cha-cha-cha-changes

It has been about a month since I last blogged, but it actually feels like much longer than that because the days have been flying by.  My theatre job ended and I immediately started working in TV again as a set costumer and I have been loving every minute of it!  And there have been many many minutes.  I average about 12-16 hours a day, usually 4-5 days a week, so my typical week has been anywhere from 40-60+ hours, depending on the situation.  Occasionally I'll work 8 or 10 hours...12 seems short sometimes!  My schedule is unpredictable and always changing, and I'm always working in different locations, whether I'm working on location or at the studios.  I "dayplay" which means I work on different shows as a freelancer, and I'm currently working mostly on The Blacklist and Elementary, with a couple of days on The Good Wife very recently. To someone who does not work in TV or Theatre, this probably seems like a totally insane way to live.  And it is.  And I have to admit I love it.

I feel like my life has changed completely in the last month, and that is because it has.  I have decided to put teaching yoga on the back burner for a while.  There are a few reasons why this is the best choice for me right now, which include not only healing myshoulder situation (updates on that later) but also lots of financially based reasons.  Also, TV work is what seems to be happening for me right now, this work just sort of starting coming to me, so I'm going to ride the wave, rather than struggle with a new business in which I have very little connections locally.  Of course, I have been working hard in the costuming field for a long time, so in a sense, I have been trying to find my niche in that area for quite some time.

I just have to say that I'm very happy.  I'm feeling very connected to the shows I am working on, and feeling proud to be part of a couple of fantastic crews.  And I'm making a healthy paycheck, which is nice.  I'm socializing, meeting tons of new people, and visiting places I'd never have access to if I wasn't working these jobs.
 
Yoga will always be a part of my life, and I love sharing it with people and feel very connected in my soul through teaching.  Which is why I'm not abandoning it forever, just stepping away for a while until I figure out a way to make it work for me.  I'm thinking that perhaps trying to go straight to privates or to go the corporate route might be best, once I've established myself enough in the TV world to be able to have a regularly scheduled day off in which to teach yoga.  I've heard that there are a couple of ladies out there in the biz that have managed to combine the two careers successfully, and I hope to meet them and get some advice.  But for now I'm going to keep plugging away at my day job(s). 

For those of you who enjoy reading my blog just because I write it and don't care if I talk about yoga or not, first of all- I love you! second, I hope to write a little bit about my work, because it can be oh-so-entertaining!

Until then, please enjoy this photo of me in wheel over a giant fish costume that was sexed up by John Hamm a couple of years ago on SNL.  See, I was combining my yoga and costuming career before I even thought about teaching in NY!

Short list of hotel room/traveling comforts

I'm currently traveling for work and living in a hotel room for 10-ish days, writing this post on my itty bitty phone, so I will keep this simple. The theme of simplicity is right on target with living in a hotel room, and I enjoy that connection.
I may be traveling again soon for work, but for a much longer time, so naturally I am taking notes from this trip. Part of me is nervous about the possibility of being on the road for almost 2 months, given my aching shoulder situation, but the way I see it, my shoulder is going to do what it's going to do, no matter where I am.
So, here is my list of things that make living in a hotel room, working long hours and being away from home not only comfy, but maybe even therapeutic.. I would like to be able to pack all of these things for future work trips.

1) foot therapy ball. (Google it) sooo good on the arches
2) tennis ball for self massage (back/shoulders/hips) against the wall
3) yoga mat- it's so nice to have enough room in my hotel room to just leave it out!
4) wine
5) lavender essential oil. I fling it all over the room or add it to my table side humidifier- (if I've brought it). Can also be used in the bath or as perfume
6) allergy meds- at least for the first couple days. It seems to help my reaction to recirculated air and offensively stoing cleaning products- I have a super sensitive nose
7) vitamins- gotta keep the immune system healthy. Especially important is vitamin D and shoulder meds for anti-inflammation
8) journal. Quiet alone time in a hotel room can lead to much self reflection, list-making, note taking, drawing etc.
9)book to read.
10) organic coconut oil for oil pulling. It's a routine I have developed and it's nice to be able to maintain that. It could also be used on the hair for a deep conditioning treatment, or on skin for a moisturizer.
11) bathing suit for jacuzzi

Extra bonus therapeutic/comfort things aka items I wish I had brought but felt I could do without for a long week. It might be nice to bring these things for a longer trip:
1) bedside mini humidifier
2) heating pad
3) neti pot
4) manicure supplies- polish, remover, file. It's nice to be able to freshen up the nails...

but wait, there's more...

