Art and Culture

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    Perfect Weather Forecast for “Yoga for Gardeners” Fundraiser on Saturday

    ByElizabeth

    Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and unseasonably warm, one of those bright days right when the seasons are changing that bring a giddiness to our hearts and can incite us to premature planting.

    The forecast for Saturday is cool and gray, with a high of 54F. Not only will it be a great reminder that the danger of last frost is weeks away, but also of how important patience and preparation are in the early part of the season, so that our gardens will flourish most optimally throughout the season.

    Tomorrow is the afternoon and early evening to do a little weeding, to see what is volunteering, to check in the health of your perennials, and to sit with your vision of the garden for the year. Then on Saturday, nurture yourself and nurture nature by bringing yourself and your alignment questions to “Yoga for Gardeners” (to register and/or get more information please visit www.willowstreetyoga.com).

    Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

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    My First Five Thoughts (Compound) Before Getting Out of Bed This Morning

    ByElizabeth

    1. Still dark, too early to get up; oh right, daylight savings time.
    2. Wait; wake up call is Sri Rudrum; here’s the part I’ve learned by heart to help invoke auspiciousness, wisdom, compassion, light, interconnectedness, steadiness, fierce will, etc; good reminder; don’t sleep through it.
    3. Nuclear reactors in Japan; wars in Iraq and Afghanistan; Libya; aftermath of BP oil spill, Katrina, and 9-11; budget talks prioritize war and business as usual; no senators or Congress person for DC; mountaintop coal mining; tar sands; diabetes/obesity epidemic.
    4. Time to nurture cats and plants and sit for meditation; I am indeed blessed.
    5. How do I bring “2” and “4” to my response to “3”?

    Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

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    Old News?

    ByElizabeth

    I did not post a collection of photos from Miami trip as is my usual habit because I had other things I wanted more to share and because I had other things that were higher priority. At this point, a whole lot of living has gone on for me individually and for my social network and for the country and for the globe.
    I find myself falling into the general current assumption that the only news of interest to readers of this blog is what has happened in the last few days, though experiences from all times in our lives are still interwoven in how we think and behave, and all of history shapes our current global cultures and relationships.

    Is this picture really already old news even though I only get to go on “vacation” a few times a year (and that many are a great blessing for which I than those who fought for the rights of workers over the decades) and the effects are something to be carried through until the next opportunity? Is the photo any less beautiful an artistic offering for my posting it today instead of ten days ago when I took it?

    How has your relationship between news and art and knowledge changed with the progressively increasing available of new images and thoughts and information in vast quantities moment to moment? Does it leave a feeling of being overwhelmed or serve as a reminder that the fundamentals, the very essence of things do not change and that if we pause and go deep, the idea of the vast turbulence of the outer world will not itself be our uprooting, though specific events may well challenge us.

    Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

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    Flashpoint

    ByElizabeth

    I went tonight to the space at Flashpoint to see a dance performance by people I know from the Sunday contact improv jam. One of the things that I am finding thought-provoking about the jamming with dancers is dancing for the sake of the dance, but also as a practice for those who perform. I went to support friends appearing in a small venue. I know how much I appreciate it when people make an effort to come to workshops, and in the days when I was still exhibiting art, to my openings. I also went to be able to witness from the space of pure observer, my friends in performance mode, so that I could learn and appreciate more about the dialogue and dialect of dancers and the dance. And I went because it was fun.

    Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

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    The News

    ByElizabeth

    The photos of the aftermath of the earthquake are horrific. I cannot really imagine what it must be like. I found myself today thinking about how it is that I trust that the images are real even though those who offer us “entertainment” give us similar pictures through the same media. How do we stay keenly open to truth and sympathy when our receipt of truth and fiction comes through the same channels? My heart goes out to all those suffering.

    Peace and light, E — Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

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    Whether It Feels Too Soon or Not (Day Light Savings Time Is Arriving)

    ByElizabeth

    It still does not seem right to have daylight savings time start before the equinox.  I remember it used to be the first night I cooked outside.  Now it is always too cool and not quite light enough, and my morning meditation goes back to finishing before it is light.  Whether it matches with the weather or my mood, though, it is here this weekend.  I’ve had a much more intense work week than usual, which is resulting only partly from having been out of town for the previous week.  The coming weekend promises to be very full (assuming all goes as anticipated) with teaching my own class and studying with Ross Rayburn up at Willow Street both Saturday and Sunday, trying to go out to see some friends dance Saturday night, going to the contact improv jam on Sunday, and then having dinner with neighbors.

