Yoga Journal Conference, San Francisco

I'm feeling better! Not 100% yet ~ I still have kind of a nasty cough ~ but the actual flu-y part is pretty much done with. Ugh! Don't get the flu if you can help it, folks! It's no fun!

Anyhoo, here's my blurb about the YJ SF Conference: It was great!

Hahaha - okay, that's not all you get. Jeesh. Read the rest of my thoughts below and feel free to comment! In the meantime, everyone, stay healthy and rested this winter! The flu sucks!

Soo.... the YJ conference was great. Although, I had started getting sick and did not attend every session that I signed up for, I still made it to most of them, and it was really great simply to be able to have a class with some of these teachers. It was physically demanding (especially if you're in the early stages of the flu! Ha.) and some of the classes I felt I got some real "takeaway" information, but others I just participated and just had a great practice. There were about 2000 people there (though that could have been spread across the weekend - it's just a number I got), mostly women, mostly white, mostly 30s-50s, though definitely some older and some lots older. Lots of very happy faces and warm, real smiles. Great shopping! Hahaha. It was definitely a consumer event, but I did get a lot of good "real" yoga out of it, too!

On Saturday, I did a Kundalini class with Gurmukh, which was fun and long - if you've never done Kundalini, it's very, very different from a typical Iyengar- or Ashtanga-based "flow" class. There's a lot of chanting and weird, seated positions, shaking yourself and rocking and moving in different ways, plus meditation, some dancing, and Savasana.

Then I did a class with Desiree Rumbaugh on Handstands and Pincha Mayurasana ~ and WOW, I *loved* her as a teacher!! She's sharp, witty, lighthearted, funny ~ she pretty much embodies everything I like about Anusara :-) We partnered up and learned a bunch of great tips for these poses. The class was called "Yes! We have no bananas" and it was all about NOT having a banana shape when you're inverted. Again, typical Anusara to make it kind of silly and goofy, but still so practical and useful.

On Sunday, I took a Jivamukti class with David Life, which was more like a regular practice that I would do ~ I didn't really learn any new tips or anything, but it was fun to see him in action and the music in the class was great. Then I did a class with Shiva Rea, a Shakti-based, women-only class that started out with a lot more Kundalini and Tantric yoga, and typical Shiva Rea trancey, dancey, flowy stuff - it was fun and a room full of swaying, chanting women is pretty groovy to see :-)

Then on Monday, I did an all-day with Gary Kraftsow on Yoga for Back Care - and took so many notes! I feel like I learned a *lot* from him. His approach is all very therapeutic and he emphasized coming in and out of the poses, building them up, rather than holding them for a long time, to get the most therapeutic benefits in this instance. I really have a lot of respect for him as a teacher and I think I might look into finding ways to study with him further. I personally really liked his style and his approach to yoga (which is really Desikachar's approach, but he's westernized it in the sense that he teaches group classes and doesn't do everything 1:1).

There was also the Michael Franti concert on Friday night, which was great (if you've never seen him play live, definitely go - it's a real treat and you can't get that from a CD!) - he also did a keynote talk on Saturday during lunch, about bringing peace to the community, taking our yoga off the mats, and how we are living yoga, bringing peace in the ways that we can. Saturday night was the kirtan and the Shiva Rea trance dance thing, both of which were pretty fun but also didn't hold my interest for too long (maybe 'cause I was getting sick? Or maybe not. Either way, I left the dance early). On Monday, Dr. Dean Ornish did a keynote talk based on his new book, The Spectrum - which is basically a way to eat and live healthfully in mind-body-spirit. He's a vibrant figure, though, and a great speaker, but his talk was so short! I bought his book, anyway - that's a good tactic, huh? Short speech, so the audience has to buy your book to hear more! Hahaha.

So, overall, it was great and I'm really happy I went and if I have the money to go again next year, I probably will. That's it in a nutshell!

Flu - conference updates coming later

Sorry for the delay, folks, but I've been laid up with a horrible flu for the past few days. Fever is under control but the cough and fatigue are still yucky. Will post the rest of my thoughts about the YJ conference when I'm feeling better.

Praying for healing...

Yoga Journal conference - first notes

Well, this has been quite a yoga-rific weekend. It's been like a mini-intensive of sorts - my brain is really full and my body is really sore and I still have one day to go. Actually, I have a lifetime to go, but I have one more day before I get a true brain- and body-break.

