Six word Saturday

This is my entry for six word Saturday. Thank you to Cate over at "Show My Face"


Slipped on ice, slapped on ice.

See if you can figure out my cryptic reference.

Must read

Sometimes you read something you just need to pass along... here is my find of the day:

http://dicktheblogster.blogspot.com/

and

http://dicktheblogster2.blogspot.com/

Also, please mark your calendars to listen in to a very special Radioshow on February 14th called Musings on Britannia


Call-in Number: (646) 727-3292
Upcoming Show: 2/14/2009 8:00 PM
Host Name: The Talking Thumb
Show Name: Musings on Britannia
Description:
Join The Talking Thumb for free-association chatter on any and all things British. From Monarchy to Merseyside. From The Battle of Britain to Bubble and Squeak. You name it and we'll talk about it. Call in to join the chat.

New Radio Show

I think you'll really enjoy this radio show!

Check it out here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/PetalsYoga/2009/01/25/Conversations-with-a-Yoga-Student

Some of you will no doubt recognize the yoga student named David that I am interviewing....

Enjoy,

Jan

Saturday Shopping

We spent the day looking at washing machines, books, and puppies. And we bought.... two books. ;-)

We had a few snowflakes fall today to remind us that it IS still winter and more is being forecast for tomorrow. Not to be a scrooge, but I think I'm over winter for the year. It was fun but now I'm done.

Last Thursday was my first Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) class. I'm surprised by how resistant I am to it. I signed up eagerly and with a great desire to learn, but you know what? I really don't like sharing with large groups of strangers. I really, really don't. I don't know if this is a new thing about me or a long-held aversion, but it makes me sad to hear about other people's tragedies and I certainly don't want to share any of my difficulties (which I view as fairly minor) with them. I guess this is exactly why developing a mindfulness practice in life is important. I never really noticed this about myself before and I am interested in WHY I feel this way. And on a purely superficial level, the homework is excruciating. Every day I have to listen to the same 40 minute body scan CD to focus on coming into the body and being present. IT IS TORTURE!!! Seriously, I've done this many times before but for some reason this particular exercise on a daily basis is painful. I'm doing it but I'm not liking it.

So, that's my whinging revelation for the day. I can't share with a room full of nice strangers but I spill my guts on the blogosphere.... hmmmmmm, interesting. Think I'll go meditate on it.

Take care and let me know if you feel the same way I do or if you love sharing in group settings. I'm really interested.

Take care and stay in touch,

Jan

Memories

Hi everyone,

I just finished teaching my first ever Yoga for Healing class and it was fun and satisfying. How many times in your life do you KNOW that you are fulfilling your potential? I can tell you that I have done so a few times in my life... teaching dance to children with disabilities in Australia, working with senior citizen volunteers at a low-income senior apartment building, and now teaching yoga. Funny how life keeps shifting for us just as we need it to to find ourselves. I never in a million years thought I'd be teaching people to breathe and stretch much less helping them begin healing.
I am so thankful for this moment.

On a more sobering note, I drove by a mobile home court today that I KNOW was there just a few weeks ago. It is deserted now and just a place of barren streets and willful blowing litter. I really felt the sadness of the place as I drove by and couldn't help but think of where the people are now that had to leave. I've been seeing forclosure notices all over as well. It really humbles me to think how blessed I am to be supported by a warm family, community, and home. I pray that everyone who is seeking something at this moment finds some peace and security in their own lives.

Thank you for your many gifts as well and for the blessing that you are,

Jan

Sunday Sunshine

Hi,

The sky is the most amazing blue today and the temperature will probably get up to the low 50's today so I am going to "HAUL MY TRUNK" out of this house today for a walk. I've been in lazy hibernation mode for long enough.

The washing machine has finally succumbed to vast over-stuffing and misuse, so I need to schlep piles of laundry out to my mom and dad's place to wash today. I also have to find a fix-it person to come save me, and more importantly to hopefully save the expensive front-loading machine that I have come to call Fred. I love Fred and I can't live without him. He takes all the abuse I shove into him with nary a complaint until now...

I'm also working on the next installation of PetalsYoga blogtalkradio show so more to come soon.

I hope you find some sunshine in your neck of the woods to bask in as well,

Happy Sunday,

Jan

The Lunch Date Blouse GIVEAWAY!!!!

The Lunch Date Blouse GIVEAWAY!!!!
This really is an adorable blouse. Feel free to go check it out.

Latest and greatest!

Okay, I'll admit it... I'm radio-dazed. I'm sure this latest obsession with BlogtalkRadio.com will go the way of my many other fads. I mean, I don't really use my videocamera that much anymore either and I certainly don't read Fitness magazines weekly either.

Anywho... if you're in the mood for something sure to be worth listening to, please do stop by tomorrow for a visit with The Natural Yoga's Simon Menasche. Simon is a mesmerizing person who will be a delight to broadcast with. If you miss the broadcast (which is at 10:30am Pacific time) visit later to hear the archived broadcast.

So check out the details here and come by for a visit when you can:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/PetalsYoga/2009/01/16/The-Natural-Yoga-with-Simon-Menasche

I hope you find something that fires up your enthusiasm too.

Fondly,

Jan

Laughterrific

Just for a giggle on a day that one needs one. It was silly and fun hosting a "radio" show with my mother and family. We had a great time anyway even if I doubt we'll be up for any awards. Feel free to listen if you are in the mood:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/PetalsYoga/2009/01/14/Laughter-Yoga-the-PetalsYoga-way

Conversely, I have some sort of yucky bug that I've caught which makes me shake, shiver, and run to the bathroom. I'm just glad that I don't start teaching until next week. Hope I get all of this out of my system before then.

