So here it is, a Wednesday night, the only night I have in during this particular work week, and I'm waiting for bread dough to rise and drinking a glass of merlot. A perfect time to update my blog!
I can hardly believe I've already been here for a month. I've been settling in well, getting used to work, getting settled in my yoga studio, figuring out the best times to go to the grocery store in my new schedule, all sorts of things like that.
I preached my first sermon here a couple of weeks ago. At the Saturday night service I was wearing an alb, and I was a little warm, but once I was done preaching, I had been so anxious that I was literally dripping sweat off my nose. I took a moment to duck out of the sanctuary during the hymn right after the sermon and wipe off my face. My sermon was pretty good. At the beginning of the week I was writing it I was okay with it, then by the end of the week I hated it, but once I put it down for a day and practiced it on Saturday before worship I thought it might actually be something worth saying again. I can only hope that my preaching will improve now that I'll have a chance to practice so regularly.
This past weekend was a different experience all together, because Dan was gone for the weekend getting married. That meant that I was running the show and making sure things went smoothly during worship. We had a guest preacher, but I had the chance to give the announcements and lead worship. I find I'm getting more comfortable, and I always find that leading worship makes me feel such joy, so it's always something I look forward to.
I've begun visiting members of the congregation in their homes so that I can get to know them better. I know it's a good idea to get to know people I'll be working with over the year, but part of me is terrified every time I drive to a new person's house to spend an hour with them. They are all incredibly kind, and my first visit lasted twice as long as I had intended! Even though I'll probably be scared as I walk into each house in the next couple of months, I'm glad it's something I'm doing.
This week has been quiet at work, but I think that's because everything starts up next week. Starting next Wednesday I'll probably be at the church from 5 to 9 in the evening. Just like I grew up doing. It'll be busy, but it will be good too. I'll get to sing Holden Evening Prayer every week and I'll get a chance to teach confirmation and high school, two places I think I have a lot of learning to do. My first lesson for the confirmation class in a few weeks is "Is the Bible True?" Should be a great way to get started.
A couple of weeks ago I went to the Iowa state fair. I ate food on a stick - my favorite being a peanut butter ice cream sandwich covered in chocolate on a stick - and I had deep fried cheese curds, which seemed appropriately Midwestern. It was a great day, especially because I got to meet several baby animals and several larger ones. It was great, and we walked five miles! I was certainly tired the day after that.
I've also been getting more involved in the yoga studio across the street from me. I love it there, because it has a very personal feel. The owner teaches most of the classes I take and she learned my name after my first visit. I've taken a couple of private lessons with her, and they have been amazing, because I get to know my body so well. I've been playing around with backbends, because they can be really helpful for lifting the spirits when I'm dealing with depression. They won't ever replace my antidepressants, but they're a wonderful addition, and they make me feel great joy. It's amazing, now that I'm working at a regular job, rather than being a student, I actually have time to work out in a way that I haven't before, I think I'll manage to exercise four times this week!
The best news is that this weekend is Labor Day weekend, and Silas is coming up for a visit! We have plans to cook dinner for a friend who lives in town, to go try out a corn maze, and of course I'll bring him to church where all the wonderful church ladies can fawn over him. I'm so excited to have him come, I've been missing him since I moved up here. It's going to be a good Labor Day weekend.
I have more I could share, but my bread is just about done rising, and this is already pretty long, so there will be more soon!
May the peace of God be with you all.
Showing posts with label Yoga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Yoga. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Monday, April 7, 2014
Planning and More Planning
Yesterday was an absolutely wonderful Sunday, and the only thing I didn't get accomplished was finishing this blog. I went to church, went grocery shopping, cleaned my entire apartment, cooked my meals for the week, and had a lovely date with Silas to watch Cosmos, which has been our regular Sunday date for awhile. I was also able to practice yoga again, something I'm trying to do more regularly, as my body is very upset with the typical grad school lifestyle of sitting nearly constantly. It felt wonderful, and I am hoping I can actually make that a regular habit - it's good for both my body and my soul.