It all started Friday, when I woke up at 4am, so I could get down to Fremont in time to turn in my paperwork and prepare for my first class at Amgen. There was already one woman in the workout room, stretching and getting ready for class - yay for dedication! I love her energy, really was happy to have her vibe there for my first day. Two other students showed up, too - a woman who had a little experience, and a guy taking his *first ever* yoga class, so yay to him and welcome to yoga. The room was interesting - definitely a corporate gym workout room, with mirrored walls and lights that don't dim, so the only options are ON or OFF. Not great for cool-down and Savasana, but I offered my students hand towels to cover their eyes during Savasana, if they wanted them.

Halfway through the one-hour class, a woman who'd never done yoga before showed up and wanted to join us. She also spoke very little English, so it took a while to communicate. I was TORN. My students were holding Downward Dog while I tried to speak with her, deciding what to do - finally, I just explained that she should warm up first, and I got back to leading the other students through the class. I need to find out if Plus One has any kind of policy regarding latecomers, because I had a real ethical dilemma welcoming her. Part of me was saying, yes, everyone should come, no matter how late! And part of me was saying no, no, no - that she was *so* likely to hurt herself by starting late, not warming up, and not having any idea what we were doing (having missed any intro that I did for the other newbie). I let her stay, but that's the first real ethical dilemma I think I've had in my teaching so far.

After Amgen, I headed back up to the city for my private, then over to HYP in Berkeley for my lunchtime class, then home to shower and eat, and then caught the train to head to the Hyatt Embarcadero for the opening remarks and sangha for the YJ conference. The hotel was buzzing with lively, vibrant energy! It was really remarkable. It was electric! I registered, got my goodie bag and T-shirt, and then wandered through the Marketplace, all of the vendors set up with their booths, and swirled around in the yoga energy, soaking it all in. Finding my footing, my grounding, in this turned-on community. There were yoga cheerleaders and free snacks and tea, and so many smiling people, true smiles, real yoga smiles, lots of openness and excitedness. It was all very dynamic! I ran into an acquaintance and we shared a "wow, hi!" moment, and then I explored the hotel some more until my own energy felt more settled and I decided to head out to get some dinner at Unicorn, a yummy Thai place a few blocks away. It was weird - I'd been thinking I'd eat at the hotel restaurant surrounded by other yogis (or maybe join a group), but after the blast of energy I got at the hotel, I wanted to regroup on my own.

Headed back to the hotel in time for the Michael Franti concert at 8pm, and met a super-cute, colorful soul sister in the ladies' room - a massage therapist, natch - I am attracting into my life the people I need to meet most! ;-) We hit it off right away and girlfriended our way into the concert, sharing sparkle-filled energy. And then the concert was - how do I say this? Fab-o. I laughed, I cried, I danced, I sang - it was fantastic, and what else would you expect? The man is amazing, as always.

Here's my Michael Franti story: In 1994, I was interning at the Sydney Morning Herald (that's Sydney, Australia), and my editor had an assignment to interview him and asked me to come with. I was STOKED. M.F. was a total hero of mine, back from the Disposable Heroes days when I was in high school and thinking, this stuff is going to change the world!, so I jumped at the chance. We met him outside his hotel, and I shyly said "hi" and then we went in for the interview and for the entire rest of the hour, I didn't say a single word. I was completely awed and intimidated and just like, wow, man - and yet, I couldn't even muster up the courage to say, "Wow, man." So on Friday night, standing there at the concert, seeing how things come full circle - seeing how 14 years later, how much more open I have become, how much more of a real person I've become, how much more hugely successful he has become yet still fully, amazingly ON PATH, the man with a mission, my hero, my total hero because all he does is demonstrate how to be real and how to live like REAL human beings and how it's up to us to make change in the world, and of course his life has been transformed by yoga. And I'm a yoga teacher! And we're at the Yoga Journal conference and, like, it all just makes sense. We CAN change the world. We HAVE a responsibility as yogis and teachers to spread the word, to take the message of peace to the world. This is amazing! Life is so rich! - so, standing there thinking that with tears streaming down my face as he's talking about acting from our hearts and all of that, I promised myself that I would not leave the conference without meeting him ... for REAL this time, no scaredy-cat insecurity business allowed. I made a lot of other promises to myself on Friday night, too... I had a great, great time... but it's late now and I need to go to bed because I still have one more day to make it through. So stay tuned, please, and thanks for reading so far... there is so much more to come! :-)

Yoga Journal Conference SF - this weekend!

