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

Dreaming

The past couple of days I've been thinking a lot. Too much really, and to avoid rumination I often turn to meditation or books. Books are wonderful, because they provide a means of losing yourself in another world, and the plot actually hangs together, which is often hard to discern in  real life.

To remind myself of that I made this:

It should go great right next to my bookcase.

-Kat

My Apartment Smells of Fish

Today my creation was in the kitchen (my really tiny kitchen). I'm trying out new recipes, now that I have a kitchen, and on the menu tonight was Lemon Garlic Tilapia. It turned out quite well if I do say so myself - and I have leftovers!

- Kat

Miracle

It turns out that Wednesdays are busy days for me. I shouldn't be surprised, Wednesdays have been busy since I was 16. All throughout the day I've been trying to come up with some inspiration for something to create, and this evening I finally figured out one good place for me. I love pinterest.com, and went there seeking inspiration - I found pictures of babies. Also, I'm in a developmental psychology class this year, and it begins at pregnancy and birth, so I've just recently watched a video of a live birth in full detail. Without further ado, here is a piece of flash fiction I wrote today.
-Kat


I just had a baby come out from between my legs.

That sight is not something you can prepare for, no matter how may books you read or old mother's tales you listen to. There was a baby inside me, I watched him come out into the world, and now I'm holding him.  It's only been ten minutes, and I'm sinking further into shock. I'm holding my baby and cooing at him, but my mind is far away, and running as fast as it can.

For months I've been reading books, thinking about names, decorating, a nursery, and practicing my breathing, but I don't think I ever really expected the doctor to hand me this small, purple, helpless thing and say he was mine. Don't they know I have no idea what I'm doing? I'm going to have to re-read all of those books of mine that tell me what to do when I take him home, because that information has vacated my brain. Now I literally have someone's life in my hands and I'm responsible for him getting through the next many years of his life.

Here's hoping I don't screw him up.

In Which I Scrapbook

Yesterday I thought a lot and decided to write a blog about it. I had every intention of doing what I said I would do, but my brother Kevin came up with an even better idea. Read his post and you can see the challenge I unwittingly got myself into. http://fakingmyway.wordpress.com/2011/09/06/challenge-accepted/

I really appreciate Kevin's support and accountability, and now if all goes well there'll be twice as much creative stuff as there would have been if I'd tried this on my own, and you can follow both of our blogs and see all of that creative output. Also, there'll be a free dinner for one of us sometime in the future.

This creativity duel might change my focus a bit. Knitting and cross-stitching take a long time. I'll continue to do things, but Kevin established that only completed things (I made this sleeve! etc.) count. Due to this I'm going to have to venture out a bit and I will probably end up writing more. Since I've wanted to try my hand at writing for the better part of a year and simply haven't found the time on my own, I expect good things from this. (Good things by way of me practicing, more so than necessarily good writing - I'm still really new at it).

My only question for you, Kevin, is does cooking a meal count? Not making a PB&J, but actually cooking? I don't get to do it as much as I want to, but I've been counting good cooking as creativity in my head.

Finally, if you read his blog you will have noticed that Kevin wasted no time in beginning, and has put some new Haiku on his blog. So, what have I created today? I don't think I mentioned on the last blog that I recently took up digital scrapbooking (thanks Mom!). Today I made this:

I intend on printing it out and hanging it in my apartment post haste. Now we just have to wait and see what tomorrow brings from the both of us.

-Kat

In Which I Start Something

Today I drove from my home in Texas to my second home in Stillwater. A four hour drive on your own allows a lot of time for introspection. While I was driving I listened to a few podcasts. I started out with Bad Philosophy (check it out - it's going to be a thing), and then I moved on to catching up with a knitting podcast I follow. Sometimes I'm amazed at how much inspiration I can get from hearing someone else talk about knitting. I started thinking about how I don't have a class I can knit in this year - which was the most knitting I ever did in the last few semesters - and how I would have more difficulties finding time for my hobbies this semester. That got me thinking about my hobbies and the hobbies I plan on taking up.

Last week I was talking with a friend, and I mentioned how home ec-y I am in my hobbies. I knit, cross-stitch, write, and cook, and I want to learn how to sew and garden. Thinking about them all together I realized that I really enjoy creating things.

When I was young I dreamt of being an artist when I grew up. Then I realized that I can't draw a thing and I gave up that idea. Since then I have come to understand that I still have a strong creative impulse, it just goes through different avenues. Around mile 200 of my drive my thoughts wandered back to my lack of knitting time this semester. I made a resolution - this year I am going to create something every day. Whether that be a few rows of my sweater, a paragraph, a few stitches, or just dinner, I'm going to create a bit each day, keep track of it, and see what happens.

I find joy in creating things - otherwise I wouldn't keep doing it - and one thing I know is that it's important to make time for the things you love, so starting today that's what I'm going to do. And if you're even a smidge interested, you can keep up with me here on this blog.

-Kathryn

In Which I Wear My Cloak

Today it got cold. Really, really cold. Today I also conducted an experiment in self-confidence in the face of weird looks.

I decided about a year and a half ago that I really wanted to own a cloak because I think that they're really pretty. I found a pattern and was planning on making it myself when my mother thought to ask my grandmother to make it for me. We bought warm, dark green wool and sent it to Tulsa. It turned out beautiful, and I wore it a few times last winter. I brought it with me to campus and told some people about it, but it hadn't been cold enough to wear it for most of the semester.

Last night I knew it would be and I resolved to wear my cape today. I worried some, would it be too big to fit in at the desks we have to sit in?, would people think I was crazy?, would it be warmer than I thought? But this morning it was still close to freezing and I donned my cape and went to class.

The reactions I got to wearing an ankle length cape around campus were varied and hilarious. The first person to comment saw me sitting down wearing it and thought it was something like a snuggie at first. I explained and she seemed to think it was interesting. Every time I walked into a room I almost felt like I was making a grand entrance, because people would glance up and I could see wonderment on their faces.

I got one bad review from a girl in my math class, but I've never much liked her fashion sense, so I didn't take her reaction much to heart. When I went to get lunch at the library the woman who usually sells me my sandwich and coke said that she loved it and wanted to know where the pattern came from so she could make one herself.

My worries about the cape being too bulky were unfounded. When I was in a building I just folded up my cape and usually put it on the floor next to me. On my way to the Canterbury center the sun was setting and it was getting even colder. I put my lovely, very deep, hood up for the walk there. I got some really great looks from the theater people smoking outside the Seretean Center as I walked up in full cape with my hood. It made me laugh.

So today I reminded myself that as long as you walk tall almost no one will laugh in your face, cloaks are awesome, and so are grandmothers that make them.

Also, this evening I was told by a woman that I go to choir with, "You know, you're young - but your book would be very interesting." I agree.

"We always walk tall, we're Jets!"