It's been a wonderful week, as well. I had my regular classes, although with one fewer, which makes my schedule so much easier, and they are all still going really well. We're moving right along and the end of the semester will be here before I know it. We only have one week left until our next break, since the seminary always takes Holy Week off.
This week I was also in a few processes in preparing for next year, which I think will be good. I am part of a small committee which is forming some structure for Life Together, our community organization, which will hopefully lead to more community activities and a generally more coherent community. I also attended a dinner of those who will still be on campus next year, and we talked a bit about that as well. The dinner was fun, it was nice to spend some fun time with people from my class and consider what life here might be like next year.
My I-group began worship planning for our week of worship, which is the second week after Easter, and I think it will be a good week. I and another woman are planning the Thursday service, and I think that it will be a really good service. I love planning worship and being involved in it here. On that same note, the first week after Easter I will be shadowing our current sacristan so that I can learn about the job for next year. I am still very excited about the role, and I am looking forward to learning what exactly the job will entail, so that I can understand how to plan my time next year. My shadowing has already begun, as I am included in all the emails about bulletins and worship assistants, so I can see how we plan for the worship in advance and what the time-table of planning typically is.
I have also been working steadily away on my Luther wall hanging, and I am almost halfway done now. It's been fun to learn a lot more about crocheting and to actually be able to consider crocheting homework. I'm hoping to have it done right around Easter. I meet with my craft group to work on it on Saturday and we watched the Mets v. Reds game. It was a good game, with a rather spectacular ending, and it was fun to watch and explain the workings of baseball to Sarah. I have only learned them since dating Silas, but it's an interesting game, and well suited to crafting.
I am now sitting at the Library planning on a rather productive day to start off my week. It's a beautiful spring day here, and it will probably rain soon. I am looking forward to this week, but even more I am looking forward to Holy Week and Easter. I love Easter, and everything that goes along with it, and I think this year will be no different. I'm looking forward to experiencing what Easter will be like at All Saints. I hope everyone is experiencing as beautiful a spring as I am, and keeping dry in the spring rains.
Kathryn
It's been a wonderful week, as well. I had my regular classes, although with one fewer, which makes my schedule so much easier, and they are all still going really well. We're moving right along and the end of the semester will be here before I know it. We only have one week left until our next break, since the seminary always takes Holy Week off.
This week I was also in a few processes in preparing for next year, which I think will be good. I am part of a small committee which is forming some structure for Life Together, our community organization, which will hopefully lead to more community activities and a generally more coherent community. I also attended a dinner of those who will still be on campus next year, and we talked a bit about that as well. The dinner was fun, it was nice to spend some fun time with people from my class and consider what life here might be like next year.
My I-group began worship planning for our week of worship, which is the second week after Easter, and I think it will be a good week. I and another woman are planning the Thursday service, and I think that it will be a really good service. I love planning worship and being involved in it here. On that same note, the first week after Easter I will be shadowing our current sacristan so that I can learn about the job for next year. I am still very excited about the role, and I am looking forward to learning what exactly the job will entail, so that I can understand how to plan my time next year. My shadowing has already begun, as I am included in all the emails about bulletins and worship assistants, so I can see how we plan for the worship in advance and what the time-table of planning typically is.
I have also been working steadily away on my Luther wall hanging, and I am almost halfway done now. It's been fun to learn a lot more about crocheting and to actually be able to consider crocheting homework. I'm hoping to have it done right around Easter. I meet with my craft group to work on it on Saturday and we watched the Mets v. Reds game. It was a good game, with a rather spectacular ending, and it was fun to watch and explain the workings of baseball to Sarah. I have only learned them since dating Silas, but it's an interesting game, and well suited to crafting.
I am now sitting at the Library planning on a rather productive day to start off my week. It's a beautiful spring day here, and it will probably rain soon. I am looking forward to this week, but even more I am looking forward to Holy Week and Easter. I love Easter, and everything that goes along with it, and I think this year will be no different. I'm looking forward to experiencing what Easter will be like at All Saints. I hope everyone is experiencing as beautiful a spring as I am, and keeping dry in the spring rains.
Kathryn
Monday, December 9, 2013
The End of the Semester
It is officially my last week of the semester.
