Extend, Extend --- Day 4/74

Walk: No (staring at tax forms)
Distance: 0, small home yoga



Necessary forms for Ciwt's taxes arrived Today, ie, two days before filing is due. Oh dear, guess it's time for extensions - both yoga and IRS.

Green with Jacket --- Day 4/73

Walk: No (Watching The Masters)
Distance: 0 and home yoga



At the end of the Masters Golf Tournament last year's winner slips this year's winner into the coveted Green Jacket award.  Since it just happened a few minutes ago, the picture of Jordan Spieth (2015) receiving the jacket from Bubba Watson (2014) has not been published.  So in the interim Ciwt shows Adam Scott (2013) placing the jacket on Bubba Watson.

Stand back as the greatest of sports writers attempt to capture the astounding display of skill, focus, tenacity, dignity, likeability, wire-to-wire multiple record setting performance of 21-year old Jordan Spieth.  I wish them luck; it was remarkable golf - "the sport at its best" to quote many of the admiring top players.

But I doubt those writers will answer Ciwt's question: How does the green jacket end up fitting the winner just moments after victory? Once Ciwt managed a custom-made (bespoke) men's clothing shop, so she knows a proper fitting sport coat takes special tailoring.  Are multiple jackets made up for potential winners?  Do all the players get measured when they enter the tournament, and are arrangements made for the jacket to be available for all sizes?

Ciwt noticed Spieth struggling a bit to get his Green Jacket over his right shoulder, so maybe any old approximate fit is fine at Augusta National Golf Club.

Ahhhh, Here it is: 
                                                                 Watson to Spieth

White on White --- Day 4/72

Walk: Fillmore Street, Benjamin Moore Paint Store
Distance: 4 miles



Is it just Ciwt?  She spent a few hours selecting possible co-coordinating off-white paint colors to co-ordinate with carpet, walls and ceilings, and ended up feeling completely spent!  Spent!  Just concentrating on colors.  What is it about the energy of color?

(She once knew a (perfectionist) man who was proud to announce his kitchen was 16! shades of off-white - all selected by the priciest decorator in San Francisco at the time).

Beyond Carnegie Hall --- Day 4/71

Walk: Embarcadero Cinema (Seymour: an Introduction)
Distance: 2 miles and home yoga

Ethan Hawke's remarkable documentary puts us in close proximity to 80-something classical pianist Seymour Bernstein, whose funny, touching and vital presence is something you don't want to miss....  Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

                  Seymour  Bernstein.
Unusual, intelligent documentary whose subject is a pleasure to spend time with.  John Anderson, Newsday




More than a musical offering, it's a study in boundless passion, plus a wellspring of wisdom about art and life from a man who sees no dividing line between the one and the other.  Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal

Tricky Business --- 4/70

Walk: Opera Plaza Cinema (An Honest Liar), Pet Express
Distance: 4.6 miles



Starting with Sherlock Holmes whom she filed into the magician category when she read him as a child, Ciwt has been a sucker for exceptionally clever performers of magic.  One of those she learned today in the feature documentary about him is The Amazing Randi.

Randi's career took an abrupt turn at some point when his lifelong obsession with magic morphed into an obsession with exposing the truth about other magicians (Uri Geller), faith healers and mediums who profit by doing harm to those who believe in their lies.  The harm can be mercenary by taking money from people who can ill afford it because they believe the faith healer truly has a special pipeline to God; or downright fatal when healers exhort people to throw their medications into baskets being passed around and believe in the healer instead.  Scientists too can be deceived allowing for the perpetuation of false science.

It is easy to applaud the exposure of these egregious huckster, show biz hoaxes.  But Randi's obsession with the truth becomes more and more and more layered which for Ciwt became the real central challenge of the documentary.  What exactly is the truth?  What lies are honest or acceptable? What deceptions are we actually putting over on others - or ourselves - on a regular basis?

No morality tale here.  Randi is entertaining, charming, sly so we gladly enter all the 'truth' territories with fascination and intrigue.  Truth is a very nuanced thing indeed.

Third Interlude for Wellness --- Day 4/69

Walk: Trader Joe's
Distance: 2 miles and home yoga



Ciwt concentrated on standing balance poses today.  At any age, balance poses are grounding, calming (yes, once you find your edge), strengthen muscles, improve concentration, focus and memory, reduce stress.  And, obviously, improve stability and balance.  These last become more and more critical as we age and become more vulnerable to falls.

Ciwt chose the picture above to illustrate a kind of teaching that she finds repellant; or doesn't work for her.  Too strict, too overly confident, too suggestive that there is only one way (this particular teacher's) to do a pose.   This is Not true.  Every body is different for any number of reasons: physical, psychological, mental, life history, etc, etc. - you get the picture.  And every body is different every day.  You can start with a shape/pose in mind, and then proceed to see how it works for you that day.

In the case above, the model has strong feet, straight (not hyper-extended or bowed) knees, a flexible lower back and strong abs to support it. Oh, and she's young with a system that's still producing a goodly amount of elastin and collegen which keeps people flexible.

But maybe that's not you.  (It certainly isn't Ciwt). Maybe you would feel more secure and able to get into the pose if you touched your front hand to a wall; or maybe you would be more comfortable holding your leg instead of your foot, or bending the standing knee to protect your spine or knee. Or just going slightly into the pose like the first two yoginis here.

 Or maybe the pose would work better if a strap was looped round your ankle so you didn't have to reach so far or bend your knee too dramatically. There are many options.   

                                                                                                                  

The Main Thing in all poses, including standing balances, is Alignment.  You do not want to be pulling your body all over the place to approximate any pose.  So just stop when you start twisting/contorting around to grab this, and extend that. And your breath: When your jaw clenches and your breathing becomes strained, anxious or tense, you are stressed and forcing something.  These things are upsetting for your being, nothing yogic is accomplished and there is possibility of injury.

Again, like the seated poses, there are many standing balances, all of which provide the full array benefits, but different ones strengthen and lengthen different muscles.  The pictures below are all 'perfect' because those are the photos that are most appropriate for books, videos, personal promotion.


 
Padagusthana times 2.  In sanskrit your big toe is your padagust, and can see both these yogis holding on to theirs as they balance.

  
Balancing Stick

  
Personal Variation                               Tree





  
                                                                   garudasana (eagle)

   And many more...........

Welcome, Take a Seat --- Day 4/68

Walk: Pets Unlimited, Storm Yay!
Distance: 1 mile, home yoga




Ciwt sometimes does her entire practice in seated poses.  There are so many, and she can move through, stretch, release and energize her whole body while sitting on her mat.  Neck, shoulders, spine, arms/wrists hands, side body, hips, legs, ankles, feet.  Did she leave any parts out?  She might have, but the seated poses don't.



Sitting is a very calming way to practice.  Very earthbound, grounded which allows even more awareness of the poses as she is doing them.  Awareness of what is going on, of herself.

  
Virasana (spine, quads, ankles/feet)      Dandasana (shoulders, arms, spine, legs, feet/toes)

A seated practice can be done any time, and can be particularly nice on days when Ciwt is tired, recovering or distracted, after a long walk/hike, or when she just wants to do something creative.

   
Pidgeon variation (heart, hips)    Kurmasana/Tortoise (hips, abdomen, toes)

  

Seated poses can be as complicated as feels right, done with a partner or props, and are very beneficial seated in a chair (at the office) 

5 Etoiles ---- Day 4/67

Walk: Whole Foods
Distance: 2.3 miles



                



Ciwt has never once thought of going to Avignon until seeing these pictures of La Mirande. Probably not very Ciwt, but tres francais, and the fabrics are lovely.