My Take On GR's Second 5 x 5 Night

         

   

Well this time I started 5 x 5 Night off a bit easier. I got there early, in plenty of time to get my ticket to Reserve, and there was no running involved. Awesome.

I also got a seat this time. Once settled I had the opportunity to look around and see who was there.  Saw my new Twitter friend, Jason. Went to send him a tweet, and then noticed my phone was about to die. Oops. Unplanned trip to the bathroom to charge my cell phone.

As the 5 presenters each made their way to the podium I felt like this time I knew what to expect. I figured 5 new ideas, 5 unique styles of presentation, but the same basic stuff.

Only not so much. This time it felt different.

And that is what made it so cool. There were 5 completely different and unique ideas. Different from each other and different from last time. Nothing same about it. From the way the ideas were presented, to the final judges decision, it was all a completely new experience.

And I loved it.

I find that I get a great deal of pleasure in choosing my favorite idea of the night and discussing it with my husband, Mike. Like whether or not I think the idea has merit, or how the idea could be tweaked here or there or maybe how the presenter could have explained things a bit more clearly, or whatever.

It's fabulous & fun.

And the best part for me is that I got to talk about my idea to others, and got support and positive reinforcement to continue on with it. To refine it and to present again. Cool.
There are a couple of things I still would like 5 x 5 Night to divulge. Like can we see the online submissions from the 5 selected presenters? Do the chosen 5 judges pick the 5 "winners" from the entries submitted, or is that someone else's job?

Sure, I know they don't have to tell us, after all, they are awarding free money, but it would be nice to know.

Last time I blogged about it, I said 5 x 5 Night needed a little more heart. This time, I'd say they got it right.

Yay for GR and Congrats to the weather guy who took home this month's $5000!

P.S. Can't wait to be surprised again next month.

24 Hours Without Facebook

Okay so yesterday I went the day without Facebook.

And no, it was not a self-imposed thing.

It wouldn't let me log on. For almost 24 hours, my personal page and my work page were, temporarily unavailable.

It should not have been a big deal. But it was.

It's not that I cannot use traditional means of communication.  I do still use the phone and email. Hey, I even write thank you notes!

But I am just so used to being connected. All the time.

I felt like I was in the dark ages without Facebook. And strangely like I was missing something. (Like I feel when I forget my purse, or my cell phone.)

Last night when I got downtown to 5x5 Night I realized that somehow in my Facebook- less daze I had failed to notice my cell phone was glowing orange and about to die.  Now everyone knows you tweet your questions into the presenters at 5x5 Night on your cell phone, so how could I have missed this?

Because I was off my game.

My Twitter friend Jason kind of laughed at me for being such a frazzled mess without Facebook, that is until his Twitter went down today. 

All of a sudden it wasn't so funny. 

Parts of me are old fashioned. I believe in the face to face. I believe in the personal connection.

But I gotta admit, I am a social media junkie.

Please don't take my Facebook away again.

Something Silly

So... my children, and in case you haven't yet picked up on this fact, on any given day my children count can go from 2 to 8ish depending on who is over,  have been teasing me because I shared some information from my childhood. It's about Silly Putty. Yes, the stuff that comes in the egg.

It seems I have a thing for it. Had a thing for it, anyway.

I used to sink my teeth into it. Bite right into a fresh smooth egg of it. Chomp, chomp. Yum.

Every chance I got.

No, I didn't eat it. That'd be gross, and probably kind of toxic. I just liked to gnaw on it.

It had a wonderful gritty plasticky feel. And it smelled awesome. I loved it. I couldn't resist. And don't tell, but I sometimes ripped open my little sister's egg and bit into it before she got in there and messed it up. I couldn't help myself.

I still might not be able to if I got myself a fresh egg of it.

And for some reason I have to make a mashing visual with my teeth every time I admit this. I'm doing it right now. Gnaw gnaw gnaw. I look ridiculous.

Which makes all my "kids" crack up. Which is why they keep bringing it up in front of their friends.