I came back to Ohio last week to finish up my semester with just a week and a half left of school. It's been a relatively easy semester, especially compared to my classmates who are middlers or seniors, and I have appreciated the chance to get used to the seminary with a semester that is not awful. I'm already looking forward to my next semester, except for the fact that I have classes literally all day Tuesday - 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.!
On Monday last week, we had a yoga teacher come in and teach a restorative yoga class in our smaller chapel. It was absolutely wonderful, except for the fact that I had to go to class afterward. I am trying to add more yoga into my life, because as a graduate student I spend the vast amount of my time sitting, and I am nearly desperate for activity and some time to get out of my head. Yoga offers both of those, and I don't have to wear shoes to do it!
The rest of the week went perfectly smoothly, and it is interesting to be wrapping up each class. I am so excited that next semester my only evening class will be Spanish, which is not a traditional class. I have such a hard time engaging in evening classes, especially during winter when the sun is already set, and I am looking forward to that change next semester.
This weekend was full of snow and time with friends. At common meal on Thursday, those of us who were sitting around the table got into a lively conversation about the merits of various Doctor Who companions. The fact that this is the kind of conversation I can engage in here makes me very happy, this place is full of the best kinds of nerds, me included. Saturday, I went out to watch the OSU v. MSU game with a few people from the seminary. It was great fun, partially because I didn't really care about the game. I rooted for MSU with my table, of one actual MSU fan, and two people who cared even less than I did. We had a good time being one of the odd groups out in the bar, which was of course full of buckeyes.
It snowed quite a bit this weekend, which I have found probably much more exciting than most others here. It's beautiful, and has given me great reasons to wear my cloak. It's getting a lot more use up here than it did in Texas or Oklahoma. I went to work and a faculty meeting on Friday and had a great time watching the snow come down from the windows, and then I stayed inside most of the day Saturday. I have spent a large part of my weekend working on Christmas gifts, which have to remain secret for now, but maybe I'll post a picture later.
Sunday I also went to my official Ministry in Context site for the first time, which was really great. I like the church and I really like the pastor, so I think it'll be a good place to spend the next year and a half. It's a shame I got assigned so close to the end of the semester and I'm leaving town, but I'll get properly settled there as the MIC student in January.
Now as I finish my last two days of the semester, I am getting ready to go home and spend a lovely Christmas there. I can hardly wait to spend a bit longer at home and have a proper rest between semesters. My blog might be a bit more sporadic, but I'll try to check in. I hope everyone is staying warm!
I came back to Ohio last week to finish up my semester with just a week and a half left of school. It's been a relatively easy semester, especially compared to my classmates who are middlers or seniors, and I have appreciated the chance to get used to the seminary with a semester that is not awful. I'm already looking forward to my next semester, except for the fact that I have classes literally all day Tuesday - 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.!
On Monday last week, we had a yoga teacher come in and teach a restorative yoga class in our smaller chapel. It was absolutely wonderful, except for the fact that I had to go to class afterward. I am trying to add more yoga into my life, because as a graduate student I spend the vast amount of my time sitting, and I am nearly desperate for activity and some time to get out of my head. Yoga offers both of those, and I don't have to wear shoes to do it!
The rest of the week went perfectly smoothly, and it is interesting to be wrapping up each class. I am so excited that next semester my only evening class will be Spanish, which is not a traditional class. I have such a hard time engaging in evening classes, especially during winter when the sun is already set, and I am looking forward to that change next semester.
This weekend was full of snow and time with friends. At common meal on Thursday, those of us who were sitting around the table got into a lively conversation about the merits of various Doctor Who companions. The fact that this is the kind of conversation I can engage in here makes me very happy, this place is full of the best kinds of nerds, me included. Saturday, I went out to watch the OSU v. MSU game with a few people from the seminary. It was great fun, partially because I didn't really care about the game. I rooted for MSU with my table, of one actual MSU fan, and two people who cared even less than I did. We had a good time being one of the odd groups out in the bar, which was of course full of buckeyes.
