Friday, April 23, 2010

Confluence of Passions.

Due to a confluence of articles, ideas and conversation flying about with friends - I realize my prose has been short and images slightly more bountiful when I do get around to posting. I'm coming to terms with the idea that this whole yoga thing - specifically Ashtanga - is what one could call a passion project for me.

Why though?
Why Ashtanga?


Why haven't I been able to channel this into something like juggling, music or at an even more base level, Art?


Art. Something that I have vivid memories of - sitting in a RISD Saturday morning art class, sun streaming through the windows of the Market Building at the age of 7 and proclaiming emphatically to the teacher: I'll be an Artist.


Of course, over time my idea of Art has morphed some. But if something is going to endure, doesn't it have to evolve over time? I've come to realize that working with my hands is something I truly enjoy, creating something tangible. After all, I am the daughter of my parents, who with the help of their parents, built the house that they still live in. Even today, with his photography, the Artist stretches the canvas himself and the frames are assembled by the Mathematician.


There's some fear in taking those steps to create.

Devoting what limited time remains in my day or weekends to pencils, paper, fabric, metal, photography or however this would manifest itself - doesn't leave much time for the normal pursuits of your typical 30 y/o female. That being said, I recognize, I'm not your typical 30 y/o female.


Over dinner a couple weekends ago with Aikidōka at the apartment of another of his childhood friends, Banjo Pilgrim, along with Conservation Sprite, I silently marveled at their collective energy and freedom. Not only the diversity of each of their creative pursuits, but more the seemingly fearlessness with which they approach them.


Something I have also always seen in the Mathematician and the Artist.



Something I want to cultivate further within myself.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

589/312: Contorture.

Torture.
Contortion.


Two sides of the coin. Same practice.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Heh.

It's a MoonDay isn't it?
sigh.



Concessions: a lovely brisk 2 mile walk in & an overpriced mediocre chai from the 'bucks.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Simplicity.






Then to return to perpetual motion.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

General Frustrations.

I'm still having difficulty with my asthma/breathing at night.

Practicing I'm fine.

Consciously controlling breath.
Moving. Gently opening and controlling the body.


It' been well over two weeks of general asthma difficulty and a week, of being unable to wake for morning practice. 5:30 am start time is not so reasonable when you've been waking every two to three hours for a nebulizer treatment and then to roll into work for a 8.5 hour work day.


Granted. It's been a gorgeous spring here in DC. Which means there's proportionally that much more pollen.

I'm really starting to wonder if this asthma difficulty is more muscular than formal asthma attacks. An epsom salt bath at 3:35 this morning relieved most of my symptoms. But I don't know if that is just from the normal effects of magnesium sulfate - which I've had in the ER multiple times as a treatment for an asthma attack and was part of the hospital trials when I was a kid. Looking back over the days I've practiced and when I've been getting up for meds/having breathing difficulty has coincided conscious work at attempting to engage jalandhara bandha though to moola bandha.


Integrating both halves of the body.

Do I need to teach the body that muscle tightness in the chest cavity, isn't necessarily an asthma attack?



Something to ponder at least.