Weird, I know. But true.

Just a random fact from my youth.

Anything weird you'd like to admit to?

P.S. Hey, at least I didn't eat little toilet paper balls (Sadie). Oh, now that's another story.

Any Yoga Class Is A Good Class

I've been considering a question lately...

What makes a good yoga class?

I've attended many yoga classes in my 5+ years of being a yogi. Each class has its own strengths and weaknesses. Each yoga instructor has their own way, their own words, their own styles, and of course, their own strengths and weaknesses.

I sometimes find myself wishing some classes could go on longer, and during others I watch the clock wishing it would end. And yet, no one class has ever turned me off of yoga.

As an instructor, the question I ask myself most often is, "Was this class good for my students? Did they leave with a better understanding of a pose, an interest in a new pose, or just a better idea of what suits them?"

I welcome and encourage feedback, although many students are afraid to give it. Just as they are afraid to speak up during class. I often let my instructors know when a class inspires me by commenting about a pose, asking question, offering a thank you, or even a "hey that was a good class".  I know how good it feels for someone to tell you that you have connected with them, either with your style or with the pace and pose selection.

I once second guessed myself as a class ended.  Was the class too slow, was it a little too easy? And surprisingly one of my regular students stopped and told me he loved the stretching and asked if we could please do more of it next time. Wow! You just never know what will strike a chord in someone. I love feedback.

So part of my overall plan as an instructor is to mix things up. I'd like to think that there is a no repeat rule in yoga class. Each time someone steps onto their mat, it will be a unique experience. Which also means, if you take a yoga class and don't connect with the instructor, try another one. Don't give up on yoga simply because an instructor's style didn't match up to yours. If nothing else, try one more class from that same person to see if a different flow, or a different mix of poses appeals to you more.

So, what does make a good yoga class? 

As both an instructor and a student, I conclude....any yoga class is a good class.

Namaste.

Thanks For The Memories



You can tell Alec loves being in make up.




So I went and watched the Civic Theatre's production of  Hello, Dolly! a couple of weeks ago and wow did it bring back some great memories. One year ago this week we were in full Hello, Dolly! production. And one year ago today, was opening night.
Oh, how I miss it.

For those three days that it felt like Spring around GR last week, it even smelled like musical time. I instantly felt that little twinge in my gut. The feeling of memory and longing. Then I was reminded of  my sweet son Alec and how I missed spending that time with him, and also the show's directors, Dan and Ella Morgan, and all the other talented kids with their unique and crazy personalities. I realized  I miss everything about it.

Being part of the Hello, Dolly! musical last spring and the Annie musical the spring before, made the  depressing Michigan spring weather mix, tolerable. Who cares about the gray weather when there are so many things to do? I enjoyed the organizing, the sense of being needed, the time spent hanging out with all the kids, and just the general excitement of being behind the scenes.

And more than anything, I loved that last year the four of us got to do it as a family. I realized recently that it will be a while before we are able to do anything so major together again, as a family. In fact, there may never be another time.

And that makes me a little sad.

Just the other day someone related a personal story that changed his life. He once heard an interview with an african american woman who started college after she turned fifty. When asked why, she said she wanted to look back at her life without any should haves or wish I would haves. So, she went for it.

The retelling of this story reminded me that perspective is an interesting thing. It is really hard to find perspective while you are in the midst of living your day to day life. But then, as you age, perspective becomes clearer. But by that time, for many, it is too late. The opportunity has passed.

I guess that is why I celebrate the musical time we had together as a family, because it really did open my eyes, as well as my heart. I got to see my children from another perspective, and I got to really see other children. What their lives are like, what their living situations are like, and that each kid faces their own unique set of daily challenges. It gave me some much needed perspective.

What I have learned, is that life is really short. Time with your children goes by super fast. It is easy to get caught up in the activites and the milestones, the day to day, until one day you slow down and understand how short your time really was.... babies grow up, children graduate, and then...they're off.

So treasure the moments, folks. And enjoy the memories.