    To try and not get too off cycle by getting a socially induced equivalent of jet lag, I am starting to get ready for bed an hour early tonight and planning to get to the office before 8 tomorrow morning.  Try doing the same things you would do if changing time zones.  Get plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, keep down the caffeine intake and if you really want to have caffeine, make sure you stop drinking it earlier in the day than usual; have any protein in the morning and then dine lightly on grains and vegetables in the late afternoon or early evening.  Don’t eat anything heavy at night.  That way you will have energy when you wake up too early and be sleepy when it is time to go to bed way before you think it is.

    And most important, use the change in time as an opportunity to celebrate the respective joys of shadow and light by having extra attention brought to them whether you will it or not.  It is always exciting the first night, particularly if it is warmish and bright as is in the forecast, that it stays light unnaturally late.

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    A New Landmark on Capitol Hill (Unveiling of the Dragon)

    ByElizabeth

    The weather was perfect last Sunday.  It had been misting and drizzling all morning.  At mid-day, the rain stopped, the temperature went up that which promises spring, and it was almost possible to see things sprouting green all around.  This promise of new growth couldn’t have been a better day for the unveiling of the neighborhood dragon.

    Thanks to friends and neighbors at the Kagyu Drupgu Chodzong, there is a new landmark in the neighborhood.  I was privileged to me among those who were present for the unveiling of this most auspicious dragon for all to see and to enjoy.  Whether or not we will be able to recognize any auspiciousness it might bring, it most certainly will be bringing delight not only by its beauty as a work of art, but from the knowledge that our friends and neighbors made the effort to offer such beauty to all of us.

    Much gratitude for good neighbors.

     

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    March Madness–What a Line-Up (Web Version of E-Newsletter)

    ByElizabeth

    Dear Friends,

    When I was in Florida last week for a wonderful, heart-opening Anusara celebration of spirit led by John Friend, I asked several different people whether they had heard any news about the status of the budget talks and the odds of a government shutdown.  Although the substance of the talks would most certainly impact the communities of every person with whom I spoke–from schools or roads or museums in their own communities, to funding for greening their homes, to the ability to listen to National Public Radio or watch their favorite programs on public broadcasting, to the quality and availability of health care and emergency services–not one knew that there were budget talks where all federal domestic programs were subject to having their budgets slashed, nor that the talks have not included more than the most muted whisper about cutting even a penny from the defense budget.

    These discussions called to mind a memory of when I was in Costa Rica several years ago for an Inner Harmony Retreat with John Friend when he suggested that we all should broaden our outlook by reading the part of the news that was not what we usually read.  In that regard, he listed the financial and business pages and international relations as news we should be reading.  As I regularly read those pages, I took his exhortation to heart and have made sure that I read some news about sports and television, though I am not much of a sports fan and do not have a tv.  The point of inviting us to expand our knowledge was, I think, multi-purposed.  First, as those who are choosing a tantric path and live fully in the world instead of renouncing it, we take on a responsibility for our living relationship with others and the planet and that takes knowledge, and not just sensitivity and cheerfulness.  It is also an acknowledgement that there are lots of ways that the play of spirit manifests; being broadminded and expansive helps us appreciate the very wildness and extraordinariness of life.  Opening our minds can also help us open our hearts and deepen our relationships with others and with the planet.

    I may not know any more about college basketball than I read in the New York Times (though I once came in second when I was compelled to participate in a law firm pool and selected my teams by (1) picking the favorite; and (2) tossing a coin when the seeds were only one apart), but there’s definitely a March Madness aura to this month’s yoga line-up:

    1.  Regular classes.  I’ve only gotten positive feedback from the experimental shift to a group practice style with the Tuesday night class at William Penn House.  With group practice style we all face each other (instead of having everyone face the front of the room) when we practice and invite each student share a particular pose, alignment focus, or challenge or embodiment that they want to work on for the class (ok not to share if feeling shy).  By sharing in this way and experiencing what poses and focuses bring an immediate shift, the practice is both more individual and more collective and also helps each student understand the elements of building a home practice for every mood and physical state.  The more students who come on Tuesday nights, the more support for the work of William Penn House, so please invite your friends.

    Wednesday house classes continue to be 100% for environmental causes.  Please contact me directly if you want to attend.  Practice is comparable to John Friend intermediate/advanced weekend workshops.

    Saturday noon Gentle/Therapeutic class at Willow Street, Takoma Park, is, as always, a sweet and dedicated group, and always welcoming to drop-ins and new friends.

