life

In My Yoga Life

1 February 2013 / life, living in chicago, pictures, ronni, yoga, yoga teacher training

I haven’t posted much about yoga lately. One might think I haven’t been doing much. You’d be sort of right. When it’s very cold outside (like now, it’s a balmy 12F), I have no interest in leaving my bed, let alone my house. But there are some days I have things to do, so I dress in layers and do it.

Have I mentioned that I hate winter?

Teacher training ramped back up in January with my therapeutics apprenticeship with Gabriel Halpern. Gabriel’s an interesting teacher and he has an interesting style that I’m not used to seeing in the yoga world. He’s definitely of the “tough love” school, but the main underlying thing there is the love. There is also chocolate. Lots of chocolate.

We had two days of orientation, where we went through all the different poses we’d be working on with our students.

Yoga Teacher Training: Customized Yoga Apprenticeship Orientation

gabriel uses jaylen to demonstrate a pose to us

graham dances with mr. skeletonAfter the hips and knees orientation, where we practiced on each other, my hips were so open that I was able to comfortably get into Padmasana (Lotus Pose) for the first time since I was a little girl.

On January 17, I met my person and she is wonderful. I get to work with her every Thursday, showing her poses and making sure she feels OK. During the week, I keep in touch with her by sending her information and poses and dharma stuff.

In January, I also started my workshop management position. My first workshop was a doozy! It was a detox. I had to cut up fruit, heat up oil and put it into cups, make tea, tape the floor and set up mats inside each taped rectangle, greet people, and then actually attend the workshop. WHICH WAS AMAZING.

The first time I did a detox was in the fall of 2010. It was fun but hard! There were definitely points where I fell into Child’s Pose. I just couldn’t do everything. But this last time? I told people that I’m either getting stronger or the detoxes are getting easier. I doubt that Amber is making it easier. I think I’ve just gotten stronger.

In the middle of January, I taught my thesis workshop. I called it Your Yoga, and it was about being creative in your own yoga practice. I had five attendees, and I played music, led an asana practice (with a segment for the students to do their own thing–being creative!) and we talked about yoga. Most of the students were beginners, so it was fun to tell them about what yoga IS and how it can relate to their lives and change their lives.

Tonight, I head out to work and attend the Shatki Gong Healing given by The Starnes Sisters. I went to one in the fall and LOVED it. Also, I love their fashion sense. It’s fabulous.

I still have non-contact stuff to do for teacher training. I’ve got to write up my thesis, do my book reviews, teach one more private lesson (free–any takers?), do a write up about the private lessons, and decide on a final exam. I also need to attend more workshops and special events–but being a workshop manager makes that quite easy for me. 🙂

So, that’s my yoga life for now. ‘Til next time!

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So Much For That

29 January 2013 / adam, books, life, pictures, shopping

I thought I would try to get my body back on to a normal sleep schedule. Because for the past several weeks, I’ve been staying up all night and sleeping well into the afternoon. Even though what I’m doing in the middle of the night is no different than what I’d do during the day (and sometimes I am even more productive!), I still feel guilty about it. I know I’m a night owl at heart, but I still feel weird about it.

I know this is the way I am built and I shouldn’t be ashamed of it… but the world just doesn’t really WORK this way. It doesn’t really cater to night owls. There are some 24 hour stores around, and it is much nicer to drive in the middle of the night (unless the panhandlers are still out and begging me to roll down my window and give them money…AS IF), but I can’t go to a yoga class in the middle of the night. I can’t answer urgent emails from Moksha or VSA in the middle of the night. But now that I think about it… maybe it’s OK for me to be the way I am. The nature of the work I do–most of it is from home and I have enough time that I can work on it overnight. Even if I have a meeting at Moksha, they know my sleep schedule, so they try to accommodate it. My latest apprenticeship is in the evenings and most of my workshop manager shifts are afternoon or evening.

Sunday night, I took a Tylenol PM (well, the CVS version anyway) at 10:30pm. I slathered on some Arbonne unwind lotion; dabbed lavender essential oils on my heart, my temples, my neck, and behind my ears; checked my email; played LEGO Harry Potter until just before midnight (I gave myself a midnight cut off); and climbed into bed. Had a snack and read The Hunger Games until I fell asleep. And I woke up at 10:25am. Which is an improvement over 3:15pm.

