madeline's life. Her life isn't perfect, but she is physically one of the most talented yoginis I know, and careerwise, everything she touches turns into gold. I often wondered what her secret to success was. When she made that comment about the two types of yoga practices, it clicked for me. Madeline is successful the way she is because a) she has the talent to begin with, but also b) she doesn't play it safe. In yoga and in life she finds her edge and keeps challenging herself to play with that edge.

That's when I realize that in my yoga practice and in my Psychology career, sometimes I have to challenge myself to go beyond what is comfortable. I have to dive into the unknown, to keep going when I think I have nothing left because frankly, most of the time the barrier is psychological.

My Weekend

It was a pretty full weekend. Friday night I had dinner with roomie at Botticelli's on South Congress while listening to some nice jazz music. After we hit downtown and danced. Saturday bright and early, I taught a few yoga classes, then headed to Round Rock for my friend Lindsay's wedding.

She was a lovely bride. It was a small but intimate wedding with 60ish or so in attendence. Like Marta's wedding last year, it took place in a delightful little Italian restaurant. It was my first Texas wedding, so things of note were two-stepping and line dancing during the reception, as well as the "dollar dance" where guests pay $1 to dance and visit with the bride and groom.


My friend Gehr apparently doesn't know how to focus my camera...but here's a picture of me and my dance partner for the night!


Finally, a pic of me goofing around with the talented photographer!

Headed to Cru afterward with some of the girls to catch up over wine, fried brie, and ahi tuna. Then I met up with the yogi gang at Hula Hut. My friend Jon owns a boat, so a few of us ended up swimming and boating on Lake Austin until the wee hours of the night.

This morning, I woke up super early to go listen to Graham Cooke preach at a church in Cedar Park. It has been awhile since I've attended a charismatic service and it was definitely a bit of a culture shock. The message was very thought-provoking though. Then it was meeting all afternoon before winding down this evening. School starts this week...definitely feeling a little apprehension about how busy it will get!!

Busy, busy, busy

Been staying busy with research and yoga. Today I'm helping to orient the new graduate students to the program, then classes kick off next Wednesday. I've been running like crazy trying to finish up a few projects before the semester starts, but it's starting to look like they are going to have to carry into the semester.

After a week of indulging in yoga classes, my practice has suffered a lot because of my work schedule. I did a short half primary practice at home on Tuesday and wasn't able to practice at all yesterday. Next week, I won't be able to practice Tuesday through Thursday unless I am able to get up at 6 AM. My hamstrings have been tight the last few practices, so I'm using that as an excuse to rest up a little this week, but I KNOW next week I'll be feeling a bit antsy...

Moving Day!

I had really hoped to not move at all this year, but sadly, I had to move offices at school. Due to more students coming in than leaving two years in a row, I got moved from my ginormous windowed office to a much smaller cave of an office. I have it in mind to buy a full spectrum lamp of some sort so I won't go stir crazy or experience seasonal affective disorder in sunny Texas.

I'm pretty much all moved in. I just have to nail my white board up, and I'm toying with the idea of buying a small rug for the office to brighten things up. On the upside, I'm rooming with someone who is currently working on her dissertation, so I should have the office to myself all year. I also have inherited a small couch in my office that I can use for meetings. On the downside, I'm out in the hall away from the suite where most of the offices are, and that coupled with the fact that I may not have an officemate will drive my extroverted self a little insane.

I was supposed to run a study session today from 7-10p, but unfortunately, the participants were a no-show. That is why I decided to take the time to move into my office instead. Now I'm debating whether to continue working here or to go home and grab some dinner.

I haven't been blogging as much because my schedule lately has been a mess. I think between school and yoga, I've been feeling very overwhelmed and constantly behind. Hopefully I can get my act back in gear before classes start next week...

MJ cover

Wanted to share with you a cover I found of my favorite MJ song. He's no MJ, but he does a nice rendition.

It never fails to surprise me how difficult it is to end a relationship, no matter if it's the right thing to do. This next month will be a little rough...

Thoughts from Yoga class

These two weeks my schedule is more conducive to setting my own work hours, so I have been indulging in yoga classes. My transverse abs are sore like crazy from extended periods of triangles and side angles. I learned yesterday that a great relief from extended side stretches is inhaling up to Vira III, tucking the chin slightly, and lengthening the torso. Instant realignment of the spine! Maybe tomorrow I'll try out the following combo:

parsvakonasa (focus on heart opening)

trikonasana (isometrically rotate legs out as they straighten, tuck tailbone in and open the heart)

ardha chandrasana (shoulder rotation, top arm wraps around and grabs hip of standing leg)

vira III (arms clasped behind back, tuck chin slightly, lengthen torso and find slight backbend)

standing splits (square hips, find extension in back leg, hollow belly and hug standing leg)