(this awesome image of Shiva, Parvati, and Ganesha courtesy of these guys)

What am I doing blogging right now? I need to go to bed! It's 9:15pm and I'm teaching my first 6am class at Amgen in Fremont tomorrow morning, which means I need to get up well *before* the crack of dawn... Truth is, I'm blogging because I just love you guys so much (awwww) and I just wanna give you something yoga-bloggy to read.

I'm very excited about this weekend. The YJ conference starts tomorrow night and I would love love love love love to meet up with any of my beautiful, wonderful readers/friends there. I'm going to try to blog about the event each day, but we'll see what my energy level is like by the time I get home! Here's my schedule - maybe it matches yours??? If you're headed to the conference and would like to meet up, drop me an email!

Friday

• 5pm: Opening remarks, the Englehearts of Cafe Gratitude (yummm)
  
• 8pm: Benefit concert w/Michael Franti (he is such a dream...)

Saturday

• Session 1: Baron Baptiste - Vision & Vinyasa
• Session 2: Gurmukh Haur Khalsa - Kundalini Yoga 101
• 1:30pm: Keynote address by Michael Franti
• 2:15: I haven't decided yet! Kids' yoga with Kate from IYK?? AcroYoga with *probably* Eve Isbell??? Yoga and Money???? I will have to play this open time slot by ear...
• Session 3: Desiree Rumbaugh - Yes! We have no bananas (that's the name of the session! It's Anusara, what can you expect but some silliness? ;-)
  
• 7:30: Kirtan with Suzanne Sterling, Trance Dance with Shiva Rea & DJ Dragonfly

Sunday

• Session 4: Ana Forrest - Inversions and Arm Balances
• Session 5: David Life - Jivamukti Sequences
• 1:30pm: Panel discussion - The Power of Women in Yoga
• Session 6: Shiva Rea - Yogini: Living Shakti for Women
• 5:45 - Closing remarks, Rod Stryker
  

Monday - Yoga as Medicine All-Day Intensive (I chose back care! Yay for healthy backs!)

• 8am: Welcome remarks, Timothy McCall, MD
• 9am: Gary Kraftsow - Viniyoga Therapy: Back Care

Sooo, that's where I'll be. If I'm feeling super-inspired (and awake!) I'd love to attend the 7am meditations, but it's unlikely they'll happen. But we'll see. Anything goes. Tomorrow starts full force for the next three days: Amgen at 6am, my private at 8:30am, HYP at noon, and then the conference for 3 days. Is it cosmically hilarious to anyone else that it's a full moon on Tuesday? My entire life is fill, fill, fill until then! By Tuesday, I'll be as full as Luna herself! Then Wednesday, I'll get to exhale, release, ... ahh, and a yin workshop on Saturday, pure bliss.

Yoga for Myself

Well, my Monday morning private canceled after I'd already made breakfast, so I spent the time drinking tea and then crawled back into bed to cuddle with my sweetie, instead. Then, nobody showed up for my lunchtime class at HYP, so I practiced on my own, instead. Today's been all about yoga for myself! Hee hee. I had a great, short practice, and was compelled, urged, to write down my sequence immediately afterwards. Why? I'm not sure. Maybe because I didn't get to share my yoga in other ways (i.e., in class). It was pretty much similar to the way I normally practice when it's my own time, but I've been drawn to share it on the blog, so here ya go. Pretty typical and fun for me, with vinyasas between most of the standing poses, but not the seated ones. With more time, I'd add some arm balances, and I'd hold the inversions for several minutes, but anyway here's what I did today:

1. Surya Namaskara A x3 - Sun Salutes A
   
2. Surya Namaskara B x3 - Sun Salutes B
   
3. Virabhadrasana II - Warrior II
4. Trikonasana to Ardha Chandrasana to Trikonasana - Triangle to Half Moon to Triangle
5. Parsvakonsasana - Extended Side Angle
6. Bird of Paradise (I'm workin' on it!)
7. Virabhadrasana I - Warrior I
8. Virabhadrasana III - Warrior III
9. Prasarita Padottonasana with Gomukhasana arms
10. Prasarita Padottonasana A into Headstand
11. Tadasana - Mountain
    
12. Natarajasana - King Dancer
13. Kapotasana - Pigeon
14. Eka Pada Rajakapotasana - Mermaid
15. Dhanurasana - Bow
16. Ustrasana - Camel
17. Urdhva Dhanurasana x3 - Upward Bow
    
18. Jathara Parivartanasana - Reclined Twist
19. Apanasana
20. Halasana to Sarvangasana to Halasana - Plough to Shoulderstand to Plough
21. Matsyasana - Fish
    
22. Hanumanasana - Monkey/Splits (I'm working on 'em!)
23. Janu Sirsasana - One-legged Seated Forward Bend
24. Paschimottanasana - Seated Forward Bend
25. Ardha Padmasana - Half-Lotus Forward Bend
26. Apanasana
27. Savasana
28. Meditation in Lotus
    

Mmmmm... yummy! Enjoy or comment or practice it on your own - it's a good time!

