Thursday, January 11, 2007

Yes, Yes, Yes ... Oh, You Get the Idea

This morning was yoga at 6 a.m. with the lovely yogini A. Do all yoginis talk in that same lilting sing-song-y breath-y way? I wish I could record it for you. It goes like this:
(UP TONE) Take your left leg ... (DOWN TONE) and wrap it around your head. Now...(long pause) ... (UP TONE)inhale ... (DOWN TONE) exhale ... (UP TONE) inhale ... (DOWN TONE) exhale...
It's right on the verge of valley girl, but never quite gets there because of all the pauses, and because A. is so soft-spoken and charming. The room is dark with a wall of windows facing ... a giant construction project (well, this is Bethesda, so that's pretty much the view from all windows, anywhere). She has candles lit. She walks around and gently "adjusts" you. As we practice, the sun slowly rises over the construction workers, who start working their asses off at the stroke of 7 a.m. (It's all very Charles C. Ebbets-ian.)


At the end, as we lay in "corpse pose" she reads some lovely thoughts from some inspirational yoga book. Which thoughts (about loving and peace and crap) I swear I will hold on to and I do! Right up until I walk down the street and into my office.

I dread this class at the start and then I don't want it to end. I do nonetheless sweat up a storm even if it's not Bikram. And everyone in this class is nice. Unlike in this class.

Anyhoo, you think I've been a wee bit cranky lately? You have no idea. In the first four days of the year, I managed to make one person at work cry, piss off two volunteers, and have a long yelling match with, oh, let's just say a certain family member.

Can I have a New Year do-over?

Fitness-wise, let's do a weekly recap:

Sunday: Ran 4 miles (my longest post-marathon run! I think the yoga is really helping!)

Monday: Insane strength class (see below)

Tuesday: Free yoga class at work with can't-remember-his-name-but-he-has-a-mohawk, and he's very very cool. (Kind of reminds you of Dances With Wolves, huh?)

Wednesday: Here's a new workout for you: I live across the street from a mall (settle down Runner Susan) which is bad enough, but the owners plan to expand it 500,000 feet, bringing 500,000 more cars and traffic to this godforsaken "neighborhood." The mall is buying the teensy strip mall across from my condo building— the only semblance of "neighborhood" we have. You can walk to get a paper, buy some milk, have a decent breakfast, drop off drycleaning, go to the bank. Delete! Evil mall-owners are replacing it with a 42 foot high garage that runs, oh, I don't know, the ENTIRE LENGTH of the street that I live on.

So there was a community meeting last night. To reassure us that really good stores are coming. Oh, and they are relocating the bus terminal (where all the buses in the county stop) as far away as possible from where the residents actually live. I live next to an assisted living building. Those people were really happy to hear about the bus relocation, let me tell you.

So you could say I got some exercise (or just got exorcised, ha ha) at that meeting last night.

Thursday: 6 a.m.: Yoga with the lovely A.; 4 p.m.: 4-mile run in 42F. And it was very good.

So, this week has been better! I haven't made anyone cry! (Yet.) That has now become my sorry barometer for whether my week is good or not.

Let's all take ... a deep yoga breath in ... and join me in exhaling...the unsound of

OM

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

i can't help but think of kevin kline in a fish called wanda saying to wanda (about his meditation pose), "it's what the Buddhist monks did before going to war."

i like your cranky self, but i'm sure you need to find a happy bunny fluffy kitten pony in you.

Black Knight said...

I have the same problem, a company is building a store near my house. I agree with this kind of project....but not in my backyard!

Mmem said...

I like your new profile pic!

I want to try yoga...I might do it now...

Development is getting out of hand here, too. They keep adding shopping centers squeezed between other shopping centers...how many more cars can we handle??? Grrrr. I need some calm, cleansing yoga breaths just thinking about it....

Thomas said...

You know, the thoughts about "loving and peace and crap". You're not supposed to include "crap" in that list. It kind of interferes with the message of peace and love.

I do know what you mean, though.

IronWaddler said...

I feel exactly the same about yoga.I may try to go next week but...

Triseverance said...

You are seriously cracking me up this week, we have that picture hanging on the wall in our office. Did you say you made someone cry? I have only been able to do that to my children. That is a gift.

Jank said...

Love the "Loving and peace and crap"... Know that that pretty much summs up why it bugs me being the reluctant Type A that I am...

m said...

Compared to your exercise chart I was a slug this week. The only people I've made cry are my children. But they like to cry about stuff.

We had one of those mall people come up North of here and told everyone they were getting these upscale NYish style stores. Guess what they got? Target, Lowes and Michaels. It's NIMBY so it worked for me, but I feel sorry for the people who live near it.

Thanks for the laugh!

Laurie said...

I am glad your week is going better except for the crazy developers. All they ever think about it their pocket book and not the people who actually live in the area. Grrrrr.

Haight said...

Definitely a big difference from your 80's aerobic nightmare.

OMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM....

21st Century Mom said...

Isn't exercise a wonderful thing for the psyche and crap like that?

I went to yoga once and we got in the corpse position at the end and relaxed our body one teeny part at a time, starting with the toes. When he got to "relax kidney - relax, relax" I lost it. Haven't been back since. Maybe I should try a new yogini.

L*I*S*A said...

I want to try yoga, but it scares me. I'm afraid I'll get into a pose and stick there forever.

Rose said...

Running and yoga are the perfect combination but you do have to find the right teacher -- one who can walk the line between fitness instructor and hugging-strangers-happy hippy. Thanks for your always witty posts!
poetrunner.blogspot.com

Tammy said...

careful... I hear yoga injuries are on the rise. seriously.

Love the new profile pic! :)

Neese said...

....She walks around and gently "adjusts" you.

this is cracking me up

David said...

You've only run four miles - tops - since October??????? We're sending you back to the minor leagues for some seasoning.

susie said...

David--pay attention. 4 miles at a time!! I read this aloud to DM over breakfast today. Talk about snorting oatmeal:) OM right at back you!!

Rae said...

Where do you find these crazy classes???? Ha!!! I hope Patrick Swayze is teaching your next one!!!