I went to a yoga class in Manhattan yesterday at Vira Yoga. The class was full and the vibe in the room was exciting. Everyone was talking and getting to know each other when I arrived and I quickly set my rental mat down and got myself prepared. It's amazing how my thinking changes drastically when I hit the mat. I just wish I could take the focus, concentration, and determination and apply it to my life outside of yoga. I take that back. I realize I practice all of the above qualities, but just right now, it is much easier when it's in physical form.
I had a great practice. My favorite quote from the teacher was something about how we should let our eyes be open and to allow them to view our whole body at once. And that is how it feels. I don't know what the technical term for it is in Sanskrit but yoga feels like it's happening in my body simultaneously and my mind and my eyes are able to see and feel it everywhere and in every inch of muscle, tissue, etc. What is that feeling? Is it called Awareness? Because that term, although readily used in the yoga world doesn't satisfy me. I think Iyengar talked about how intelligence is in the cells of the body and that yoga stops being a physical form (the asana) and starts to become an awakening of the senses of perception. To me, my insides smile. They light up. There's a communication and understanding that goes deeper than just getting a better stretch. The action I feel is internal. And there's so much freedom that results from this particular action. And when there isn't freedom in the muscle tissue, that's replaced with a yearning to understand myself better. To figure it out. And to make it improve by listening, drawing within, and nurturing my body. The nurturing part has taken me years to finally begin to do. I used to push, get angry, but mostly sad and frustrated when there was no response from my body. Now I am more observant and accepting of myself. I have a long ways to go, don't get me wrong. But I know I am on the way there.
Well, I've rambled on for quite a bit.
I received a not so satisfying assist in handstand in the class which made me twist my hips in the position. And I wondered for the rest of the class why one side of my body was doing so much work. This has happened before where one hip comes forward and I am straining in one arm more than the other. I was able to brush it off and asked one of the other teachers from the studio who was also taking class to help me after the class was over. And voila! It was great and I even balanced for a while in the middle of the room! Gotta love it!
So, the moral is I love Yoga. I can't get enough of the good stuff.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
NYC
We're here! Chase and I arrived in Newark last night and had Christmas Eve dinner with his parents at the Four Seasons Restaurant in Manhattan.
Because of jet lag, Chase was up right around sunrise. The river looks beautiful in the morning and we've had fun looking at the birds and geese swimming around. Now we've had a breakfast. I'm going to go upstairs and enjoy some cardio in the workout room. Being on a plane and then sitting at a restaurant makes me a bit stir crazy. And then after that I'm going to make my yoga schedule. I'm going to try as many different yoga studios and take at least one class a day while I'm here because there's no yoga in the Jing.
Merry Christmas!
Because of jet lag, Chase was up right around sunrise. The river looks beautiful in the morning and we've had fun looking at the birds and geese swimming around. Now we've had a breakfast. I'm going to go upstairs and enjoy some cardio in the workout room. Being on a plane and then sitting at a restaurant makes me a bit stir crazy. And then after that I'm going to make my yoga schedule. I'm going to try as many different yoga studios and take at least one class a day while I'm here because there's no yoga in the Jing.
Merry Christmas!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
Bayby Teddy Bear
This year I received a new student in my class from Singapore. Since she was new to Beijing, she was sick often and missed class. It was only during November when I felt that she was settling in, making friends, and opening up to me. I could finally see she was happy. We had parent-teacher conferences at the Family Learning House in November and when her parents came, they brought her Godmother along. Later that week, the school went on a field trip and her Godmother was a chaperone.
So the other day Chase and I went out to dinner and in the elevator came in a lady with an adorable brown puff ball in her hands. I was oohing and aaahing and petting the puppy and when I looked up it was the Godmother! So we live in the same building and through a series of emails we have arranged to be pet-sitters for her dog.
This is a great situation because I have been mourning Lola since we left Austin. For the first few weeks, I couldn’t look at other dogs without feeling miserable. It wasn’t until recently that I could pet a dog happily. So having a dog for the weekend is great therapy for me.
The dog’s name is Bayby. This is what she looks like.
She’s a toy poodle which the nickname of this particular poodle is called “teddy bear poodle.” I was confused as to why they have this particular nickname until her Mom went back upstairs to get her leash and she stood by the door on her hind legs how a bear would stand upright. She has amazing balance and great jumping skills.
Here she is sprawled across my hip.
And then when her Mom finally left she kept watch on our sofa facing the door with her legs flared out. Chase and I call this her “commando crawl” as she often has to get in this position because she’s so small and has to flop over things like pillows.
At night, she slept in the bed and in morning she was really into jumping over the comforter and clambering over the pillows.