It’s a good thing I was up because ALA was announcing their awards and Adam got a Stonewall Honor for his book Sparks (written under a pen name SJ Adams). How exciting is that? VERY exciting is the answer we’re looking for here, just so you know.

I did not mention that by 1pm I was super, super tired. I was frustrated because I can be wide awake in the middle of the night but during the day (especially during the winter) I just want to sleep. I want to burrow under an electric blanket and live in dreamland. So I took a nap. I set my alarm for 2pm, but I was pleasantly surprised to find myself waking up at 1:39pm! I guess I just needed a power nap. 🙂 Went to a short meeting at 3pm, ran a couple of errands, then we headed out to the burbs.

We celebrated Adam’s Stonewall Honor the best way we know how: By hitting some bookstores. We went to Anderson’s, where I picked up 7 CLUES TO WINNING YOU by Kristin Walker and BITTERSWEET by Sarah Ockler. Then we went to Half-Price Books, where I got 10 books, 9 CDs, and a computer game. I am so happy. I have a lot of new stuff to read and a lot of music to listen to. I bought Zoo Tycoon, but that’s mostly for Aidan to play when he’s here. Oh and my LEGO Harry Potter Years 5-7 arrived in the mail. I’m nearly 80% done with Years 1-4 (I’ve completed the levels, just need to get the collectibles), so I’ll probably start 5-7 sometime this week. Wheeee!

But now I am back to my old habits already. It’s 2:40am and I am wide awake. I just dabbed on the lavender (forgot to do the Tylenol PM tonight) and I’m hoping it will work its magic sooner rather than later. In the meantime, I will skip out on starting one of my new books right now–I’ll NEVER go to sleep if I start a new book. I’ll read The Hunger Games, and old favorite, and HOPEFULLY I’ll go to sleep and end up not sleeping past noon. I want to go to yoga. Which is at noon. And I need to shower before.

So I’m thinking that for now, it’s OK for me to be this way? It’s not like I have a 9am-5pm job (although in Chicago it seems more like 8am-9pm in a lot of jobs), and most of the things I have to do are in the afternoons and evenings. So I guess there is no point in trying to fight how my body naturally works, especially because it’s not hurting anyone.

When I’m at Disney World, I’ll have to take care. Don’t want to be sleeping the whole day away there! But I have time to fix that.

Ha. This pointless entry brought to you by slight heartburn, an afternoon dose of Lexapro, and the letters B-A-N-A-N-A.

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A Look Back at 2012

31 December 2012 / life, pictures, yay, year-in-review

I really enjoyed 2012. It was a busy year full of amazing experiences, lots of learning, incredible people, and awesome opportunities!!

In January, I got to spend a significant amount of time with a friend who I’d admired for years. She and her beau came and stayed with us for just under a week and we had the greatest time. They’re the kind of people who energize rather than drain, and I know I’ve said it before, but having them around is a blessing.

adam, ryan, me, and s00j

In February, Adam and I went to Disney World. Which is always awesome!! Still, that trip was memorable because it was the first time I’d ever lost my luggage. It was MORE memorable because Adam and I were selected to be in the Jammin’ Jungle Parade at Animal Kingdom! Now that was an awesome experience!!!

In March, I started yoga teacher training at Moksha Yoga. In training, I am making new friends, I’m learning so much not only from teachers at Moksha, but from master teachers from all over the world, and I’m getting more and more involved with the Moksha community, which is something I’ve wanted to do from almost the first day I walked into the studio and took my first yoga class back in April of 2010.

April brought a sneak peek into an early Spring, and in May, I got to see one of my favorite authors, Laurie Halse Anderson, again! Now, this is a woman who takes her writing so very seriously. She really gets in there and lives her characters’ lives. I’ve never seen a writer so dedicated and inspiring.

I heart her!

AND I got to hang out with Ricky Luna, who I had the BIGGEST crush on for about three years while I was a teenager. He used to be on the Mickey Mouse Club in the 1990s, but now he’s a successful and amazing producer. You may have seen his name on some big time soundtracks lately.

June brought Summer and AIDAN! 🙂

I was pretty busy this summer with teacher training stuff and freelance work, but we managed to make time to go out to the ‘burbs every Sunday to have dinner and shop or just spend time together. I think we hit every Half-Price Books in the Chicagoland area!

