Serene Flavorful

Until Next Week

mariavlong — Thu, 24 May 2012 16:01:46 +0000

Next Wednesday to be exact. Leaving for Maine early tomorrow morning to make the most of this holiday weekend. I unplug up there (unless a snapshot of something pretty gets caught in my iphone). My arms like I expected are killing me but that’s good, right? I don’t think I lowered down enough to call it a proper chaturanga which leads to a very weird feeling in upward dog, like you are already there? New development: I now get dizzy whenever I roll up ( I don’t chackrasana as you might already have concluded) anyone know anything about that? Acquiring vertigo would be the ultimate cruelty for this aspiring yogi…

Where Is Your Chaturanga?

mariavlong — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:20:30 +0000

That was the question teacher asked me today. Important question during the Surys where all you want is to create heat and move on right? She reminded me that every movement in a sun salutation is counted and even photographed in texts in separate captions. You don’t just jump back lower down and rise to Upward dog as soon as possible. I had to stop and think: “Here is my chaturnga” if some one was going to take a picture of it. whew, that was tough. My arms ache right now. Always a beginner, specially if you have been cutting corners…

Social Despondency

mariavlong — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:31:50 +0000

If you, like myself and a few others wake up in the middle of the night fretting about the future of our existence or even wonder if there is still a reason to desire a future, this little illustrated video might alleviate your/our angst.

Pranayama Mess

mariavlong — Mon, 21 May 2012 15:10:04 +0000

Very sore left hamstring. Hell, very sore leg from shin to butt. I decided to dial it down way down and do my whole practice while my head was hollering do half primary you fool. On the plus side, nice long (for me) headstand. The minus: after I finished, teacher came over and pointed out that I had done my Pranayama breathing with the wrong hand, used the wrong fingers, and pressed my nostrils in the wrong spot. That’s what happens when you call it in because promised you would do the whole thing, no backing out. The whole thing gets done half assed. I’ll try to remember that. Good to get a refresher/reminder on correct method…

Regular Folk Weekend

mariavlong — Sun, 20 May 2012 17:46:59 +0000

I’m sure I would have noticed if this had happened already, So I am going to venture and say that since I started taking advantage of the moon days this is the first time that I enjoy a Saturday followed by a Sunday moon day. I know I have made rackets about Friday/Saturday combos before, so yeah this is my first civilian weekend as an ashtangi. Pretty low key in the eating and drinking department because I realized it too late to plan a food orgy thank god. Decided to go to a movie theater last night since I did not have to wake up early today. Went to see that Morning Glory Hotel with all the awesome Brits, set in India. We were the youngest people in that theater (54 as of last Friday). Today I’m planting cala lilies all over the place because I hear they are invasive and the soil in my front yard is cursed, so I’m putting them to the test. If they multiply here the can keep their reputation. I am not optimistic because even creeping jenny which garden centers are banned from selling for its rapaciousness won’t thrive beyond a few strands in this darn yard. Will be trolling for more colors at the other trader Joe’s.

Living Outside

mariavlong — Sat, 19 May 2012 16:30:32 +0000

Once the weather gets like this, The husband and I move the living outside. We have every meal out on the back porch, I dry my bed linens and my towels outside like pioneer woman, even though it is forbidden by town ordinance, and I pretend to pull a weed here and there, while I collect “honey dos” for my beloved.

We can do this today and tomorrow, But with the construction next door it will be back inside during the week days. Can’t wait for that to be done. Here’s a pic of my herb garden in bloom. Sage and chive flowers for my salads this week! Happy rest and moon day combo everybody.

Yeehaw!!

mariavlong — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:22:10 +0000

Yeah, intro to 2nd for my birthday. More like an exploration workshop, but guess what? Butt on the floor for Virasana, and right after, A variation of Kapo where my head touched the floor! Teacher came right over to lift it because something about my upper back, but whatever, it was great. It is a glorious no humidity sky blue day in my neck of the woods. A shala friend left me a beautiful CD with chants/songs by her friends Deva, Miten, & Manose (uhuh..) and I played it on the drive home. Plus being the queen of dorks, I love getting all those Facebook birthday greetings.

On another note, I never met you, but Thank you, Thank you Guruji for my teacher and my teacher’s teacher.

It’s All Connected

mariavlong — Thu, 17 May 2012 17:23:04 +0000

My IT band to my hamstring to my butt cheek. On the left side. All scrunched up after a very properly assisted and delightful Triangmukha PP. It really felt spacious and easy when it happened but as soon as I got out of it I felt the pull all over the place. Finished gingerly but not in anything labeled pain. Later in the car I felt some discomfort but now I am so desensitized by the ice packs I’ve applied that I feel nothing. I am following with an arnica rub followed by a salt bath before bed. My present to myself tomorrow is a happy primary even if I have to sit there and breathe it while everyone else moves it.

Update: I put the B in itch

mariavlong — Wed, 16 May 2012 22:51:07 +0000

Oh dear god, some days are just so nuts you can’t even get pissed because it is already crazy. The place is called Lavo, and it is a major tourist trap, on 58th and Madison. Loud and obnoxious. The waitress wants to tell us what to order. She insists on pushing this giant meatball with ricotta glop on top and when she leaves us alone I see it pass us by and the thing already looks like a freaking tumor. I order a salad and I can see that both my aunt and the waitress are disappointed. As we are being served the fire alarm goes off as well as the strobe lights on every fire box on the walls. Waitress says no problem this has happened everyday this week. My aunt says we stay because the food is on the table. Did I mention that I have a premium brand kind of headache already?? The fire Department shows up with all their toys, and it is not the handsome brigade or maybe I’m just beyond cranky at this point. Alarm stops but strobe lights keep on flashing and the were still flashing when we left, after I was forced to eat a raspberry abomination (birthday lunch) after I managed to convince both my aunt and the waitress that I could not really eat a fried zeppole with an oreo inside (!!!). Oh, and this is my birthday gift:

That’s like two bottles of good perfume, or a case of really good wine, or whatever!!!

Un returnable because she is going to be looking for it next time she comes over. Is it bed time yet?

The Human Barometer

mariavlong — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:14:10 +0000

That’s me. Each time a storm is coming in or storm is moving out. I can’t tell anymore. All I know is that today is put the dark glasses on rain or shine, and do not bend over. Someone told me to take pain killers before the weather turns but since I don’t watch television or listen to radio, I never know what’s going to happen unless I stick my head out the window. Heading to midtown to meet my aunt who wants to take me out to lunch to celebrate my future birthday at this place that has been imported to NYC from some flashy hotel in Vegas. She tells me it’s a restaurant by day and a nightclub at night. I cannot imagine.