P.S. Here are a few of my photo memories from the City & Union High School's production of Hello, Dolly! 2010.


Mitch, on the other hand, really hates being in makeup.



Oliver & Kamil,  what hams.




Aww, LeAnna




Holy Caboozes!

 

Climbers: The Nicest Group of People On Earth

This past weekend was the Pathfinder, the annual toprope competition at GVSU. I made it to the finals in the intermediate division for women. I took second place. But what matters most, is that I had a great day.

Again. Amongst the nicest group of people on earth.

I once said this on my facebook status. Climbers are the nicest group of people I have ever met. Period.

It happens after every competition. I find myself thinking that rarely in life do you find a group of people who don't know each other, or don't know each other well, yet support each other so fully. During or after a climbing competition, I am always surprised when people approach me and speak as if they know me, when sometimes I have absolulely no idea who they are. I suppose it would be nice to think they remember me for my climbing ability, but that would be silly. I am a not a terribly good climber. I am just average. But I am also old for this sport, or at least, old for a female climber in this sport. So maybe that sets me a bit apart and makes me more memorable.

The majority of my "competition" are twenty something's, with a couple teenagers thrown in for good measure. Where else can you find a sport where such a diverse age group can participate and yet still have some friendly competition? Not many places, for sure.

But the thing that strikes me after every competition is the feeling that everyone in the place is rooting for you. There is a collective sigh that happens when someone is struggling for the next move, and misses. And a joyous yell when someone does make it further or even finishes a route. I absolutely love that.

Climbing, to me, is such an uplifting sport. Even if you feel like you had a bad day, or didn't do as well as you had hoped. I guarantee someone praised your effort along the way and made you feel good about something you did. Successes are celebrated, noted, encouraged. Failures are commiserated and shrugged aside with comments like "You'll get it next time. You can do it! And, You got this."

I love rock climbing. I love climbers. I love the power it gives every person to challenge themselves, one move at a time (literally) to make it farther. Well, farther up the wall, further on their personal journey.  Hmmm... I still might be confused. http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/further-versus-farther.aspx

Thank you climbing family for always making me feel welcome. Regardless of my age or my ability.

You ROCK!

Opening Your Heart

I have edited this post several times before publishing it, in an attempt to say what I want to say, and not come across as negative. That is not my intent. I simply wanted to share my observations and feelings after I attended the John Friend, Dancing With The Divine workshop this past Wednesday morning. John Friend, is the founder of Anusara yoga, and has a worldwide following. So here goes...

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Before the workshop began I looked around at the people seated ready on their mats, their faces openly excited, openly eager for things to begin. I wondered briefly if I was the only one experiencing John's teaching for the first time. Because of similar workshops I have attended in the past, led by Moses Brown, I was not surprised to see that John looks like a regular guy. Up on stage he comes across as friendly, approachable, and funny.  Fellow yogis around me assured me that I would be back, and next time for the whole workshop, not just the one seminar.

As I listened to his opening words, I have to admit, I let a little doubt creep in. Should I really be there? Was I going to be out of my league? (After I had initially signed up, they changed the requirements of the workshop from mixed level, to intermediate, and one of the requirements was to be able to do wheel pose unassisted.)

I cannot do wheel unassisted. But as a yoga student, a yoga instructor, a yoga lover, and a total believer in yoga, I reasoned that I would do my best (even push beyond that) and I would be fine. Five years of yoga practice had to make me more than a beginner, right? Well, maybe not.

No one could ever call me a flexy/bendy gal, but I really have come a long way toward some measure of increased flexibility in my practice. So acknowledging that I would be unable to fully do everything expected of me at this workshop, my goal was simply to learn. To soak up ideas, phrasing, and insights from John Friend and to better my personal practice and my teaching.

It became apparent to me partway into the workshop that I was indeed a bit over my head. And I found myself beginning to lack confidence. And then we got to the backbend portion. I'll be honest, not only can I not do wheel, I have a dislike of backbends. They hurt my lower back. But I know the rule, the less you like a pose, the more you should do it. So I always try.