I thought my first “public” yoga class at Musecon, a creative convention in the Chicagoland area. They focus on things like music and writing and photography. Very relaxing and a lot of fun. I was really nervous about teaching there, but I got good feedback and they asked me to teach again in 2013! 🙂

Eventually, Aidan went back to Ohio to start fourth grade. He was accepted into his schools’ gifted program, and he’s thriving in it.

We did manage to make it to Worldcon/Chicon in September, and we were also able to visit my mom and some cousins in Ohio. October was pretty much a blur for both Adam and me as we were swamped with school and work. I did take time out to see the Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions, and when I realized I had an opportunity to meet John Barrowman on Halloween, I dropped EVERYTHING and made it happen!

We threw an election party in November, where Adam served the most delicious stew and cornbread and even flew Aidan out for the occasion, and then Aidan flew out just a few days later to spend Thanksgiving with us. 🙂 I also got the best purse ever.

And this brings us to December, when I finished up my second apprenticeship and teaching my karma/community classes for teacher training. We had a lovely Christmas in Ohio, then drove back to Chicago so Aidan could see what Santa left for him here. (It was a lot.) We celebrated Aidan’s TENTH birthday with a trip to the LEGO store downtown, and dinner from Harold’s Chicken Shack.

HOW IN THE WORLD DO I HAVE A TEN YEAR OLD??

Those are just a few highlights–I could go on and on. But I want to do the end of year survey too, so I’ll refrain. You can always look through my 2012 tag on Flickr to see what else I got up to this year, if you want! 🙂

So, on to the survey!

Was 2012 a good year for you?
For the most part, yes!

What did you do in 2012 that you’d never done before?
– yoga teacher training
– certain yoga poses (sundial/compass, forearm balance, mermaid…)
– been in a Disney parade
– King Spa
– got a body scrub

Did anyone close to you give birth?
I know people who had babies, but no one particularly close to me.

Did anyone close to you die?
No, thank goodness

What countries did you visit?
None.

What date(s) from 2012 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
– February 15, 2013: the day I was in a Disney parade!
– March 5, 2012: the day I decided to do teacher training
– October 31, 2012: the day I met John Barrowman

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Surviving yoga teacher training!

What was your biggest failure?
Didn’t complete writing a novel. Boo.
Struggling with my weight and body image. Sigh.

Did you suffer illness or injury?
A few colds, and one really bad cold sore outbreak. Ick.

Where did most of your money go?
Disney trip, yoga teacher training, books, clothes, gifts

What song(s) will always remind you of 2012?
Sail by Awolnation
Lights by Ellie Goulding

What do you wish you’d done more of?
– writing
– yoga
– traveling

What do you wish you’d done less of?
– sleeping
– shopping

What was your greatest musical discovery?
I honestly cannot narrow this down. I got to discover lots of cool new music! 🙂

What did you want and get?
– Disney trip
– books
– a raise
– asked to be a workshop manager at Moksha

What did you want and not get?
– MORE AIDAN TIME (there is never enough)
– a flat stomach
– a trip out of the country

What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
I turned 38. I taught a yoga class, had brunch with Adam and my friend Graham, opened presents, watched Queer as Folk (my present), wrapped gifts, and watched Christmas programs.

What kept you sane?
– Reading. Lots of reading.
– My family. My kitty cats.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
John Barrowman 🙂

What political issue stirred you the most?
Well, there was an election this year right?

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2012:
Listening to my body is more important than following a bunch of arbitrary rules.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2012?
– Yoga clothes. Leggings, capris, tanks, legwarmers. The brighter the better.
– Jeans and t-shirts.
– Jeans and sweaters.
– Pop color jeans and boots.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
I really need to quit screwing around and REALLY FOCUS on writing again. I want to, but apparently not enough because I can’t bring myself to do it. Other than that, not much. 2012 was pretty awesome.

In 2013, I am looking forward to Disney World, getting my 200-hour yoga teaching certification, traveling (I have been explicitly invited to visit the O.C., Los Angeles, Arkansas, and Atlanta) attending a billion workshops as a workshop manager at Moksha, discovering new music, seeing friends and family, and many other wonderful things. IT’S GONE BE GOOD!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

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Love This Time Of Year!