Namasté.

The New York Times on Balance

I am shocked (though, really, should I be?) that they don't mention yoga in this article, but it is a great read, especially if you are 50+ years old or have friends or family members who are.

Preserving a Fundamental Sense: Balance

Enjoy! And maybe take a minute and go do Tree pose, or Twisted Triangle :-)

Sunshine and sleep

Yay for both! This weekend has been fantastic - catching up on my sunshine, glorious sunshine, and sleep, so much sleep. Last week was a time to solidify details, to fill out paperwork, send emails, sign my name on the dotted line, get things in order - this week is the week to *start*. So, this weekend has been the transition time, a time to hang out enjoying nature and my body's own natural rhythms, no alarm clock, no "shoulds," just relaxation and preparation for my upcoming weeks! I have the best bed in the world - and highly recommend a Tempur-pedic mattress and pillows to anyone who's debating whether or not to get one. It's definitely an investment, but it's sooooooooo worth it. My bed is my favorite place in the whole world, and it's been so nice to spend hours and hours sound asleep, restoring my brain and my body in preparation for a new chapter.

The sunshine has been so wonderful, too! After so much storm, cold, and rain, it's like a whole new world when the sun's out. Dave & I went out to Pillar Point to watch the Mavericks' surf competition yesterday, and, man, it couldn't have been a better day for it. Totally sunny and warm, just fantastic! Got inspired by all of the big-wave surfers, and I can't wait to get back on my board - it's still just a leeeetle too cold for me right now, though :-)

Tomorrow's a "normal" yoga day - my private in the a.m., then HYP at lunchtime - then I start with the Bumblebees on Tuesday! I can't wait - they should be adorable. Then, Dave & I are headed up to Tahoe for our anniversary, to spend Wednesday on the slopes, enjoying all of the new snow and sunshine. Thursday, I start my new writing class, and then Friday's Amgen at 6am, then my private at 8:30, and then HYP at noon... and then the Yoga Journal conference starts Friday evening! Yay! That goes *all* day Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, and then after my rescheduled private on Tuesday, I'll have some wiggle room again. Until then, I just need to remember to breathe and enjoy the moment! There's a whole lot of super-fun stuff going on and I don't want to "miss" a moment. As long as I remember to breathe, stay present and conscious, I think everything's going to be really fun!

So, for now, I'm going to enjoy my last little bits of unscheduled weekend time ~ dinner with my honey, and my favorite guilty pleasure, Rock of Love. What can I say? It's trash but it's such fun trash :-)

Pure love

I had a private class tonight for two beautiful, close friends tonight, and while they were lying in Savasana, I was sitting in Lotus, meditating, and this amazing, warm tingly feeling washed over me, and I thought, Teaching yoga brings me so much JOY. It was pure, real bliss, straight and unfiltered from the universe. What beauty! I am so grateful!

Jump in and learn how to swim

Wow, the new year is starting off with a bang. I got BOTH of the teaching positions I mentioned in my last post, and they are both starting next week - yowza! The first one, which starts next Tuesday, is teaching preschoolers, ages 2-4.5, at a preschool here in SF. Awwwwww :-) I am really excited about it! Nervous, too, though, because it's my first class teaching kids, but how bad could it be? They're preschoolers, not thugs. My training at It's Yoga Kids was wonderful and I feel like I'm prepared on one level, but on the other hand, I'm just going to have to give it a shot and pray for the best! But really ~ I mean, they're preschoolers. How cute is that?? Hee hee.