bend front knee and pivot forward to navasana

float back and vinyasa

Anyway, after a particularly long day staring at my laptop and revising the meta-analysis review paper that Bill and I got back from the editor, I decided to take a break and do back-to-back yoga classes. First series in Sharon's class was incredibly juicy today. I was glad I did led since she ended up counting us through drop-backs which is a rarity for those who know her. Afterward, I dropped in on Sandra D's flow class. I absolutely love Sandra's classes because she breaks every habit in my body. She also gives the best verbal cues I have ever experienced. In light of my resolution to work on the hamstrings, I chuckled a little when she instructed us to grab 2 blocks and proceeded to warm up the hamstrings. Sure enough, the peak posture was hanumanasana (splits). She also took us into eka pada galavasana (surprise, surprise!) for good measure. My hips and hammies feel like rubber right now.

As she guided us through savasana she had us visualize a fire inside of us, burning away all our impurities. This is the part of yogic philosophy that I don't agree with. I love yoga because it softens my ego, and reveals to me my imperfections and flaws. But I don't believe that by learning to control our energy and thought patterns are we able to burn away these habitual tendencies - both mental and physical - our life. When I picture the impurities in me, I become overwhelmed because no matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, THEY WILL NOT GO AWAY. And that's why I need grace.

And so today, lying there in savasana, this verse came to mind: "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions - it is by grace you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4-5). And as I remembered the verse, I was able to let go of the impurities within me. Not by the self-created fire burning within me, but by the blood of Christ!

Heart Openers and Hammies

I have decided that Eka Pada Sirsana (version C depicted beautifully above) is going to my goal posture for the semester. Not only is it the posture I'm currently working on, but it involves both heart openers (which are necessary to pull the shoulder back and lengthen the torso) and the hamstrings (my weakest link and the main reasons why I can't yet pull my leg comfortably behind the head).

So...for those who attend my flow/vinyasa classes, expect a lot of hamstring work and heart openers this fall! Though I haven't sequenced the flow quite yet, I have the theme and peak posture picked out for my classes this Saturday. And let me just say, I'm looking forward to playing this weekend!

This week has been a week of keeping my ego in check. The Lord has a way of allowing my head to swell then showing me exactly where I'm the weakest. Yesterday I was practicing second series in Sharon's class when it dawned on me that I really hate second series. I practice Ashtanga 5 days a week and I usually can only talk myself into doing second series only 1 of those 5 days. The reason is when I practice first series, I feel graceful, strong, and in control. I can actually feel the effects of the practice in my body. When I practice second, I feel like a bumbling fool flopping around. And that not only makes me feel bad, inflexible, and weak, but it also makes me look pretty stupid when I practice. But I need to let go of my ego and my need to look good and feel strong because otherwise I'll never be able to improve and grow. So there it is...in order to be faithful to my practice and my growth, I will be okay with public flopping for the next short while.

How do I love?

In response to my low iron levels, I made Tomato-Curry Lentil Stew (lentils are supposed to be uber high in iron). I'm switching to white rice this week (brown rice inhibits iron absorption) and will continue taking iron pills. Hopefully when I attempt to give blood again next week, they won't turn me away again. Curry and tomatoes are quite a tasty combination, if I do say so myself.

Being a Social Psychologist, people often ask me if I analyze people all the time? (By the way, I find that question EXTREMELY annoying, so please don't ask me if you haven't already!) I usually answer no, because otherwise the other person shuts up really quickly. The truth is, though I don't intentionally analyze everyone I meet, I'm definitely very aware of how a person tries to present him or herself. One of my main lines of research has to do with identity negotiation: how a person "negotiates" with those around them how they want to be seen as well as the underlying motivations behind the negotiation process.

Anyway I recently noticed two particular people in my life who have some deep-seated insecurities in their identities. One woman is very insecure in her position in her life. She compensates for this by clinging onto an identity of a nurturer and at every opportunity tries to assert her authority and care upon others. Sometimes it's welcomed, sometimes it's not. Though her intentions are good, I've noticed that need holding her bondage. As soon as her sense of authority or ability to nurture is undermined, she becomes very defensive and hurt.

Another man constantly boasts about his abilities and his experiences. I found it to be tiresome to listen to until one day he said something that made me realize the only reason he boasts so much is because he really doesn't believe in himself. He has an inferiority complex that is driving him to verbally assert who he is to any listening ear.

So my question is, what is the loving thing to do? For both this man and this woman, their insecurities have such a hold on their life. Do I encourage them and indulge them, driving them deeper into their habit of self-assertion, or do I refuse to indulge them? Or will my constant encouragement help them to let go of their need to assert who they are?

A field agent is not my calling...