Last night when I arrived home, there was a birthday package waiting for me.  I checked the return address and was excited that it came from Morgantown, West Virginia, home of my soul-sister, Elizabeth of BlissBlissBliss.  Elizabeth and I have shared a beautiful friendship for 19 years and I could probably write a blog post about the things I have learned from her and ways that she and her family have enriched my life, but that isn't the project for today!  Today's post is inspired by last night's phone conversation and our discussion of homeopathic remedies, yoga and pain management.

As I opened the surprise box, I snapped some photographs and texted them to her, along with my first reactions to her gifts, in an effort to share the experience.  Elizabeth has a knack for gift-giving; everything is chosen and packaged colorfully with such thought and love, and it's always a treat for the senses to receive a gift from her. There is usually a lot of colorful, pretty sparkly goodness and oftentimes good smelling items as well. Included in my present were a couple of personal items, some tea from Elizabeth's own kitchen, and a book by Jack Kornfield from her library.  This was extra special to me.  I opened the book to this page and sent the picture to E.

 It says: 1)In business, reinvest a portion of all you make, keep a portion for your use, save a portion for those in need.
2)Whatever we cultivate in times of ease, we gather as strength for times of change. 
The first quote reminded me that I probably should not shop for a new Fall wardrobe right now and felt kind of like motherly advice and somewhat nagging- ha! Still it is good advice and timely.  The second  really resonated with me and made me smile.  It made me happy for myself that I know how to have a good time and appreciate being in the moment.  I reflected on what I do during "times of ease" and made a connection to sowing seeds for a garden.  It was reassuring.

Sending photos and texting was a fun way to share a moment long distance, but soon we grew tired of typing on tiny keypads and just called each other.  During our conversation, E asked what all I was doing for my shoulder, and I listed some of the remedies/therapies I'd been practicing.  I realized that I forgot to list these in my previous post, so I'm adding them here now.

1) I've been laying on this spiked bolster, made by Lotus, NY. I first saw an ad for a similar product in Yoga Journal a few years ago, but it was a towel/meditation mat covered in these plastic spikes.  The idea is that you lay on it and, as in acupuncture, the nerve endings just below the skin are stimulated, releasing endorphins into the blood, stimulating blood circulation and increasing intake of oxygen.  I LOVE this thing!  It's super weird, and slightly painful upon first contact, but it totally relaxes me when I lean into it.  This pillow has helped my insomnia.  I lay with the bolster running the length of my spine, and have found it to be an  instant sedative.  Sometimes I lay on it under my low back, stimulating the kidneys and digestive organs, and I feel like it helps me to detox.  Sometimes I put it right around my hurt shoulder and I feel like that is helping because it's sending fresh oxygen to those muscles.  But overall, I like this bolster because it feels good and instantaneously clears my mind.

2) Rolling a tennis ball between my back and the wall*
It's remarkable how deeply I can massage my own muscles with almost no effort.  I am saving so much money and blasting out all of the huge knots in my back by standing against the wall, with the tennis ball under my shoulder blades and slowly rolling up and down by bending my knees.  This is a practice I'd like to incorporate into the restorative yoga classes I teach.
*bonus points because I do squats at the same time, multi-tasking getting more exercise into my day!

3) Arnica Gel:  I'm not sure if this is working because on the tube the directions say that it is good for fresh injuries, and mine is old, but I figure it doesn't hurt!

4)Vitamins C, E and Zinc:  I read somewhere online that these vitamins would help to speed the healing of tendons, and strengthen bones.  While I am already taking a multi, fish oil,  liquid vitamin B, and D on the recommendation of my GP (to keep my thyroid in check), I thought I would try to supplement and see if that helps too.

and the 5th item that is helping me to heal is the act of sharing love with good friends, family and animals, whenever I can.

The 40 year old shoulder, aka my excuses for not blogging lately

 A post is long overdue.  During the summer, when I didn't have a "day job" and was focusing on teaching yoga and developing my career, social media upkeep was higher on my priority list.  But now that I'm back at work plus teaching classes, I just haven't had the time.  I guess it's really only been a couple of weeks, but it feels like forever since I've sat with my laptop at the coffee shop and just typed typed typed away.  I miss it.