Take care and have a laughterrific day yourself,

Jan

My first radio broadcast

Please go to my first episode of PetalsYoga on Blogtalkradio.com to give me comments and suggestions for this format. Simply click on the little play button and the episode will begin.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/PetalsYoga

Thanks for all you do to support me,

Jan

Six Word Sundays

Based on the brilliant idea of Cate at ShowMyFace.

Knee went blooey, now ice rules.


Yup, hurt my knee doing absolutely NOTHING yesterday at a bookstore. Seriously, I was stooping down to look at a low shelf and then I was on the ground in pain. NOT GOOD! I swear, the closer I get to forty, the more I feel like I'm in an accelerated time warp towards decay. I don't really mind it, except when it hurts. I can take wrinkles, age spots, grey streaks in the hair, etc., but pain is really unfair.

I think we should all be able to age gracefully in pink fuzzy big-screen movie Nirvana. Like a soft focus filter lens erases all the icky bits and we can be tossed off of 9 story buildings and walk away without a scratch. Oh well, back to reality. Ice is nice and with ADVIL as my witness, I WILL be together in time to teach my classes starting on January 21st. (Had a very Scarlett O'Hara moment there for a moment... apologies to Mr. DeMille).

So that's my weekend. Funny how I didn't QUITE manage to dodge the lightning strike from my last post after all. Oh well, I was right anyway. This IS what life is all about. You gots to have the good with the bad my friends. And relatively speaking, this ain't so bad.

Love and fuzzy pink Nirvana wishes for you all this Sunday,

Jan

A day of beauty... well an attempt anyway.

I had my hair cut and eyebrows shaped today at an Aveda salon and it was fun. I spent the whole day with my friend Kristen and we shopped for cool skincare bargains, exotic foods (like HP sauce for hubby) and just had an all around great day. Nothing earth-shattering but still a bunch of great moments tied together to make some sweet memories. I am so thankful for the great friends and family that surround me near and far. My days are filled with meaningful connections, conversations, and helping adults and children live (hopefully) better lives through yoga and reading. If someone asked me if I would change anything in my life I can honestly say I wouldn't change a thing. Not the health difficulties I've overcome (because they've made this time all the sweeter), nor the challenges I have yet to face, because that is simply life. Okay, to be fair I'd like to drop several pounds I've packed on this year, have laser hair removal, and write a best-selling book. BUT OTHER THAN THAT.... I'm disgustingly content.

So now that I've posted this, the superstitious yenta in me is waiting to be struck by lightning, but hopefully I'll manage to duck just in time.

I hope this weekend finds you savoring the many great moments in your own life, big and small.

Thankfully yours,

Jan

Yoga for Life

Life lesson for the day:

Practicing Yoga with Wii Fit is good for the ego. Humbling and a great reality check. Yoga teacher? HA! I did make it up to Yoga Master a few times but most of the time I was in the Yoga Trainer category. Plenty of room for improvement. It's a fun way to change up the workout routine anyway.

School is back in swing and if we don't float away in the flooding all around us, then January is shaping up to be a great month. I'm assisting at a Qigong Meets Yoga workshop later this month and I can't wait to work on the planning for this great workshop. Check out the details at Blissbrokers.com.

Well, that's my Tuesday. Hope you found some time to day to take a few deep breaths and be thankful for the good stuff all around.

Ohmmmmm,

Jan

A day at the beach: Mesmerizing time lapse video

This is such a powerful video to watch. Kudos to Keith Loutit. I found it on Digg.com and I think you will agree that it is exceptionally well done and mesmerizing.
Namaste,

Petals

read more | digg story

Happy New Year

I spent a large part of the first day of 2009 in an orientation for Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction based on the pioneering work of University of Massachusetts Medical School's Jon Kabat-Zinn, PhD. This is the beginning of an 8 week course that I have signed up for. I'm very excited about this great new start to my year and my life.

Brant Rogers of Yoga Hillsboro is the facilitator of this program and he is kind, warm, and brimming with knowledge about living in the space between stimulus and reaction. I can see with some clarity how this knowledge will augment and amplify my current teaching of body sensing yoga. The yoga nidra experience that Brant led us through today was so similar to what I've experienced with Simon, but still unique in how my body reacted. I was alert and receptive throughout but felt immeasurably relaxed and joyful at the end. This is fairly unusual for me to achieve without practicing yoga in tandem with the meditation. Ahhhhhh... progress.

We've celebrated the holidays with many friends and all the blessing of our family from afar. I certainly miss the day to day interactions with parents (all four), siblings (by marriage and birth), and nieces and nephews. If only that great invention we've been promised by Star Trek lo these many years ago would come to fruition. Beam me up ... I'm ready!

I've already gotten off on the wrong foot this year with a binge at Burgerville but I have to say that it's hard to feel much remorse after tasting that Chocolate Hazelnut Milkshake. Oh sure it was for Izzy, but let's be real people! I slurped that sucker like crazy when her back was turned! Yummo!

Okay, once again I travel rapidly from the sublime to the sybaritic. I'm just glad some things haven't been left behind in 2008!

Wishing you a healthy, happy New Year filled with equal parts of balance and balminess.

Namaste,

Jan