It snowed quite a bit this weekend, which I have found probably much more exciting than most others here. It's beautiful, and has given me great reasons to wear my cloak. It's getting a lot more use up here than it did in Texas or Oklahoma. I went to work and a faculty meeting on Friday and had a great time watching the snow come down from the windows, and then I stayed inside most of the day Saturday. I have spent a large part of my weekend working on Christmas gifts, which have to remain secret for now, but maybe I'll post a picture later.
Sunday I also went to my official Ministry in Context site for the first time, which was really great. I like the church and I really like the pastor, so I think it'll be a good place to spend the next year and a half. It's a shame I got assigned so close to the end of the semester and I'm leaving town, but I'll get properly settled there as the MIC student in January.
Now as I finish my last two days of the semester, I am getting ready to go home and spend a lovely Christmas there. I can hardly wait to spend a bit longer at home and have a proper rest between semesters. My blog might be a bit more sporadic, but I'll try to check in. I hope everyone is staying warm!
Sunday, October 20, 2013
Full Fall Break
I've certainly had a full fall break. And I've been able to read several books.
This week I attended the Healthy Congregations national gathering, which was an interesting couple of days. I have been learning a lot about family systems theory in the past few weeks, and this conference was a continuation of that learning for me. The theory is interesting and I think it is helpful for me now and will be helpful for working in a congregation in the future. However, it was a couple of days of a lot of introspection, which left me rather tired by the end of it.
I also worked with a few other students today to pick out furniture for a room that we are remodeling so that we will have a new gathering space for relaxing as well as group studying. It should be a very nice room by the time it's finished, and I am excited to be a part of it. Picking out the furniture was fun, and I'm proud of us for coming up with a design that worked well together.
On Friday I had a long meeting about the installation service for our new president, which will take place next week. I am the leader of the banner people, and we will be helping with a procession of about 100 people. This service will be huge, and I am pleased that I will be able to help with it. It's neat to be here when something important like the installation of a president happens.
All around these meetings, I was working in the library this week. They gave me a key last week, which was good because I needed to open it up two different days this week. It was even quieter than usual, which made for some great reading time. I read a biography of Saint Augustine of Hippo, which was really interesting. I actually enjoyed my reading this week, and I feel like I've been able to catch up and even get ahead a bit for the rest of the semester.
This Friday was Silas and my second anniversary, and Friday morning I got a call saying that someone had sent me flowers. They were beautiful and it was great to talk to him that day, but I am definitely looking forward to being able to see him again in about a month.
Yesterday, after my rather busy fall break, I slept in and decided to have an introvert day. I only went out to get groceries, and in between cleaning my apartment I stayed in bed relaxing. I'm still trying to make sure I make time for myself and take care of myself. I'm trying to practice yoga regularly, and I am also trying to have a small personal devotion time every day so that I can get out of my head when it comes to my faith on occasion. Talking about theology all day is different than actually practicing faith, I have found.
Today I had a bit of an adventure, as the girls I was picking out furniture with for the room, Dr. Ott, and I drove up to northern Ohio to attend the church which gave us the money for the furniture. We left at 5:30 this morning, and had a really nice time at the church. It was nice to see others and be able to thank them for the money. They have a large mission endowment fund that they spread out every year and it was interesting to see the other mission programs they gave money to as well. We went out to lunch after the service, and then I crocheted on the long drive home. It was a full day, but it was a nice way to spend the morning and early afternoon.
I also decided this afternoon that I needed to rearrange my living room so that I would be able to keep my sewing table out permanently. I moved some things around, and now I have my sewing table out as well as room to lay out my yoga mat whenever I need to. Both are good practices for me for my own mental well being. I also made hummus and black bean burgers for my lunches this week, and decided that I may have to invest in a food processor soon.
Now I'm off to have dinner and a movie date, before I begin the second half of my semester. I can't believe how far I've come already.
This week I attended the Healthy Congregations national gathering, which was an interesting couple of days. I have been learning a lot about family systems theory in the past few weeks, and this conference was a continuation of that learning for me. The theory is interesting and I think it is helpful for me now and will be helpful for working in a congregation in the future. However, it was a couple of days of a lot of introspection, which left me rather tired by the end of it.