The other job is teaching at the new, corporate gym at Amgen down in Fremont. Amgen is the world's largest biotech company - though their campus in Fremont is pretty small compared to what I imagine their Thousand Oaks campus is like (they have something like 40K employees down there). It was really interesting and surreal to visit the gym there, and to walk around campus, because it reminded me so much of Google. Which is how this all happened in the first place. See, I'd started thinking about my years at Google, and how having yoga at the gym there saved my life. Really. During my last couple of years there, when I was burned-out the core, working so hard for somebody else's dream, crying on my commute home, completely unable to de-stress without three glasses of wine and a brick to the head - the saving grace that I had was yoga classes. Not having to worry about rushing back up to the city to make it to class at Yoga Tree made my life so much better. I truly cannot imagine those last couple of years there without yoga. So, I started thinking about this a few weeks ago, and the thought of being able to give that back to the corporate world seemed like something I had to do. It was like a calling - an inspiration, in spiritu, literally meaning the Divine breath that is breathed into you (oh! I love etymology and I love Rilke's Sonnets to Orpheus!). And I'm not kidding, just a day or two later, an ad came up on Craigslist for yoga teachers for Plus One, the staffing company for Amgen (and other huge corporations in the US). And now, a few weeks later, I'm hired! It's pretty amazing how it's worked out. I'm so grateful for this opportunity. The class is Friday mornings - at 6AM! And really, that's fine with me. I'll be doing something I love, and I'll get to enjoy some Friday morning sunrises (on my way home from class, that is, hahaha).

I'm also starting a magazine writing class through Mediabistro next week, so it will be interesting to see where all of this leads. Everything new starts next week! Happy new year on steroids!

More thoughts on yesterday's workshop

I am sore today! It's the good kind of sore - my muscles, not my emotions :-) and I'm definitely going to soak in a long Epsom salt bath to relieve my achey body. It felt so good to have such a great, long practice. I think I was flying high all evening yesterday because of it! I really feel like I got some good realignment with my backbends and handstands, but I really enjoyed the groovy, good-vibey feel to the class itself. The more I think about it, the more I think I'd like to try to go every month (they're held once a month) - and only $25! It's a steal, really.

There are a couple of possible teaching opportunities that I am crossing my fingers for right now, but I'm afraid to jinx them if I post here. Suffice it to say, they sound fun and I'd be super-grateful for any extra positive energy you can send my way! I'll send some right back to you, stat! I'll be meditating on them tonight and really would love to post some good news in the next couple of days!

I'm off to soak in salty bliss and soothe my old lady bones...

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The regular ol' Blogger feed probably won't work for you any more. Sorry for any inconvenience and thanks so much for sticking around!

Now, here's a butterfly for you :-)

Anusara workshop: building the year's foundation

Wow, what a great workshop I just got home from! "The Practice" - a monthly workshop with the amazing and sooooooo cute Stacey Rosenberg. There were about 20 of us, several people who practice and train with Stacey regularly and a bunch of "new friends" she called us. I hope this to be true, as I think I'd like to continue going to this workshop monthly and maybe actually making some new friends there.

I'd had a bit of a wonky morning - started the day with a private lesson for two close friends, then tried to run a couple of errands, but the one store didn't have what I needed, so I drove to the other one, farther away, in horrible traffic and rain, only to find out that their power was out! So I drove all the way home in the bad traffic and rain. My honey was in kind of a strange mood for some reason but wouldn't admit it and my own weird mood compounded on the electrostatic feeling, so when I headed over to the workshop, I was really ready to let go and do some yoga. I drove around the block several times and found a good spot with a few minutes to spare, walked in the door and stood in line at Yoga Tree Valencia, only to hear the girl in front of me say to the receptionist, "I'm signed up for the Yoga 101 workshop." Ooooooops! I was supposed to be at Yoga Tree HAYES, not Valencia! Grumbling, I got back in my car (in the rain), drove the extra 10 minutes to Hayes Valley and spent another 10 looking for parking, finally getting in to the workshop about 25 minutes late. Big sigh. But I was greeted with a super-warm and friendly smile from Stacey, so welcoming, so nice. I warmed up with some Downward Dogs and Uttanasanas, mini-Sun Salutations, and then joined the rest of the class in The Practice.

SO much shoulder opening and chest opening! OMG. One-minute handstands and Pincha Mayurasana, and then ALL of the chest openers leading to Urdhva Dhanurasana and a few variations there. WOW. So much release, so much opening - after our cool-down and pranayama and then final meditation, as I was putting my hoodie back on for Savasana, my emotions swelled up and all the energy of starting a new foundation for a new year and all of these thoughts and dreams that I have and all of the confusion I have about teaching and finding inner peace and living my yoga and my relationship and my writing and my life choices and everything swirled around me and I nearly burst into tears. Which would have been totally fine and wonderful, I'm sure, but still, I held back and let myself drift into Savasana, holding the emotions inside, where they're so used to hanging out. I let the tears come later, in the car. Because that's just how I am these days - wanting so much to be open and right there in the moment and showing the world who I am, but still can't just let my emotions pour out in yoga class with a bunch of strangers, even though that's probably one of the safest and most supportive environments in the world. Big sigh. That's another thing I would like to work on in myself this year, although "work" makes it sound like it will be hard. It's another way I will choose to be in 2008 (much better). Allowing myself not just to feel vulnerable around others but to really be vulnerable - to let myself be soft, in those moments when I just need to be soft. To be able to allow the intensity of the beautiful practice, the kindness and sweetness and wonderful vibe of being surrounded by really super-cool people, to just let myself feel it and be there and be alive in it and ... cry if I need to!