Here's another thing knocked off of my list: playing laser tag. The first game was not a lot of fun what with dozens of 13 year olds trying to reenact the opening scene of Saving Private Ryan. No one signed up for the second game we played, so the six girls played against one another. I started off crouching down trying to be all stealthy like the characters in Alias. Finally I gave up, stood tall and walked around shooting at anything that moved. Apparently, that's a better strategy. Still, if I were in a movie that involved a shootout, I would be that character who died stupidly in the first 3 minutes from being shot in the back.

A good friend of mine subbed the mysore class I was practicing at today, and I was really blown away by her ability to teach. I've taken her led classes before, but she really does shine in teaching Mysore. In my opinion, it takes a lot of skill to be able to teach yoga well. Not only do you have to have a deep understanding of the postures, but you have toknow the mechanics of the human body to be able to adapt different bodies to the same posture. Add to that the ability to verbalize instructions and a firm touch for adjusting, not to mention having God-given charisma and presence.... it is not easy to be a good yoga teacher! Whenever I encounter a truly talented teacher, I am humbled and inspired to work harder. I am grateful that I am first and foremost a student, and that I have a community of teachers who are willing to take the time to grow me as both a yoga practitioner and a yoga teacher!

Got Iron?

I've been feeling super tired the last 2 weeks or so. I've always been on the anemic side in terms of iron level, but usually iron pills solve the problem. Despite having taken both a multi-vitamin and an iron supplement every day for the last few weeks, my iron count was still too low for me to donate blood last week.

When I told my mom about it, she sent me the following information off of http://www.healthcastle.com/iron.shtml.

The sad thing is, this past week I've only been eating foods from the "Iron Absorption Inhibitors" box. I eat plenty of whole grain and bran, I drink soy milk and eat lots of tofu and edamame. Red wine is my alcoholic beverage of choice.

I tried to put a little more iron in my system this weekend, but I'm still exhausted. I may make myself some chicken soup this week or some lentil and bean stew and hopefully my energy level will start to rise again.

I leave you with the advice my mom emailed me along with the link:

"At the same time, give yourself a lot of fruit to avoid constipation."

Thanks, Momma!

B-Scene with the Yoga Girls

Taught two awesome flow classes today! The energy was great in both classes, and I focused my classes around riding the breath and bandhas through each posture. We worked the hamstrings, shoulders, and of course the core until we reached our peak posture: eka pada galavasana.

It's one of my favorite poses because not only does it open my hips up and work my core (actively coiling the navel up), but it also teaches me to really activate and strengthen my back leg.

I'm really bad at blogging about when I've knocked out one of my 101 things. Last night, I went to B-Scene (monthly Blanton Museum's gallery opening party) with the Yoga girls.

Here's a blurry shot that gives you a sense of what the museum was like.
Here's a better picture of my lovely ladies:

Redecorating Room, Phase 1

Reorganized my closet, and cleaned up my space. Redecorating my room.

Bed Before:

Bed after:

I still need to get some green throw pillows for the bed, some green accent vases for the shelf. Eventually I will invest in some curtains as well!

*edit* - I lowered the shelf by about a foot. Looks much better!!!

Re-Prioritizing

It's been a little quiet lately in the blogging world since I've been working on reorganizing and reprioritizing my life before the school year begins. One thing I've learned - if I don't care of my "home and personal life", the pressures of school life, yoga life, and social life will eventually crash down on me.

With school, I am involved in many many projects and responsibilities this year and I'm going to have to really step up my efficiency level. I'm going to stop spending time on Facebook throughout the week and really stop wasting my time on the Internet.

With yoga, I achieved one of my goals of finishing the David Swenson training, auditioning to teach Ashtanga at Yoga Yoga (dang, should have included that as part of my 101) and now am on the schedule to teach Ashtanga this fall at Yoga Yoga. I still have a flow (or rather, vinyasa) class this fall. I've been really convicted to step up the quality of my teaching this fall. Free day of yoga might draw a lot of new students into the studio, and the new school year might bring tons of new students to my UT classes. I feel like I've been half-hazard in my teaching lately and I need to practice being present, being alert, and being prepared for all my classes! I have 4 classes a week on my schedule this fall and am looking into the possibility of teaching a few privates (though I doubt I'll be able to with my schedule...)

Finally, I've been spending some time finally cleaning and redecorating my room. I really feel like your personal space is a reflection of your spiritual state. I finally tackled the junk piles that have been laying around the last year, hung up frames on my walls, and am now in the process of reorganizing my closet and trimming my wardrobe. Hopefully I'll have finished that before I head to IKEA on Friday. Since my room is now mostly black and white with some wood furniture, I am hoping to keep that black/white theme and add in a sage accent. I'll take pictures of the finished result when I'm done. I tell you what, though...cleaning and redoing my room has certainly made me feel like a new person!!