Practice Spaces

It's quite surprising but somehow without me noticing it, I seem to have acquired a 5 or 6 day a week yoga practice! As opposed to a 3, occasionally 4 day practice only a few months ago. And all this under the quite difficult circumstances of my current working week - ie. being out of the house for over 11 hours a day.

Of course, this isn't 5 or 6 full practices. It's two 2-hour classes, and the rest are short half-hour lunchtime practices plus a vinyasa class I often take on Fridays (not sure if that really counts, but ...!) and frequently a Sunday morning practice with a friend ... But whatever - I am really pleased to discover this has happened without any discernible struggle or effort.

I thought about this after I read this post from kalbe on her A Breathing Practice blog. She also has to leave for work really early - too early to do a morning practice. So she rented some cheap office space in an old building near her office and turned it into her own personal practice studio ! I think she works in a small American town, as opposed to a city where this would just not be possible, but I am totally amazed at her dedication!!

Not sure that I'd be doing anything like that! I started off using empty offices at lunchtime (I've always been a mostly lunchtime practitioner). Then when I changed jobs and campuses, the best I could come up with was using my boss's office when she went to the uni gym at lunchtime. I also signed up for the gym in the hope that I might be able to use some space there to do yoga. At first it wasn't really possible (although there was the Friday lunchtime vinyasa class), but things have changed at the gym and now I can use a smaller staff gym to practice in. This means I don't have to hang around waiting to see if/when R goes to the gym, and can choose when to go etc.

Anyway, I think this has all helped my yoga practice develop ... which I'm very pleased about!

What ... ?!

I haven't written for ages ... what's been going on?! Difficult to say! Maybe I don't think I've got anything that exciting to write about?! Or maybe I've been caught up doing things and haven't got around/found the time to write? Or ...

Well, I don't really know the answer - sorry! I do know I've been contemplating the whole blogging/diary-writing issue lately. I do really like blogging. And I have always been a diary-writer. A few days ago, I happened to find/pick up one of my old diaries, from a pretty intense period of my life - a few years ago (relationship break-up - that sort of thing!). I didn't actually read any of the really painful entries - skipped to some that were from a bit later. But I was really struck by the difference in what I would write in that diary, and what I write in this blog.

I was always aware that I would self-censor a bit in a blog that is open to the world (well, whoever can be bothered to read this, that is!) It's inevitable - in fact sometimes I'm amazed that a shy person like myself can happily open her life up to all and sundry on the web! But - because I know everyone can read this, there are obviously going to be things I'm not going to write about here, for whatever reason.

However, it was quite a shock looking at the old diary. I poured so much out into that, it really makes my blog seem very superficial! I had no idea how much I was self-censoring! So, I thought about that for a while, and then decided to set up an additional, totally private blog, to use the same way I used my old paper diary. I know I could carry on writing in a physical diary - and when I go travelling I do a bit (in addition to blogging). But I guess I'm a child of the internet nowadays (well, I kind of like to think of myself that way !) - and I would rather be writing online!

So - quite pleased with myself about that! I will see how much use it gets - I have no intention of stopping writing here! Just giving myself another outlet for more private musings ...

Stopping now - I'll write a more interesting post in a day or two!

why blog?

I read a newspaper article (ed: just added the link!) today about how people are sharing too much information these days - in reality TV shows, Facebook and MySpace, Twitter, etc etc etc.

"Today we all live with the expectation that we must happily spill our guts for whoever cares to slosh through them. Once considered a virtue, discretion is now viewed as either a character flaw or a sign that you're hiding one."

It made me stop and think about my use of blogs and Facebook. Am I being exhibitionist or something to like writing a blog (or two)? It's certainly not my nature to overtly draw attention to myself - I'm quite shy. I like to think that I do keep private the things that should remain private, but maybe I cross the line ... not sure!

I do know that I have always been a diary-keeper. Sometimes I'd let it go for a while, but then a year or two later I'd start another one. However until I started blogging, it was never for public reading. I started this blog when I went on an overseas trip and it seemed like a cool and easy way to keep friends and family in touch with what I was doing!

Then the ashtangi.net blog site was put together and I wanted to participate/join in, even though most of the other blogs there are from much more advanced and/or dedicated ashtangis than me! And so this blog did turn into an on-line diary, and my paper diary faded away! But really, I'm pretty much writing here for me/my benefit, not for anyone else. Just like with a diary, it's fun to look back to where you were/what you were doing a year or more ago. And with my yoga journey especially.