I also worked with a few other students today to pick out furniture for a room that we are remodeling so that we will have a new gathering space for relaxing as well as group studying. It should be a very nice room by the time it's finished, and I am excited to be a part of it. Picking out the furniture was fun, and I'm proud of us for coming up with a design that worked well together.
On Friday I had a long meeting about the installation service for our new president, which will take place next week. I am the leader of the banner people, and we will be helping with a procession of about 100 people. This service will be huge, and I am pleased that I will be able to help with it. It's neat to be here when something important like the installation of a president happens.
All around these meetings, I was working in the library this week. They gave me a key last week, which was good because I needed to open it up two different days this week. It was even quieter than usual, which made for some great reading time. I read a biography of Saint Augustine of Hippo, which was really interesting. I actually enjoyed my reading this week, and I feel like I've been able to catch up and even get ahead a bit for the rest of the semester.
This Friday was Silas and my second anniversary, and Friday morning I got a call saying that someone had sent me flowers. They were beautiful and it was great to talk to him that day, but I am definitely looking forward to being able to see him again in about a month.
Yesterday, after my rather busy fall break, I slept in and decided to have an introvert day. I only went out to get groceries, and in between cleaning my apartment I stayed in bed relaxing. I'm still trying to make sure I make time for myself and take care of myself. I'm trying to practice yoga regularly, and I am also trying to have a small personal devotion time every day so that I can get out of my head when it comes to my faith on occasion. Talking about theology all day is different than actually practicing faith, I have found.
Today I had a bit of an adventure, as the girls I was picking out furniture with for the room, Dr. Ott, and I drove up to northern Ohio to attend the church which gave us the money for the furniture. We left at 5:30 this morning, and had a really nice time at the church. It was nice to see others and be able to thank them for the money. They have a large mission endowment fund that they spread out every year and it was interesting to see the other mission programs they gave money to as well. We went out to lunch after the service, and then I crocheted on the long drive home. It was a full day, but it was a nice way to spend the morning and early afternoon.
I also decided this afternoon that I needed to rearrange my living room so that I would be able to keep my sewing table out permanently. I moved some things around, and now I have my sewing table out as well as room to lay out my yoga mat whenever I need to. Both are good practices for me for my own mental well being. I also made hummus and black bean burgers for my lunches this week, and decided that I may have to invest in a food processor soon.
Now I'm off to have dinner and a movie date, before I begin the second half of my semester. I can't believe how far I've come already.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Start and Finish
I only have a couple more sections of my yoga paper to write, and I need to get them done soon, so today I wrote another one.
Once I started calling myself a yogi, I started growing even more in my practice, and each time I got on my mat was a new, utterly enjoyable experience. My practice began with me standing, hands at heart center, feet together, and eyes closed. Breathing in and out through my nose and constricting my glottis, I emptied my mind and focused on how my body felt that day.
Opening my eyes, I began with a series of sun salutations. Arms overhead, palms together, I looked up and reached up. Then hinge at the hips, arms out, fall forward, forehead to knees. Next, back straight, fingertips resting on the mat. Then the hard part - lean into my hands and step back into plank. Elbows tight to my sides, I exhale and lower down slowly. I push my chest up and look up, feeling the deep back-bend. Lifting my hips and rolling my heels over my toes, I settled into downward facing dog. Resting and breathing, I remained for five deep breaths. Inhaling, I look forward and will my feet to follow, stopping in a forward bend before rising up again hinging at my hips and raising my arms. Exhaling I relaxed my arms back down to my sides, ready to repeat the process.
Then followed an hour of stretching, breathing, lifting, twisting, balancing, and folding in every way imaginable. Finally the class ended with inversions. It was yogi's choice, and I almost always choose back-bends. Standing on my mat a couple of feet away from a wall, I'd look backward and reach behind me, placing my hands flat on the wall. Taking a couple of steps forward, I walked my hands closer to the floor. Once I was as low as I could be, I stretched out my arms and held my position for as long as I could before pushing back into my hands and standing up.
