...the land of the free...and the home of the...beast...

REW passed this article along to me today. It came from State Senator Liz Krueger's website, and it gives the alarming news that the Upper East Side's breast cancer rate is 10 percent higher than other areas of the city (other than the Upper West Side, which is also 10 percent higher). There are many possible explanations, including the fact that perhaps there are more Ashkenazic Jews here on the Upper East (and Upper West Side), or perhaps the population up here is slightly older than in other parts of the city (after all, I was 36 when I was diagnosed - maybe there are many more thirtysomethings up here on the Uppers). Apparently the East 79th Street Association is looking into whether it has something to do with hospital emissions (we have a LOT of hospitals up here, threading throughout our streets). In any event, thanks REW, and let this be one more reason for you to keep up the search for a nice place in Soho...

In other "news", the latest Chickie-family health crisis du jour is my brother-in-law has had a WICKED headache for the past two weeks that came on with a sudden, alarming intensity and has not really relented since it began. Last night, he had a brain MRI, which showed no abnormalities - no masses, no bleeding. Today, the radiologist is going to do another read of it to check for a hidden, I guess, aneurism. But so far, it looks like my BIL is okay. Don't know what the headache is from though, and pain is never fun. So...we shall see.

As for my practice...if you were reading the comments yesterday, then you'll know that REW was helping me to come to a decision to return to Eddie's shala and talk to Sarah about my current physical condition and perhaps stand, chant and then take savasana. I actually think this is an amazing idea since today is the first day Dr. Ascherman is letting me stand up straight (I actually was walking around the UES yesterday afternoon pushing a stroller with nothing in it, as a sort of makeshift "walker" so that I could walk hunched over without straining my lower back...the funny thing is that on the Upper East Side, this is not at all strange because women are often picking up their young tots from playgroups and playdates, arriving with an empty stroller and leaving with a child...). As I was waiting with my kids for the camp bus today (last day!), I tried to stand in Samasthiti, and it is CHALLENGING when your abdominal muscles are impaired (in my case by surgery to tighten up the gap between them). I don't think I really actually was IN the pose at all - my shoulders were slouchy, my tailbone was pointing back instead of down, and my legs were NOT active. If I tried to adjust one of these elements, then the others went to pot. So, bottom line is I know that I can get a lot out of just standing in Samsthiti, chanting, perhaps trying Urdvha Hastasana, maybe even an Uttanasana.

But guess what - it's a moon day, i.e., no Ashtanga practice. Now, it wouldn't be the first time I went down to practice and found the doors locked, smacked my forehead and said, "MOONDAY!" But REW reminded me before I made the trek....phew.

Instead, I think I will practice Samasthiti on my own a bit. Later on, a yogini friend from Montreal, whom I met while practicing at Guy's is in town, and I hope to get a mani/pedi with her. And THEN, one of my students and I will probably meet for coffee. Why is it that I am ALWAYS around my yoga friends? This vexes the Husband quite a bit. He wishes I would be more of a "lady who lunches", but it just never seems to happen that way. He has gone so far as to say that he doesn't want me to practice Ashtanga downtown if it means I am missing out on meeting the non-yoga friends for lunch or shopping. We had a little "discussion" about that, and as I am sure it is quite apparent to anyone who might be reading this that the Yoga Chickie is no shrinking violet, it will come as no surprise that this is no longer an issue on the table for discussion....

One last thing, for now at least...I am happy to say that I rediscovered my I-Pod Shuffle again. The last time I used it was a few weeks ago when the I-Pod cable was still working at New York Yoga, and so it is currently programmed with some of the music I use for teaching vinyasa yoga....Enigma, Thievery Corporation, Air (with this link,you can listen to tracks - try Femme d'Argent...delicious sound). And I am loving my tunes right now. IVDP also turned me onto some great music that could put you in the mood to get your body moving in a Far Eastern kind of groove - it's Streaming Bhajan Radio. Worth checking out....

YC