21 December 2012 / christmas, life, pictures

The Christmas prep frenzy is kind of dying down. Oh, I still have a million presents to wrap and some Christmas cards to get out, but the shopping is just about done, and the place is (mostly) clean and decorated. Wanna see?

The Stockings Were Hung By The...er....Space Heater with Flame Simulator with Care

Here’s our new entertainment center. For years, we’d used a dresser. This is much nicer. Smaller footprint, more streamlined, cooler. The dresser is now in the bedroom, being used for clothes, as God intended. 🙂

I don’t like the snow much (unless I am inside and looking at it and I don’t have to go out in it), but I think snow people are so cute. This is my collection.

The bookcases. We don’t have an actual mantle, so I have to get creative. 🙂

I got this awesome mouse king nutcracker at Costco. I love him!

Pretty ornaments.

My birthday was really nice. I taught a yoga class, had brunch with Adam and Graham, and spent the rest of the day relaxing at home. So many people posted nice things on my Facebook timeline. It was nice hearing from people I hadn’t heard from in years, and it was nice get birthday wishes from people I’d admired or looked up to for years.

Adam got me a yoga bolster and this baby:

Big birthday present from @adamselzer! Queer As Folk complete set!!!

Why yes, that IS the Queer as Folk box set of the complete series. I am THRILLED about that, and I busted into that right away! 🙂

So much more awesome things to come…. but for now I’m sleepy. So, til next time!

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Best December Ever

5 December 2012 / christmas, friends, life, living in chicago, positivity

Sitting here, listening to my *Best Christmas* playlist and thinking about decorating/wrapping presents/addressing Christmas cards but really not doing any of that. 🙂

We’re five days into December and it’s already pretty awesome. We’ve had really mild temperatures (which I am loving). December 1 kicked off with the Moksha Yoga holiday party.

moksha’s “tree”

amber dazzling us with a really hard pose

friends
i love these folks
reshma, julie, me, graham

Sunday, I started off the day with brunch with Reshma, then that evening, I headed out to King Spa for a night of relaxation and pampering. I LOVE King Spa. $25 admission gets you access to so much. Then you can spring for extras like massages and facials and body scrubs. The best part is that it’s 24/7, so I can go anytime I get the urge!

Monday was another brunch date, this time with Jen. Adam and I headed out that evening to see the zoo lights, not realizing that they only turn them on during the weekends. Honestly, I’m not sure of their thinking. The lights are on only weekends leading up to Christmas, then after Christmas, they’re on every day for two weeks. WHAT? Only Chicago. Always doing stuff that MAKES NO SENSE whatsoever. *shakes head*

I was pretty disappointed, so we went to Molly’s Cupcakes for a consolation prize. I got the Mint Velvet cupcake.

how jealous of this are you?

Tuesday, Adam and I headed out to Naperville for shopping, where I scored tons of this awesomeness:

Score!!! 12 boxes at Big Lots and I bought them ALL.

yes i am a snack hoarder why do you ask?

Then we headed to a Heather Dale show, consisting of traditional Yule carols. Oh, her voice is pure and sweet. And she can play so many instruments. She was a joy to watch and listen to. (And you can listen yourself if you go to her site and download her free album!) We got to experience beautiful singing and music, talk to cool people, and HUG A S00J!!!

s00j, me, adam
YAY s00j!!!!!!

sj tucker and heather dale making beautiful music

sj tucker and heather dale making more beautiful music

It was a lovely night. 🙂

And randomly…I like seeing people’s trees in their windows, and I like the trees that are up in the stores. They look really pretty this year. I am not sure when I will put my tree up. Maybe this weekend. I haven’t even decided if I’m going to go for the Disney theme again or just do a generic theme like I’ve done in the past, or a combination of both. I sometimes wish we had room for a 7- or 8-foot tree so I could have room for all my ornaments, but my 6-foot is OK. I once had a huge tree and the bottom half was bare because of cats and toddler Aidan. See?

my tree in 2003.
notice how bare the bottom is? lol.

So…our three cats tend to leave the tree alone for the most part. Crookshanks likes to lie under it and sleep, and Helena will nibble the branches and ignore the little tree I set out for her to enjoy, but once I get the gifts underneath, they tend to leave it alone. 🙂

There’s still a ton to look forward to this month. Two birthdays, Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, shopping, music, family, friends, food, decorating, cookies, the 24 hour A Christmas Story marathon, and more! YAY Best December ever! 😀

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