Being upside down and then standing back up does amazingly weird things to the body. The blood rushing through my head makes me light-headed as I rise up, and being upside down for a while makes me feel light all over makes me walk taller as I go through my day. Yoga became a part of me as I practiced and transformed the way I move through the world. And that transformation continues as I continue my practice.
-Kat
Once I started calling myself a yogi, I started growing even more in my practice, and each time I got on my mat was a new, utterly enjoyable experience. My practice began with me standing, hands at heart center, feet together, and eyes closed. Breathing in and out through my nose and constricting my glottis, I emptied my mind and focused on how my body felt that day.
Opening my eyes, I began with a series of sun salutations. Arms overhead, palms together, I looked up and reached up. Then hinge at the hips, arms out, fall forward, forehead to knees. Next, back straight, fingertips resting on the mat. Then the hard part - lean into my hands and step back into plank. Elbows tight to my sides, I exhale and lower down slowly. I push my chest up and look up, feeling the deep back-bend. Lifting my hips and rolling my heels over my toes, I settled into downward facing dog. Resting and breathing, I remained for five deep breaths. Inhaling, I look forward and will my feet to follow, stopping in a forward bend before rising up again hinging at my hips and raising my arms. Exhaling I relaxed my arms back down to my sides, ready to repeat the process.
Then followed an hour of stretching, breathing, lifting, twisting, balancing, and folding in every way imaginable. Finally the class ended with inversions. It was yogi's choice, and I almost always choose back-bends. Standing on my mat a couple of feet away from a wall, I'd look backward and reach behind me, placing my hands flat on the wall. Taking a couple of steps forward, I walked my hands closer to the floor. Once I was as low as I could be, I stretched out my arms and held my position for as long as I could before pushing back into my hands and standing up.
Being upside down and then standing back up does amazingly weird things to the body. The blood rushing through my head makes me light-headed as I rise up, and being upside down for a while makes me feel light all over makes me walk taller as I go through my day. Yoga became a part of me as I practiced and transformed the way I move through the world. And that transformation continues as I continue my practice.
-Kat
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Meditation
Today I realized how soon my paper on yoga is due, so I got down to writing more of it. I wrote two parts, one which is much more academic and less creative, and one which is more creative, though autobiographical. Here's that one.
I knew yoga was becoming a permanent part of my life when it had me waking up at six nearly every morning and adjusting my class schedule to make sure it would fit in. People had to hear me going on about the ways my body was beginning to open up. I knew yoga was a part of my life when I stopped noticing the looks I got every time I talked about my wishes to open my hips more.
I always arrived to my morning class extremely early. No one was around as I rolled out my mat and sat to wait. Day after day I'd have time alone on my mat. Sometimes that time would be filled with thought, sometimes with meditation, and sometimes with prayer. Sometimes it was filled with all three. That time on my mat became part of my practice as much as any pose I could try to bend myself into. Sitting cross-legged in front of a mirror I could see the physical effects of my practice while I felt the spiritual effects. My hips opened up and my knees fell to the floor as I learned to deal with crises and bad days and to put a little good into them.
As I learned asanas and let them begin to transform my body, I also learned meditation - the most difficult aspect of yoga. I practiced being still and mindful on and off my mat as yoga permeated my life. Meditation takes as much time as training and strengthening a muscle does. I practiced at first for just a minute or two at a time. Sitting cross-legged with my palms open and receptive on my knees. The light was dark and my eyes were closed as I practiced pranyama - control of my breath. Sitting in meditation, if I really let my thoughts go and just focused on my breath, something happened. I felt myself rise above my body, suspended with each breath. This was an amazing feeling - one of cleansing and centering. I would extend the time I was in meditation, and the time I felt like I was floating. Meditation means so much, freeing the worries of the day and connecting. For me connecting to God in a new and meaningful way.
I knew yoga was a part of my life when it became religious, like and unlike it was for the ancient Hindus who began the practice.
If that sounds fun, you should try out meditation.
-Kat
I knew yoga was becoming a permanent part of my life when it had me waking up at six nearly every morning and adjusting my class schedule to make sure it would fit in. People had to hear me going on about the ways my body was beginning to open up. I knew yoga was a part of my life when I stopped noticing the looks I got every time I talked about my wishes to open my hips more.