I open my heart, I soften, I curl, I pull my shoulders back, I attempt to pull my thighs back and apart, root my tailbone, all that. But I reach a point and I get stuck. Many helpful instructors have tried to help "move" me into a better position, but that hurts even worse.

So as my attempts at wheel gave way to just observing others doing wheel around me, I felt a bit discouraged. Don't get me wrong, it was exciting to see some beautiful yogis do some absolutely beautiful things with their bodies. But I knew that it wasn't going to be me. At least not on this day.

I have a personal goal to be able to do wheel unassisted, but I am also a realist. And the reality is that I have extremely tight muscles. Hamstrings, quads, shoulders, hips, I am pretty much tight everywhere. I always have been. That's 49 years of loosening I need to achieve! And can I just say that having an extremely (almost weirdly) short torso, combined with long arms and legs, and bad wrists does not help in this pose either? Excuses? Maybe.

But maybe, I know my body, my limits, my limitations. Because isn't that what yoga is about? Honoring your body and going only where it allows you to go?

What I think disappoints me most about this workshop is that I left it not feeling inspired. How can that be? What is wrong with me? Or was I just truly...out of my league? The followers of John Friend might say that my heart was not open, that fear held me back and that there wasn't enough trust. Maybe they'd be right.

All I know is that in the past, the Moses Brown workshops I've attended have left me feeling good about myself, despite my limitations. Like I had done my best, and that by doing my best, it was more than good enough. It was perfect. And as a result, I was inspired to be better, work harder, to be more open to Grace. To open my heart more to the possibilities.

As our bodies are unique to us, so I guess, are our sources of inspiration. No offense to John Friend or anyone else involved, this just wasn't my cup of tea. I am not sorry that I went, but I doubt I would ever go back.

And in all fairness, I guess I did take away something from this workshop.  I never want anyone to feel that doing their best, is not good enough. As a yoga instructor and a lover of yoga, I firmly believe in the honor your own body philosophy. We are all created differently, uniquely and perfectly ourselves.

Yoga is a journey, a work-in-progress....and folks, I realized after this, I have a long way to go.

Truth Rules

“Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters.”

 --Albert Einstein

“You never find yourself until you face the truth” 
--Pearl Bailey

If you tell the truth you don't have to remember anything." -- Mark Twain

In light of what's been happening around here lately, I thought this Daily OM was worth repeating.

It is not always the easiest route to take, but truth rules!

Feeling Threatened

Afraid of the Truth

We avoid the truth because it scares us, or makes us angry, or makes us feel like we don’t know what to do.

Most of us have had the experience of being in possession of a piece of truth that we were afraid to share because we knew it would not be well received. There are also instances in which we ourselves have been unable to handle some truth confronting us. This might be a small truth, such as not wanting to see that our car needs repairs because we don’t want to pay for them, or a large truth, such as not fully accepting that someone close to us is pushing us away. Usually the truth is evident, and we can see it if we choose, but we have elaborate ways of hiding the truth form ourselves, no matter how apparent it is.

For the most part, we avoid the truth because it scares us, or makes us angry, or makes us feel like we don’t know what to do. We often create our lives based on a particular understanding, and if that understanding turns out to be fully or even partially incorrect, we may feel that our whole sense of reality is being threatened. It takes a strong person to face the truth in circumstances like these, and many of us run for cover instead. Nevertheless, we can only avoid the truth for so long before it begins to make itself known in ever more forceful ways.

Ultimately, there is no way to avoid the truth, no matter how painful it is, so the sooner we let down our defenses, the better. When we know the truth and accept that we may have to adjust our lives to accommodate, we are in alignment with reality. At the same time, we can be patient with people around us who have a hard time seeing the truth, because we know how painful it can be. Whatever the truth is, we make a sincere effort not to close our eyes to it, but instead to be grateful that we have access to it.

For more information visit dailyom.com

This article is printed from DailyOM - Inspirational thoughts for a happy, healthy and fulfilling day.