Here’s another picture with Chase on the computer as she watches on. Notice that he hasn’t shaved in about one month. He claims he’s going to dye it white for Christmas to go with his infamous Santa Hat.
I know she looks ferocious (like a growling bear) in this picture, but she’s really in mid-yawn.
So the other day Chase and I went out to dinner and in the elevator came in a lady with an adorable brown puff ball in her hands. I was oohing and aaahing and petting the puppy and when I looked up it was the Godmother! So we live in the same building and through a series of emails we have arranged to be pet-sitters for her dog.
This is a great situation because I have been mourning Lola since we left Austin. For the first few weeks, I couldn’t look at other dogs without feeling miserable. It wasn’t until recently that I could pet a dog happily. So having a dog for the weekend is great therapy for me.
The dog’s name is Bayby. This is what she looks like.
She’s a toy poodle which the nickname of this particular poodle is called “teddy bear poodle.” I was confused as to why they have this particular nickname until her Mom went back upstairs to get her leash and she stood by the door on her hind legs how a bear would stand upright. She has amazing balance and great jumping skills.
Here she is sprawled across my hip.
And then when her Mom finally left she kept watch on our sofa facing the door with her legs flared out. Chase and I call this her “commando crawl” as she often has to get in this position because she’s so small and has to flop over things like pillows.
At night, she slept in the bed and in morning she was really into jumping over the comforter and clambering over the pillows.
Here’s another picture with Chase on the computer as she watches on. Notice that he hasn’t shaved in about one month. He claims he’s going to dye it white for Christmas to go with his infamous Santa Hat.
I know she looks ferocious (like a growling bear) in this picture, but she’s really in mid-yawn.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Monday Night
Phew! What a day. I went after work to Shin Kong Place (www.shinkong-place.com) to find an outfit for Christmas Even dinner in NYC. The website doesn't do the mall justice, but it really is one of the best places to shop in Beijing. No real luck but I found a great top for New Year's Eve. I am really excited about my trip back to the States. I haven't done any of my Christmas shopping for others though. I always fall behind and it's especially difficult to find anything here when most of the stores have foreign brands and I'm not sure of their quality. But I have this upcoming weekend at least.
I stopped over to get some groceries and then made my way home. Chase and Fernando were just heading out the door to our Monday Night Supper Club. Yes, you read that right, we have a group of friends that we try out different restaurants with. It's fun, and there's a good rotation of new people that we get to have conversation with and see regularly. I think by living in a big city you have to make extra efforts to see friends otherwise you just get wrapped up in your own bubble. I wanted to stay in my bubble though. I have been feeling like being alone. And if you know me, you know that I can survive without talking to anyone for a long time before I get lonely. And another reason I wanted to stay home tonight was because they were going to an all-you-can-eat Teppanyaki restaurant where the choice of veggie options are limited. And then I have to be the "party-pooper" by asking the chef to cook my veggies with different cooking utensils, away from the meat and seafood, and so that the grease doesn't drip on to the veggies. And since there were around ten people going, I knew that would be a problem.
And so I cooked. It's been the first time in literally two weeks! I chopped veggies. My chopping skills have declined since I don't cook anymore. And I made myself a yummy bowl of pasta with sauce, peas, sundried tomatoes, onions, garlic, and green pepper. I even had some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. It was definite comfort food.
I've now been catching up on emails and I got an email from my friend Kevin that he has a yoga friend in Beijing who's also a Montessori teacher. What a small world! And then I got in touch my other yoga friend, Katie, from DC who got married I just found out! And Ashley and Benedict bought a house this weekend! Everyone I know is so exciting!
So now I'm going to go be exciting and get some sleep.
I stopped over to get some groceries and then made my way home. Chase and Fernando were just heading out the door to our Monday Night Supper Club. Yes, you read that right, we have a group of friends that we try out different restaurants with. It's fun, and there's a good rotation of new people that we get to have conversation with and see regularly. I think by living in a big city you have to make extra efforts to see friends otherwise you just get wrapped up in your own bubble. I wanted to stay in my bubble though. I have been feeling like being alone. And if you know me, you know that I can survive without talking to anyone for a long time before I get lonely. And another reason I wanted to stay home tonight was because they were going to an all-you-can-eat Teppanyaki restaurant where the choice of veggie options are limited. And then I have to be the "party-pooper" by asking the chef to cook my veggies with different cooking utensils, away from the meat and seafood, and so that the grease doesn't drip on to the veggies. And since there were around ten people going, I knew that would be a problem.