That said, I feel much better now. My sweetie and I had a bit of a clean-out, too, having worked out some emotions and taking a certain way we *used to* communicate about a particular issue to a new, and better, level that works for both of us. An even level. A level level. A balanced level.

It's all about balance, isn't it? Everything is balance, everything is nature seeking an equilibrium - everything is seeking stillness and ease. The yoga sutra of the month in my January newsletter: Sthira sukham asanam - There is steadiness and comfort in asana. It's all about balance - in my practice, or my Practice, as much as in my everyday life. Spacegirl's been wandering on the astral plane but I'm coming back down to earth. Still connected above, but seeking the grounding for the balance I need. I have my guides in the spirit realm - now, where are my wise elders on this planet? Who are my teachers, my guides? In 2008, I'm seeking my earthly guides as well as my spiritual ones and those from the etheric realm. Angels and the unseen are wonderful and real, but who is the human being that will hold my hand and assure me my feelings are valid, my confusion is normal, that I'm not just making shit up? I can't continue to only guide myself from within and trust my heart as my own guide always in every situation - can I? Don't I need someone outside of me, who's wise and smart and real and who can give me killer advice? Where is my buddy movie sidekick? Am I lost in the Matrix? Am I The One?????

;-)

I'm building the foundation for the year right now. Bear with me. Namasté.

Spontaneous trips, sore throats, and gratefulness for fast healing

What a wet and freezing start to the new year! Luckily, it hasn't been like this all week. It was perfectly sunny and clear on New Year's Day, so my honey & I went on a drive along the ocean that turned into a spontaneous trip to Monterey. We had a great dinner and spent the night there, cuddled on the super-squishy hotel bed watching HBO, a real decadence since we practically never watch TV these days! Yesterday morning we fueled up with bananas and muffins and tea, and I splurged on a delicious soy latte, then we spent the afternoon at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, one of my favorite places. Watching the otters (the cutest!) and the jellyfish (so surreal and supernatural - those are my pictures above, taken with my cameraphone), the sharks and the barracuda and the turtles and the sandpipers - so much fun. After a yummy lunch, we browsed the Cannery Row Antique Market - Oh. My. God. That place is HUGE and incredible! I could have spent several hours there just rifling through the old packing labels alone! So many great pieces of furniture - and old teapots, and a huge selection of bright, colorful Pyrex kitchenware from the 50s, 60s, and 70s. I'm still on a post-Christmas budget, though, so I held back and treated myself to only two items: a great packing label for Orbit oranges (I *love* the vintage fruit crate labels like these!) and a pretty, flamingo pink Pyrex bowl.

On the drive home, my throat started getting sore, though, and overnight, I slept horribly. Sore throat, achey body, hot-and-cold, yuck. I resigned myself to the couch, reading and taking it really easy all day, and drinking tons of liquids and vitamin C: a blueberry & banana smoothie, two packets of Emergen-C, two full pots of warm tea with honey, lemon water, kombucha... My sweet Dave even made me soup for dinner. And now, finally, my throat is feeling better! I'm pretty sure this thing will be gone fast. Liquids and rest usually do their job pretty quickly on throat issues. To be honest, though, it was actually pretty nice to read all day, to give my body the rest it needs while simultaneously enjoying myself - that's gotta be healthy.

It's a good thing I'm feeling better now, too, because I've got a yoga-packed weekend ahead! Two classes tomorrow (private & class), private Saturday plus the Anusara workshop with Stacey Rosenberg (yay!!), then another, new private on Sunday morning, then Monday is my regular private plus my class... All of these privates start at 8:30AM, which means I have to leave my house by 8:15, since they're close - but this new private on Sunday is about 30 minutes away, so that's going to make an early Sunday morning! I'm sure it will be great, though - as long as I stay healthy and rested! That said, I'm off to bed early, early tonight to make sure I've the strength and energy for my upcoming days.