I always arrived to my morning class extremely early. No one was around as I rolled out my mat and sat to wait. Day after day I'd have time alone on my mat. Sometimes that time would be filled with thought, sometimes with meditation, and sometimes with prayer. Sometimes it was filled with all three. That time on my mat became part of my practice as much as any pose I could try to bend myself into. Sitting cross-legged in front of a mirror I could see the physical effects of my practice while I felt the spiritual effects. My hips opened up and my knees fell to the floor as I learned to deal with crises and bad days and to put a little good into them.
As I learned asanas and let them begin to transform my body, I also learned meditation - the most difficult aspect of yoga. I practiced being still and mindful on and off my mat as yoga permeated my life. Meditation takes as much time as training and strengthening a muscle does. I practiced at first for just a minute or two at a time. Sitting cross-legged with my palms open and receptive on my knees. The light was dark and my eyes were closed as I practiced pranyama - control of my breath. Sitting in meditation, if I really let my thoughts go and just focused on my breath, something happened. I felt myself rise above my body, suspended with each breath. This was an amazing feeling - one of cleansing and centering. I would extend the time I was in meditation, and the time I felt like I was floating. Meditation means so much, freeing the worries of the day and connecting. For me connecting to God in a new and meaningful way.
I knew yoga was a part of my life when it became religious, like and unlike it was for the ancient Hindus who began the practice.
If that sounds fun, you should try out meditation.
-Kat
Friday, September 23, 2011
Early Days
Today I wrote another piece for my yoga paper. This one is about my beginnings in the practice of yoga.
When I began practicing yoga it was not quite the experience I find it now. The class was always large and I rolled out my mat in the very back of the studio. The light was dim and the music was soft in every class. As I started I learned that yoga was nothing like I had imagined - it was not easy and gentle, it was stessful and made me sore. But somehow I found myself coming back to every single class. At least once every class the teacher reminded us that yoga is a non-competitive practice.
"Easy for her to say," I thoguht in the middle of Extended Triangle pose. My hand was nearly at my knee as I tried to stretch it lower down my shin, with my other arm reaching up in the opposite direction and my feet spread to each side of my mat. The twist was a difficult one for me as I ried to place my back in the same vertical plane as my legs. My body was a series of triangles, but I thought I looked more like a star broken at the waist and falling over. One of the worst parts of this pose was how easy it made it for me to look around at the others.
It is often easy to see others in yoga as perfect. Not all of them, of course, but just one or two are enough to threaten attempts at non-compettion. Lithe bodies gracefully and easily moved into this same pose, and they could move so much deeper than I could. It was easy for the throught "They are so much better" to become lodged in my mind. Giving myself a mental shake I would let the thought pass and focus on my hand pushing into the air.
This scene would repeat throughout my early practices over and over again, almost with every pose. Yoga is an outwardly silent practice, but that just left the mind to take every thought it created and run with it. Mindfulness and meditation are goals, but not goals that are easily strived for. Yoga is a practice of constant learning and constant trying.
The teacher instructed us to move into the next pose, offering several modifications for beginners and advanced yogis - yoga is a sport entirely based on modification. As I reminded myself to not compare with others and focused on my breath, I chose one of the modifications, moving into the best pose for my own body.
-Kat
When I began practicing yoga it was not quite the experience I find it now. The class was always large and I rolled out my mat in the very back of the studio. The light was dim and the music was soft in every class. As I started I learned that yoga was nothing like I had imagined - it was not easy and gentle, it was stessful and made me sore. But somehow I found myself coming back to every single class. At least once every class the teacher reminded us that yoga is a non-competitive practice.
"Easy for her to say," I thoguht in the middle of Extended Triangle pose. My hand was nearly at my knee as I tried to stretch it lower down my shin, with my other arm reaching up in the opposite direction and my feet spread to each side of my mat. The twist was a difficult one for me as I ried to place my back in the same vertical plane as my legs. My body was a series of triangles, but I thought I looked more like a star broken at the waist and falling over. One of the worst parts of this pose was how easy it made it for me to look around at the others.