And so I cooked. It's been the first time in literally two weeks! I chopped veggies. My chopping skills have declined since I don't cook anymore. And I made myself a yummy bowl of pasta with sauce, peas, sundried tomatoes, onions, garlic, and green pepper. I even had some parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. It was definite comfort food.
I've now been catching up on emails and I got an email from my friend Kevin that he has a yoga friend in Beijing who's also a Montessori teacher. What a small world! And then I got in touch my other yoga friend, Katie, from DC who got married I just found out! And Ashley and Benedict bought a house this weekend! Everyone I know is so exciting!
So now I'm going to go be exciting and get some sleep.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Wei? Ni Hao.
Hello? Wei?
I can’t believe it’s been a week since I posted. Our lives here are at lightning speed. I just wanted to talk about an interesting phenomenon that I’ve noticed with the children in my class.
When I lived and studied abroad in Taiwan several years ago. I would often notice how prevalent cell phone usage was. Cell phones and electronics are much cheaper in Asia and they more “blingy.” A total fashion accessory. This way of thinking is just now catching on in America. In Taiwan it’s extremely popular to have neon LEDs all over your phone if you are a guy and cute Hello Kitty charms attached to the antennae if you are female. People would answer their cell phones where ever they were: in the bathroom, on the treadmill, in the movie theatre, and in the middle of a lecture in class. They would just cover their mouths over the phone with one hand as if that stopped you from noticing that they were on the phone. Missing a phone call probably made them nervous. And I am sure you have read articles about how many people are addicted to their Blackberries, cell phones, and other hand-held emailing devices.
Several years later, the reliance on our electric devices has now changed the way children in my class play. Just yesterday, I had to keep a child inside from playtime because of his actions the day before and because they continued yesterday as well. While he sat in the room, he began to entertain himself by playing “cell phone” and talking with the person on the line. This continued for several minutes and he was mimicking the way he has seen his parents act on the phone. Another child was putting his shoes on the other day and all of a sudden like as if he was struck by something, he held is hand to his right ear, cocked his head to one side and began speaking into his imaginary phone. Another instance is when a new child came to visit my classroom a few weeks ago. She proudly showed off her toy cellphone that looked shiny, bright, and had buttons to press and play with. I had nothing to say to her about it but inside was bewildered that her parents thought that this was an ok toy to buy. Some people might think these three instances are cute and that the children are just being “imaginative.” However, I feel that they are a clear indication how obsessed we have become. Our children are watching us everyday. They might be playing in the same room and not looking like they are watching as you clean or pay bills. But they sense your emotions, the watch how you interact, and they absorb everything that. So if you are a parent and you need to talk on the phone, do it after you pick up your child from school, not while you are driving, and as little as possible in their presence. Put away your cell phone at dinner time or other quality time that you spend with your child. Then we can help children interact with the real world around them and allow them to have real experiences.
Alright, I’m off my soapbox.
Chase and I got a suitcase of things from Austin. We have our jackets now! And gloves, mittens, and other essentials we have been missing. It’s great. Thank you Mom and Dad!
I can’t believe it’s been a week since I posted. Our lives here are at lightning speed. I just wanted to talk about an interesting phenomenon that I’ve noticed with the children in my class.
When I lived and studied abroad in Taiwan several years ago. I would often notice how prevalent cell phone usage was. Cell phones and electronics are much cheaper in Asia and they more “blingy.” A total fashion accessory. This way of thinking is just now catching on in America. In Taiwan it’s extremely popular to have neon LEDs all over your phone if you are a guy and cute Hello Kitty charms attached to the antennae if you are female. People would answer their cell phones where ever they were: in the bathroom, on the treadmill, in the movie theatre, and in the middle of a lecture in class. They would just cover their mouths over the phone with one hand as if that stopped you from noticing that they were on the phone. Missing a phone call probably made them nervous. And I am sure you have read articles about how many people are addicted to their Blackberries, cell phones, and other hand-held emailing devices.
Several years later, the reliance on our electric devices has now changed the way children in my class play. Just yesterday, I had to keep a child inside from playtime because of his actions the day before and because they continued yesterday as well. While he sat in the room, he began to entertain himself by playing “cell phone” and talking with the person on the line. This continued for several minutes and he was mimicking the way he has seen his parents act on the phone. Another child was putting his shoes on the other day and all of a sudden like as if he was struck by something, he held is hand to his right ear, cocked his head to one side and began speaking into his imaginary phone. Another instance is when a new child came to visit my classroom a few weeks ago. She proudly showed off her toy cellphone that looked shiny, bright, and had buttons to press and play with. I had nothing to say to her about it but inside was bewildered that her parents thought that this was an ok toy to buy. Some people might think these three instances are cute and that the children are just being “imaginative.” However, I feel that they are a clear indication how obsessed we have become. Our children are watching us everyday. They might be playing in the same room and not looking like they are watching as you clean or pay bills. But they sense your emotions, the watch how you interact, and they absorb everything that. So if you are a parent and you need to talk on the phone, do it after you pick up your child from school, not while you are driving, and as little as possible in their presence. Put away your cell phone at dinner time or other quality time that you spend with your child. Then we can help children interact with the real world around them and allow them to have real experiences.