    2.  Workshops and Fundraisers with Elizabeth (me).

    Join us for a repeat or the first time for just one more opportunity in the winter session and find out why your friends have been giving rave reviews for Relaxing into Optimal Alignment with Anusara Restoratives, Saturday, March 26, 2:30-4:30p, Willow Street Yoga Center, Takoma Park, $30.  After a little gentle stretching and self-massage to bring awareness to the breath and body, we will enjoy the exquisite application of Anusara’s® Universal Principles of Alignment to restful and supported restorative postures to release old patterns and invite in the new to find greater ease of body and mind.  A great workshop and practice for all levels.

    Third year in a row and better every time:  Yoga for Gardeners, Saturday, March19, 2-4:30p, Willow Street Yoga Center, Takoma Park, $35.  Learn optimal alignment for digging in the dirt, while nurturing yourself and enjoying the community of your fellow yogi gardeners.  For beginner and more experienced yogis and gardeners alike, find ways to optimize your experience in the garden and on the mat with therapeutic applications of the Anusara principles of alignment. Elizabeth will donate a portion of the profits to benefit the Youth Garden at the National Arboretum and will host a seed swap at the end of the workshop! Everybody welcome.

    3.  Incredible Out of Town Teachers Ross Rayburn (March 11-13) (for all levels) and Desiree Rumbaugh (March 18) (intermediate/advanced) will be at Willow Street’s Silver Spring Studios.  I’ll be taking some of the sessions with Ross and the special class with Desiree.  Hope to see you there.  For more information and to register, visit Willow Street’s website.

    4.  Book Club at Willow Street. On March 20th, from 5pm-7pm, at the third meeting of the new Willow Street Yoga Center book club, we will be discussing Anodea Judith’s Awakening the Global Heart. Discussions at previous meetings have been engaged, lively, and thought-provoking.

    5.  But Wait, There’s More.  Yoga classes all over town taught by my friends and colleagues, meditation every day, teleseminars as part of my meditation and philosophy course with Paul Muller-Ortega, the reverberations from my trip to Miami to be with John Friend and the wider Anusara community, and — not exactly yoga, but pretty delightful and yoga-enhancing — DC Contact Improv Jam every Sunday on Capitol Hill.  Also check out the new “District Kula” web page hosted by my friends and colleagues to bring us all closer together and subscribe to get news about Anusara yoga events around town.

    Gear up your own March Madness yoga line-up and email me with any questions or comments.

    And as always, please check out and share the blog and Facebook to keep in touch and expand our community.  I’ve also set up a new “Rose Garden Yoga” Facebook page.  Please “like” it (from the page or from the home page of the website) to get the latest sweet yoga thoughts and info in your FB news feed.

    Looking forward to seeing you soon around town.
    Peace and light,

    Elizabeth

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    Back to the Office (and My Walk Home Past the Capitol)

    ByElizabeth

    When I walked past the Capitol sometime after 7, the light in the cupola showing that Congress was still in session was blazing brightly, making my 10 and a half hour day seem short. I returned to my desk after the week in Miami to several dozen emails. By the time it was midday, an new meeting was scheduled for tomorrow that had not been in the emails or existing calendar, my catching up was interrupted by the need to give background to a reporter, and I was asked to chair a meeting tomorrow that I usually just attend. None of this felt stressful, but it did mean that to get enough done to handle my work responsibly and also get a good night’s rest, I could not leave in time for the two-hour Monday night class at Willow Street.

    It seems perhaps not quite right that going out of town to study makes it harder to study with and support my local teachers, whom I love and respect. I think they understand, though, when I have been to study with our mutual teacher and bring back to share the energy of our wider community.

    And now for a deep, quieting practice and my evening meditation before bathing and bed. It has been a long day.

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    “There Are More Things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio…” (and DCLAW)

    ByElizabeth

    Last night, at the invitation of my massage therapist, I attended the third DC Ladies Arm Wrestling tournament at the American Legion Hall on Capitol Hill.  For those of you who know me–or suspect from reading my blog that you know me to some degree–going to the American Legion Hall for an evening of betting on arm-wrestling might seem just a teensy-weensy bit out of character, perhaps even something beyond anything I could have “dreamt of in my philosophy.”  Not so into wrestling or costumes or betting or bad beer or anything loud.  I am, though, completely into norm-bending, outrageous manifestations of spirit, of which this certainly and rollickingly is one.