It is often easy to see others in yoga as perfect. Not all of them, of course, but just one or two are enough to threaten attempts at non-compettion. Lithe bodies gracefully and easily moved into this same pose, and they could move so much deeper than I could. It was easy for the throught "They are so much better" to become lodged in my mind. Giving myself a mental shake I would let the thought pass and focus on my hand pushing into the air.
This scene would repeat throughout my early practices over and over again, almost with every pose. Yoga is an outwardly silent practice, but that just left the mind to take every thought it created and run with it. Mindfulness and meditation are goals, but not goals that are easily strived for. Yoga is a practice of constant learning and constant trying.
The teacher instructed us to move into the next pose, offering several modifications for beginners and advanced yogis - yoga is a sport entirely based on modification. As I reminded myself to not compare with others and focused on my breath, I chose one of the modifications, moving into the best pose for my own body.
-Kat
Saturday, September 10, 2011
Downward Facing Dog
I am in the middle of working on a project for a course I took this summer. I am writing a creative non-fiction piece about a sport in connection to British culture. I know next to nothing about sports, so I'm writing about yoga and British colonialism. Today I wrote a piece that might become a part of my final paper.
Holding downward facing dog, I have to remember to not look behind or around me to check my form against the others in the class. Waleah reminds me, speaking to all of us, "your drishti is your navel." Drishtis, or gazing points, are what yogis use to focus on their own body and practice. They are one more thing to remind me that yoga is a non-competitive sport. I focus once again.
Arms straight, fingers spread wide on my mat, I push the front of the mat away toward the mirror. I keep my back straight, and lift my "sit-bones" toward the ceiling. The backs of my legs strain a bit as I try to push my heels to the ground, even as they stay resolutely two inches above my mat. I can feel every part of my body moving, holding position, and I relax my neck and let my gaze fall on my bellybutton. A year ago I wouldn't have thought it possible to look at my bellybutton in down-dog, and I just settled for the tops of my legs. Over time, however, my body loosened, especially my neck, and I found my gaze where it was supposed to be.
A year ago I also hated downward facing dog. It was difficult, and I often couldn't hold it for more than a few breaths. Down dog is a resting pose, but not one I found particularly restful. That is where the transformative nature of yoga can be seen in the most difficult poses. Each class I attended my arms got a little stronger and my body more used to the idea of being still in an inverted V. Eventually I did find down dog to be a resting pose - one in which I could restore my proper breathing and take stock of my body.
Now as I rest in downward facing dog I take in the benefits of my practice and I continue to try to touch my heels to the ground. It will happen someday.
So, that's what a minute of yoga is like for me.
-Kat
Holding downward facing dog, I have to remember to not look behind or around me to check my form against the others in the class. Waleah reminds me, speaking to all of us, "your drishti is your navel." Drishtis, or gazing points, are what yogis use to focus on their own body and practice. They are one more thing to remind me that yoga is a non-competitive sport. I focus once again.
Arms straight, fingers spread wide on my mat, I push the front of the mat away toward the mirror. I keep my back straight, and lift my "sit-bones" toward the ceiling. The backs of my legs strain a bit as I try to push my heels to the ground, even as they stay resolutely two inches above my mat. I can feel every part of my body moving, holding position, and I relax my neck and let my gaze fall on my bellybutton. A year ago I wouldn't have thought it possible to look at my bellybutton in down-dog, and I just settled for the tops of my legs. Over time, however, my body loosened, especially my neck, and I found my gaze where it was supposed to be.
A year ago I also hated downward facing dog. It was difficult, and I often couldn't hold it for more than a few breaths. Down dog is a resting pose, but not one I found particularly restful. That is where the transformative nature of yoga can be seen in the most difficult poses. Each class I attended my arms got a little stronger and my body more used to the idea of being still in an inverted V. Eventually I did find down dog to be a resting pose - one in which I could restore my proper breathing and take stock of my body.
Now as I rest in downward facing dog I take in the benefits of my practice and I continue to try to touch my heels to the ground. It will happen someday.
So, that's what a minute of yoga is like for me.
-Kat
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