Alright, I’m off my soapbox.
Chase and I got a suitcase of things from Austin. We have our jackets now! And gloves, mittens, and other essentials we have been missing. It’s great. Thank you Mom and Dad!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Decorating
Well, Chase and I had another fun weekend. We work very hard during the week so it's nice to just relax and do fun things. Funny though, I went into work this morning from about 9:30-1. There's so much work to do. And I don't work well during the week as I am tired from being with the children. So the weekends are when I get most of my classroom management out of the way.
I met Chase at Starbucks in Jianwai SOHO (the group of buildings where I work). Here's a picture of where I work. The school is the three story building admist the taller white buildings. If you look closely you can see the white Christmas tree I get to see every morning when I get to work. Lovely!
SOHO is also where our gym is. So we worked out. Then we went to a place in SOHO called "Grandma's Kitchen" for lunch. It's American home-cooked fare. And it's cozy there. We had major ordering issues. Chase asked for a Mint Chocolate Chip milkshake and made sure they understood he wanted the chocolate milkshake and the mint one to be combined. We ended up with two.... one chocolate and one mint. We sent it back and they just brought us what they combined. We ended up paying for two milkshakes, etc. Anyways, we came home and had a great Chinese study session. We love playing "students." Makes us feel young.
Oh, here's a picture of what it was like outside today. We call it "nuclear fall-out" days when the pollution is this bad. Some people might say this is just what winter looks like but you should smell the air and then make a judgement.
Then we made it home to start decorating our Christmas tree. We are having a very IKEA Christmas. That's where we got our Christmas tree and ornaments. Yesterday we went to a shopping market that is more Chinese and Chase and I couldn't stay there more than 1.5 hours. It's a place where you can bargain and great deals, but the sellers hustle and try to get you to buy things to get ripped off. It's a lot of work to barain. Anyways, we opted to go the IKEA route. We are happy with our tree in a box. Here's Chase opening up the bubbly to set the tone for the evening. Notice he is shirtless. We literally never turn our radiators on. Our floor is insanely hot. We believe someone else inadvertantly has left their radiators on and is creating warmth for us and 20 other residents. We tried to open the windows to get some fresh air because it's so hot in our apartment, but the air was so bad today that it stank up our whole apartment.
At IKEA I bought a cool new mouse apron with hearts all over. Here I am putting it on.
Before...
After...
Yay! We have Christmas in Beijing! Chase is out to the Landmark Flower Market tomorrow to find some Christmas lights for the tree and maybe a tree skirt. It's simple, but it's a start.
I met Chase at Starbucks in Jianwai SOHO (the group of buildings where I work). Here's a picture of where I work. The school is the three story building admist the taller white buildings. If you look closely you can see the white Christmas tree I get to see every morning when I get to work. Lovely!
SOHO is also where our gym is. So we worked out. Then we went to a place in SOHO called "Grandma's Kitchen" for lunch. It's American home-cooked fare. And it's cozy there. We had major ordering issues. Chase asked for a Mint Chocolate Chip milkshake and made sure they understood he wanted the chocolate milkshake and the mint one to be combined. We ended up with two.... one chocolate and one mint. We sent it back and they just brought us what they combined. We ended up paying for two milkshakes, etc. Anyways, we came home and had a great Chinese study session. We love playing "students." Makes us feel young.
Oh, here's a picture of what it was like outside today. We call it "nuclear fall-out" days when the pollution is this bad. Some people might say this is just what winter looks like but you should smell the air and then make a judgement.
Then we made it home to start decorating our Christmas tree. We are having a very IKEA Christmas. That's where we got our Christmas tree and ornaments. Yesterday we went to a shopping market that is more Chinese and Chase and I couldn't stay there more than 1.5 hours. It's a place where you can bargain and great deals, but the sellers hustle and try to get you to buy things to get ripped off. It's a lot of work to barain. Anyways, we opted to go the IKEA route. We are happy with our tree in a box. Here's Chase opening up the bubbly to set the tone for the evening. Notice he is shirtless. We literally never turn our radiators on. Our floor is insanely hot. We believe someone else inadvertantly has left their radiators on and is creating warmth for us and 20 other residents. We tried to open the windows to get some fresh air because it's so hot in our apartment, but the air was so bad today that it stank up our whole apartment.
