Quickies

1. To answer REW's question on the Madonna post, I don't know if the prohibition on using the Rabbi's name/story for profit has an intent element (unlike, say, Murder 1). I am thinking it's more like statutory rape - if you did it, you're guilty, doesn't matter if you were ignorant of the law, ignorant of the facts or ignorant of the crime. What does Hockey Chick say?

2. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the rain in NYC. It makes it really hard to walk down the street - umbrellas SUCK big time. But I have my awesome Miu Miu "Paddington Hat", which is essentially a red patent leather "Urban Sombrero", which I bought three years ago when I was going to have chemo, and I thought that great hats were the best revenge (on top of great wigs, of course). The rain makes my Ashtanga practice particularly juicy and soft.

3. Speaking of my Ashtanga practice, I got to Shala X 15 minutes late today because the FDR Drive was flooded, and the cars were moving at a glacial pace , so my last adjustment from Sir was a super-deep Mari A adjustment, drawing my elbows closer together behind my back, making it possible for me to really grab onto my wrists. I was on my own for B and C, because by then Sir was out of the classroom, and everyone else, including Mrs. Sir was finishing or already in Savasana. B was nice. Nothing special. But I got my fingers together on BOTH sides of C. And then I went home and took a hot bath, came out, dried off and just COMPLETELY bound on BOTH SIDES. YAY! Prohibitions on speaking of the practice aside, I feel like this signifies something major in my practice - an opening up of my chest, a validation for my surrendering to the teachings, a sign that my body might be keeping its promises to me if I keep my promises to my body. Yoga=yuj=yoke=connection. I feel it happening.

4. R&D: Sir saw me on the way out, and I breathlessly told him about my progress in Mari C. His face was a mask. I felt like an imbecile. But then he went on to tell me that bound parsvakonasana....(see below)

is a great way to open up my shoulders as an R&D pose (my language, R&D). If you notice in the photo (taken more than a year ago), I am BARELY binding in back. Now, I can grab my wrist on each side, but as Sir says, "It's not the bind that matters - it's the opening up of the chest and shoulders."

Cool. I think that Gomukhasana also helps, and I see that as I progress in Mari C, my Gomukhasana arms are improving on a parallel pace...my good side improving on par with my good side, my not-as-good-side improving on a slower par with my not-as-good side.

I am rushing. So I hope that was clear!

4. OK, this is going to sound horrible and egotistical, but I have to say it. I am SO happy that I have lost more than 10 pounds since I began practicing Mysore style Ashtanga. I was ALWAYS slim. I was ALWAYS between 102 and 108. AlWAYS. It was only after I started getting sick (in the year prior to my diagnosis, I began to put on some weight, probably because I was tired from unknowingly fighting off a beast, and looking for extra energy) that new weight began piling on. I don't know where it peaked, but I can only imagine I was up toward 130 by the time I was done with chemo, what with all the fluid they pumped into me and the steroids. Anyway, over the past two years since chemo ended, I have been slowly coming down. But this summer, when I began my practice at Shala X, the weight just started to peel off...to shed, like skin that no longer fit. I feel so much better now. I weigh 109, so I am not even at my skinniest. But I am right there in my range, and I just FEEL GOOD. It's not just that I can more easily wear my own clothing. It's just that I feel like I am in my own body again.

5. We are looking into rescue dogs. I have called about 10 different agencies and organizations and have talked to a bunch of different people. I need to get The Husband on board with going this route. But I can't believe that I didn't do this in the first place. Those dogs need homes. Perhaps I can "foster" some dogs at first and then move toward adoption and do an even bigger good deed. We shall see. The negotiations (between me and The Husband) go on....

6. Tonight begins Yom Kippur. REW's blog has a great piece on Yom Kippur. I will probably weigh in later when I have a moment. Right now, making a brisket with lots of earthy root vegetables, matzoh ball soup with lots of dill and running around buying gefilte fish (we love it so much so much, we have it at as many holidays as possible), wine and other stuff. For tomorrow we fast (well, actually, I don't...not good for my body...and health is paramount for Jews...I will cite an interesting article from the New York Times on that topic a bit later....

Right now, off goes the Yoga Chickie....

YC