The Truth Hurts

Ever write what you felt in your heart and debate whether or not you should share it?

I debated about making yesterday's blogpost about Mitch public or not, all day long.

In the end I wanted to be truthful. To tell everyone how I feel. I suppose in my quest to hear the truth from Mitch, I wanted to be honest myself.

Parenting is by far the hardest thing I have ever done. Or will do, I think.

Even harder than marriage. At least when you marry someone you choose them.

Children aren't chosen, they are given to you. And they often seem like they were plucked randomly from the universe and dropped into your womb. I often wonder where mine came from.

Whom/where did they get certain qualities (or not get certain qualities) from?

And how do you have two people who end up with two kids who are nothing alike?

My two sisters and I are different, and yet a lot the same.  We are some obvious combo of my mom and my dad. A mixture of first born, middle child and baby of the family characteristics are obvious in each as well.

I think it is natural to look to the family to see where the traits of the children came from.

In the great wisdom that comes with age I have learned that traits do not always have a source.

Lying is to me awful, ugly, nasty. I was in a lie once, and after I got out of it, vowed that it was a place I never wanted to be in again. It made me feel rotten inside.

How can it not make anyone feel rotten? When your gut--that clenching feeling in the pit of your stomach that hits when you are scared, or worried or when you are caught in a lie ---tells you that something is not right, you must learn to follow your gut.

My gut tells me that something is not right with my son. He won't talk about it. He won't share. His answer to everything is "nothing" or "I don't know".

I know that is not the truth, just as I know that my son is smarter than I am. Stronger than I am. I guess he is just not ready to admit what is bothering him.

I send up a prayer that in the end his gut will be too much and he will come clean. I have to belive this, I am his mother. I love him unconditionally. I will be here when he breaks. I will help pick up the pieces.

But right now the honest truth is, I don't like him very much.

An Open Letter To Mitch ....

Before I met you I thought I'd be a good parent.

Before I met you I thought I would do what my parents did for me and  raise my children to be good people.

Before I met you I was filled with the promise of what you might someday become.

Before I met you I hoped I could raise you to have the best qualities I posses, and the rest would be from your dad, so you would grow up like him.

Before I met you I didn't presume that parenting would be easy, but I never imagined it would be this hard.

I realize now I am not a good parent. I apparently am the worst kind. The kind that makes you think you don't have to be nice to me, or to your father or brother, the kind that has taught you that it is okay to lie, the kind that allows you to do whatever you want with no consequences, the kind that is so selfish that I never take your best interest into consideration, the kind that does not lead by example, the kind that does not invest enough time teaching you how to be a good person made up of goals, dreams, responsibilities, obligations, expectations and morals.

I am the worst kind. I am the kind that loves too much, expects too much, cares too much.

How the heck did I think I knew even for one second what I was doing?

Because I obviously failed. I gave it my all. I have tried everything I know how to do.

I even tried the hardest thing of all and that is to just let you be.

I got your report card. It wasn't pretty. I went to conferences, it was worse. I went on tv to show the world how proud I am of you. I couldn't. I can't lie. I am not proud. I am appalled. I am scared. I am sad. I am disappointed. I am frustrated. I am heartbroken.

I just got my report card as a parent. I suck, too. I will not continue to enable you. I have to let go.

So, you tell me you want more control over your life?

Okay, so take it. Do it your way. Do it for you. If you want nothing out of life, who am I to tell you that is wrong. You will be loved (always). You will be prayed for (always). There will be hope (always).

"When you love something set it free....if it returns to you, it is yours forever, if it doesn't, it was never yours to begin with."

Love,
Mom

Just Tell Me French Fries Are Next

I ran across an article earlier this week that totally made me smile.

Now I am a pretty "follow the rule" type person and when I am asked about my vices, rather than listing off things like smoking, gambling, biting my nails or any of those other addictive type behaviors, I always list things that I love that are bad for me. 