At IKEA I bought a cool new mouse apron with hearts all over. Here I am putting it on.
Before...
After...
Yay! We have Christmas in Beijing! Chase is out to the Landmark Flower Market tomorrow to find some Christmas lights for the tree and maybe a tree skirt. It's simple, but it's a start.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Dropbacks
I decided to go to an Ashtanga class on Sunday. I found what I thought was the most authentic and reputable studio in town (based on their website and looking to see the upcoming workshops at the studio- not really a great and barely made it to class because I was stopped by some crazy hairdressers insisting that I needed a haircut). You see, some days, not very often in Beijing because the air is so dry here, I wear my hair curly. In Asia, that translates to = ugly hair. This guy and girl who had the standard Asian funky hairdos were telling me that they could do wonders for my hair if I would just pay them 30 kuai (less than $5). Alright, moving on.
The studio was alright and the class was going well. I am surprised how much my Anusara practice has helped my (little to nothing) Ashtanga practice. I am more grounded in technique. I don't feel floppy half way through the sequence. And basically I don't stress as much in the sequence as I used to. I have learnt to have a calm mind and just take it as it comes. It is more freeing.
We had gotten to dropbacks and I was ready to try them with assistance. For all you non-yoga readers, dropbacks are where you are standing and you lean backwards and end up on your hands in a wheel position.Then you stand back up. I motioned for the teacher to come and help me out. I did one and she suggested I was ready to try on completely on my own. I hesitated and she tried to encourage me. I tried another and this time she was really telling me I could do one on my own. I looked her in the face and made sure she was serious and would still stand right there. I went back and was about half way there when... thud... I landed on my head. I don't know what happened except that she wasn't right there. She apologized and told me she looked away. Even if it was for a second she did the worst thing you can do for your students.
I put my entire trust onto this one human being. I thought that even though she was a stranger to me, we could overcome that because of our love of yoga and well, because dropbacks are fun. My head didn't hurt nearly as much as my heart did the rest of the class. All these emotions came up about about trust, blind faith, and yoga teachers. I teared up for the rest of the sequence. And I promise I was trying so hard to make it stop. It wasn't really even crying so much as it was just raw emotion and feelings about what had just happened. I even thought about leaving the class but didn't want her to lose face.
So I will be attending her classes in the future because I want to give her another chance, but I am just so eager to better good yoga instruction. I was in a conversation with a Canadian on Monday about the Beijing yoga scene and apparently all the good teachers have moved to Hangzhou (closer to Shanghai). Interesting because that's where the AMI training centre has been set up. And in the past I have noticed that where ever there is good Montessori, there's good yoga. Just my theory... I'll keep you updated on our impending move to Hangzhou...haha.
The studio was alright and the class was going well. I am surprised how much my Anusara practice has helped my (little to nothing) Ashtanga practice. I am more grounded in technique. I don't feel floppy half way through the sequence. And basically I don't stress as much in the sequence as I used to. I have learnt to have a calm mind and just take it as it comes. It is more freeing.
We had gotten to dropbacks and I was ready to try them with assistance. For all you non-yoga readers, dropbacks are where you are standing and you lean backwards and end up on your hands in a wheel position.Then you stand back up. I motioned for the teacher to come and help me out. I did one and she suggested I was ready to try on completely on my own. I hesitated and she tried to encourage me. I tried another and this time she was really telling me I could do one on my own. I looked her in the face and made sure she was serious and would still stand right there. I went back and was about half way there when... thud... I landed on my head. I don't know what happened except that she wasn't right there. She apologized and told me she looked away. Even if it was for a second she did the worst thing you can do for your students.
I put my entire trust onto this one human being. I thought that even though she was a stranger to me, we could overcome that because of our love of yoga and well, because dropbacks are fun. My head didn't hurt nearly as much as my heart did the rest of the class. All these emotions came up about about trust, blind faith, and yoga teachers. I teared up for the rest of the sequence. And I promise I was trying so hard to make it stop. It wasn't really even crying so much as it was just raw emotion and feelings about what had just happened. I even thought about leaving the class but didn't want her to lose face.
So I will be attending her classes in the future because I want to give her another chance, but I am just so eager to better good yoga instruction. I was in a conversation with a Canadian on Monday about the Beijing yoga scene and apparently all the good teachers have moved to Hangzhou (closer to Shanghai). Interesting because that's where the AMI training centre has been set up. And in the past I have noticed that where ever there is good Montessori, there's good yoga. Just my theory... I'll keep you updated on our impending move to Hangzhou...haha.
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