When I was diagnosed with NHL (Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma) 18 months ago it was different. I decided to set up a separate lymphoma blog to write about what happened, how it was in hospital and going through all that unbelievable stuff!

But this time it was not only for my benefit (and I have now re-read it a few times, from a distance, marvelling that this really happened to me!) But also for other people who found themselves in a similar situation, to read about someone's experiences, the good and the bad. I have certainly found it incredibly helpful to read other "cancer warriors' blogs" as well as discussion boards etc. You get so much information, and reassurance that other people have gone through the same thing as you, and they've come out the other side! I really think this is one big example of the fantastic way the internet has brought people together.

So, I can reassure myself that the lymphoma blog is definitely for a good reason! And this one? - well, I'm a web developer. I live in the technical and online world! So it just seems normal that I'd be using at least some of the tools that are around me. I don't think I need to be too concerned that I'm turning into a Britny or Big Brother type person!! Really!!

Yoga - or lack of it!

It's been weeks since I've dared do any yoga - not since the disastrous occasion when doing downdogs in surya namaskara A gave me a coughing fit that lasted for hours and hours. I'm still not better, and although I miss it so much, I really don't dare do anything until I'm completely better. I just cannot put myself through that again ...

I guess if I wasn't so tied to the ashtanga type of yoga I might find it easier to pick and choose poses that mightn't bring it on again. But, even though I do sometimes leave different poses out for one reason or another, in this situation it would be such a radical change that I can't bring myself to try. It just wouldn't be - ashtanga? right? I don't know ... :)

Anyway - I went to see my specialist last week for my regular 3-monthly check-up - blogged about it on my lymphoma blog. All good!

After my busy busy weekend last week, I'm having a really nice quiet weekend - doing pretty much nothing. Staying home, reading, (writing blog posts!), maybe a bit of gardening. It's nice ... The litter of Abyssinian kittens that I'm going to have one of, were born about a month ago. I had been thinking of going to see them this weekend, but maybe next weekend I will ...

websites and stuff!

Well, I didn't quite make all of my list of things I was doing last weekend. Ended up not going to yoga class, and instead went earlier this week. As it was even though I'd felt fine all weekend rushing around, on Monday I was quite exhausted, had to leave work early and even found myself going to bed at around 8.30?!! Unheard of normally! However, that did the trick and I've been fine since then. Though I'm planning a quieter weekend this time, that's for sure!

The website meeting was good - I am going to do a simple one-page site for her as a placeholder, and later when she gets time to work on the main content, etc, then I'll re-do it. And I've also got another meeting next weekend about another website that should definitely go ahead. I've already done a (yoga) website for this person, and she's much more business-like! (Won't be a yoga one this time, but one for her new consultancy business.)

This is all probably not that interesting, but I do use this blog as my diary nowadays, and I guess life can be quite normal and subdued sometimes! On that subject (blogs) can someone tell me what's happened to Vanessa? (aka Mindbender blog)? Did I miss something? She (or her blog) has disappeared ... Just wondering, that's all <grin>

To the inventor of blogs: Thank You!

I've got a friend with Hepatitis C. It developed/manifested in the years since I've last seen her, although she would have had the virus at that time. I knew virtually nothing about HepC and when I first heard that she had it I was really scared for her.

At the beginning of this year I heard from her that she was going to start treatment for it, and was going to write a blog. So I started reading it, and following along with her ups and downs. I discovered there is a whole blogging community of people with HepC, giving each other the personal support and advice (from people who've been there and done that) that they could never have gotten before the days of blogs.

It has been so inspiring to read these blogs. Everyday people facing and dealing with a life-changing/threatening disease. Having to self-inject, self-treat with chemotherapy (pills) ... and go through all the side-effects of the medication.

She has now done her last injection, and either today or tomorrow is the last day she has to take the pills. I'm so proud of her, the strength she has found to get through this. And I'm so grateful to whoever it was (Dave Winer?) who invented the original blogging software. This has been one of those inventions that has really changed lives. I love reading all the ashtanga blogs (and the cricket ones and the techie ones!) - but for people who need support and don't necessarily have a community of people in the same situation around them, it really has made a difference ... :)