Sunday, March 19, 2017

Weekend intensive



These past few months I have been focusing on my home practice. Well, maybe 'home' isn't quite the right word, as I also carried my yoga mat and block to Hawaii, enjoying the ocean view and sun and breeze as part of my morning ritual.

This weekend intensive with Marlene at YCT was rejuvenating, and I was reminded once again of the privilege to have such a seasoned teacher's voice as a guide, bringing new perspectives to even the simplest of poses. Observing the shape of the legs and then using straps to straighten them to sit in dondasana for 5 minutes, and then seeing what awareness that brings to tadasana. In a workshop I usually surprise myself by being able to do something I didn't think possible: this time I managed to do a backbend, walking my hands down the wall right to the floor. Haven't done that in ages!

Although I am careful not to repeat the same sequences day after day, having a good teacher takes me out of familiar territory. I hear an instruction in a new way, or there is a pose I haven't done in awhile, and am reminded to bring it back into rotation.

I have made up some 'wild cards' to incorporate it into my mornings, cutting up old watercolours and writing some words: "uttanasana with your back against the wall,"  "Tadasana: standing, inverted and lying," "Be present," "palms flat against the wall," "Parivrtta Trikonasana " and "Ustrasana." Nudges to keep practice fresh.





Sunday, March 12, 2017

Spring Forward - March Full Moon

We spent the weekend in Greely, Ontario and Chelsea, Quebec. After dinner, we watched the moon rise between branches of a forest, lots of snow reflecting moon shadow. A beautiful night, but too cold to venture outside, so we stayed in by the fire, enjoying the company of old friends. Now, back home, watching the moon rise over the neighbour's house. It is almost 8:30, darkness quickening.
This glow in the dark moon clock is made up of authentic lunar images taken in Western France by astronomy photographer Norbert. If it hung on my wall, I would turn it ahead by an hour today and wonder why we persist in daylight savings time. 

It doesn't hang on my wall, but I'm tempted to order it, and Amazon promises it would be here by March 14...

Saturday, March 4, 2017

Book Keeping

I like recording the books and authors I've read, and I'm not the only one! Several friends I know record their choices in hard cover books and others use virtual communities. Personally I've used Google Books, and My Library Thing, but mostly I've been using this blog. Sometimes I rate the books, sometimes pull quotes, sometimes share personal reflections of the learning or insights the books have brought.

Instead of listing books here in my blog, I'm going to give Good Reads a try as a way of tracking, see how it goes for 2017.

My book shelf includes the books I've read so far in 2017.