Like coffee. Wine & Salt. My "vices".

Only funny thing---wine isn't bad for me anymore, and now apparently neither is coffee. Oh, happy day! Can it really be true?

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This is a direct reprint of an article by Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D., Associate Nutrition Editor at EatingWell Magazine on Shine from Yahoo.

I really like coffee. The morning ritual of brewing a cup, the smell that perks me up before I take a sip and, of course, the flavor all make it my favorite beverage aside from water (water’s delicious!). As a registered dietitian and a nutrition editor for EatingWell Magazine, I know that coffee is fine in moderation. It has lots of antioxidants and is low in calories if you don’t load it up with cream and sugar. Nonetheless, I always feel slightly guilty about drinking it—you know, in a “it’s so good, it must be bad” kind of way.

Which is why I’m always delighted to hear of new reasons that coffee is good for your health...and there are plenty! Over 18,000 studies on coffee have been published in the past few decades, revealing these benefits, many of which Joyce Hendley wrote about in the March/April issue of EatingWell Magazine:

1. It protects your heart: Moderate coffee drinkers (1 to 3 cups/day) have lower rates of stroke than noncoffee drinkers, an effect linked to coffee’s antioxidants. Coffee has more antioxidants per serving than blueberries, making it the biggest source of antioxidants in American diets. All those antioxidants may help suppress the damaging effect of inflammation on arteries. Immediately after drinking it, coffee raises your blood pressure and heart rate, but over the long term, it actually may lower blood pressure as coffee’s antioxidants activate nitric oxide, widening blood vessels.

2. It diverts diabetes: Those antioxidants (chlorogenic acid and quinides, specifically) play another role: boosting your cells’ sensitivity to insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar. In fact, people who drink 4 or more cups of coffee each day may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to some studies. Other studies have shown that caffeine can blunt the insulin-sensitivity boost, so if you do drink several cups a day, try mixing in decaf occasionally.

3. Your liver loves it: OK, so the research here is limited, but it looks like the more coffee people drink, the lower their incidence of cirrhosis and other liver diseases. One analysis of nine studies found that every 2-cup increase in daily coffee intake reduced liver cancer risk by 43 percent. Again, it’s those antioxidants—chlorogenic and caffeic acids—and caffeine that might prevent liver inflammation and inhibit cancer cells.

4. It boosts your brain power: Drinking between 1 and 5 cups a day (admittedly a big range) may help reduce risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as Parkinson’s disease, studies suggest. Those antioxidants may ward off brain cell damage and help the neurotransmitters involved in cognitive function to work better.

5. It helps your headaches: And not just the withdrawal headaches caused by skipping your daily dose of caffeine! Studies show that 200 milligrams of caffeine—about the amount in 16 ounces of brewed coffee—provides relief from headaches, including migraines. Exactly how caffeine relieves headaches isn’t clear. But scientists do know that caffeine boosts the activity of brain cells, causing surrounding blood vessels to constrict. One theory is that this constriction helps to relieve the pressure that causes the pain, says Robert Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of neurology and director of the Headache Clinic at the University of Vermont Medical School.

Now, that’s not to say that coffee doesn’t have any pitfalls—it does. Some people are super-sensitive to caffeine and get jittery or anxious after drinking coffee; habitual coffee drinkers usually develop a tolerance to caffeine that eliminates this problem (but they then need the caffeine to be alert and ward off withdrawal headaches). Coffee can also disturb sleep, especially as people age. Cutting some of the caffeine and drinking it earlier in the day can curb this effect. Lastly, unfiltered coffee (like that made with a French press) can raise LDL cholesterol, so use a filter for heart health.

But if you like coffee and you can tolerate it well, enjoy it...without the guilt.

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So as I smell that coffee brewing every morning, and look forward to the glass (or two) of wine after my evening yoga class, I wonder what will be next...

Maybe, just maybe, next month they will tell me that french fries are good for me!

Now wouldn't that be lovely.

FYI : My favorites are crack fries from Hopcat in downtown GR!