Day 9

Jan. 9th...stepping back into the dance...

Asanas: my own 'stretch' blend, from the Yoga Stretch iPod app, with a better flow this time.

Mountain pose, forward bend, warrior variation, downward dog, cat, cow, child's pose, spinal twist, knees to chest, savasana

I danced for the first time in about a month today. Tonight, I am SORE. My feet hurt, my shoulders are tight, and my core feels like it's had it's ass handed to it. I couldn't believe how rusty I felt after the break from it all, but I was also impressed with how focused my balance felt during spins and slow moves, and I'm sure that I have yoga to thank for this.

It was freakin' awesome to dance again, I was happy to be with my girls and Valizan and back in the studio with the music and energy.

Tonight's practice was short and sweet, with a focus on stretching out those parts of me that worked hard today. I feel that tomorrow's practice will need to be more of the same. I am slowly starting to figure out what poses work with one another in a sequence...part of me feels like I should just listen to myself and put whatever poses that seem good together, and part of me really wants someone to show me how to do this whole shebang 'cause I suck at transitioning between poses...I'm considering finding a drop in class for a once-a-week learning session. In the meantime, I'm scoping out more yoga apps (god... there are a lot of lame-ass apps out there...I was searching under 'belly dance' for shits and giggles and I was totally dismayed to find porny-photo apps of photoshopped belly dancers, and super lame 'diva dance' type crap...LAME) and I think that a trip to the library this week might be necessary, in the hunt for more ways to be bendyer.

I'm seriously starting to fall asleep writing this, Mr. Awesome has been put to bed with a nasty cold and I'm feeling totally zombified myself, however, I want to share this one piece of fabulousness. Back in October Maya Fire (our ATS dance troupe) had applied to perform at the International Belly Dance Conference of Canada this coming April. We received confirmation yesterday that we had actually been selected, and for a main stage performance!! I am speechless...

So...it is good to step back into the dance. The break was needed and enjoyed, and I am even happier to be back in step once again.

Best part of tonight's practice: doing my own thing according to my body's needs, and feeling fine about it.

Day 6

Jan. 6

Asanas: Mountain, extended side angle, triangle, warriors, forward bends, cobra, child's pose, cat, cow, camel, bow, downward dog, knee sit, savasana - a crazy quilt of random!

How is it the 6th already? My Dad told me that this was the day that my Grandma would traditionally take down the tree...ours sits still in it's finery on our balcony, sleeping now til spring. I'll get around to de-decorating it tomorrow night.

Was up at 6:30 this morning to yoga with Nono. The apartment was freezing, and I felt beyond irritated that I was out of my warm warm WARM bed. I finally tried out my Yoga Stretch app on my iPod, which enables the user to design their own sequences. I have discovered that I need to learn more about sequencing poses! My practice actually had me laughing at it's randomness; do mountain pose! Now cobra! Now camel! Now side angle! Now bow pose! (wtf!) Now downward dog! No transitions for you!!! It was a sequence programmed by a crazy person...and that person was me, apparently. So now I have homework...figure out some basic philosophy regarding what poses go together and why.

Regardless of the bi-polar-style practice, it really woke me up and I felt very ready for the day, even after a mere 6 hours of sleep. Mr. Awesome and I enjoyed a vietnamese dinner date (complete with comic books) this evening, and the pho was slurpingly consumed, fuel against the cold weather we've been having. We hung out on the couch and watched Food, Inc. afterwards, which was utterly fascinating and turned out to be somewhat of a companion to two of my favorite books, 'The Omnivore's Dilemma' and 'In Defense of Food'. In all honesty, reading both of these books changed my life, and I refer to them frequently. I was stoked to see that the movie was tied in to them.

I am now letting go of the anger, hopelessness and disgust that welled up in me while watching it. I'm not going to get into specifics. Just watch the movie. Read 'The Omnivore's Dilemma' and 'In Defence of Food' by Michael Pollan while you're at it. I am a food nerd, and have read endlessly on the subject of our food (mono)culture and industry, but the images from the movie are seared into my brain, and my resolve to continue voting with my food dollar has been hardened yet again. Everything boils down to respect, and I'm left thinking again and again that the reason things seem so broken most of the time in this world is because of a general lack of it, and the ignorance that keeps us from wondering where it went.

I'm heading to bed thinking that I'm going to let tomorrow dictate when my practice will take place...normally I plan in advance, will it be morning, evening? but I think that tomorrow will let me know tomorrow...I (again) have lots to think about tonight.

Best part of practice today? the extended side angle pose (utthita parsvakonasana) ♥♥♥