I got primal on my birthday

There are other contributing factors to my recent dip in devotion to blogging.  One is that I was busy trying to figure out what to do for my 40th birthday.  I am not a person who is disturbed with my own process of aging, in fact, I'm pretty fascinated by it.  I could live without some of the side-effects like memory loss, achey body parts, and changes in skin elasticity, but overall, it doesn't bother me.  I think I'm aging naturally pretty well and I'm thankful for that. However, now that I've crossed that 40 threshold, I have noticed that life feels slightly different.  Like any major life change such as losing a parent, getting married, getting divorced, moving across the country, starting a new career (all of which I have experienced, some more than once), it's one of those happenings that you can't just ignore and pretend hasn't happened.  For better or for worse, things are just kind of different.

 I hadn't really considered this to be a "major" birthday for me until about a month before the day.  I like birthdays, and tend to celebrate for days. Because I didn't feel like this year was a big deal -yet everyone around me seemed to think it was and wanted to talk about it- I felt disconnected from the idea of the event.  Why didn't I have any strong feelings about it? What was there to talk about?  It's a birthday.  I started to feel very introspective. Then, all of a sudden it kind of hit me and I was pretty emotional in the days leading up to August 29th.  It grew to be a big-ish deal in my head. I was thinking about my life and 40 and "am I where I want to be" and "what do I really want out of life" "I'm so lucky to have this and be that" business.  I started thinking about aging and where will I be 20 years from now, and will I be healthy?
Will I be broke?
Will I be single?
Will I still be interested in having sex? (I think I know the answer to that one)
Will I still be in Brooklyn?  If so, will I like it?

morning glory or tiny universe?

Will I have a roommate? be shacked up? be homeless?
Will I have a pet? what about kids?
Will I have a garden?
Will I still be teaching yoga? doing costumes?
Will I have a place in the country?
...and more related questions.  Of course, I won't know the answers until 20 years from now, if I'm still alive and coherent. But it's nice for me to be preoccupied with thoughts about the big picture of my life, to check in with myself again at this stage and to experience the emotions that come up with this kind of self-reflection.  It's also nice to let all of that go.

 For the record, I had a wonderfully decadent birthday celebration in the country with sweet friends.  I ate lots of butter and sweets, drank coffee, booze, played scrabble, drew pictures, cooked, chatted, wandered,  wondered, joked, picked fruit, fed a horse from the palm of my hand, slept in, socialized and more. It was perfect.

drawing of sumac. it's poisonous and powerful

Anyway, another reason I've been dropping the ball on blogging is because I have gone full force crazy time with my effort to heal my rotator cuff injury. I reached a point of supreme annoyance, sadness, frustration, etc. about being in pain.  Though it's not severe, it's chronic and I don't want to live like this anymore so I'm kicking my shoulder's ass and taking it's name.  My wholistic prescription:
1)acupuncture 2X a week
2)lots of epsom salt baths
3)heating pad at night
4)anti-inflammatory meds
5)being more mindful in the ways I use my arm
6)doing my PT stretches
7)doing my PT strengthening exercises
8)doing some yoga daily, but avoiding shoulder
9)taking time to relax by cutting down on my socializing and projects/not over-busying myself.
10)***practicing the art of patience***

All of those things take time too, which takes time away from blogging, unfortunately. 

So far, it seems my shoulder is starting to feel a little better.  I have committed to doing all of these things for at least 6 weeks before I decide it's hopeless and I'll never heal and I hate my rotator cuff forever. I know I'd never really do that, because I have learned not to hate any part of myself and to only love myself (thanks 40!) But sometimes it helps me to toy with the idea of playing out the dramatic option, even though I know I won't do that. So that I can remind myself that I am making good choices....

But for now, I'll focus most of my efforts on #10 while I heal and reflect on my path in this life, today.

My Current Resume, Bio and Business Card

Over the past few months, I have been making progress in the paperwork department of my yoga teaching career.  In order to start getting paid by the studio, there is a list of items that I need submit to them.  Included in this list is my resume, headshot, bio, EIN #,  and other types of documents for tax purposes.  I figured that since I put together a Yoga resume, I might as well add it to my blog.  However, not being particularly technologically savvy, I can't figure out how to do that!  I have spent many minutes too many looking through possible gadgets and such, but I have only enough patience to post it this way right now!

 

My bio also follows:

~My interest in yoga first developed some time around 1999 when I found a vintage yoga book in a thrift store in Austin that changed my life.  Over the years, my interest grew as I went from teaching myself in my living room, to taking classes at studios in my neighborhood, to developing a committed home practice, completing an intensive 200hr. Teacher Training program in Pittsburgh, PA, and now blogging and teaching restorative yoga in Brooklyn.  Throughout many changes in my life, yoga has been a support for me in many ways.  Having experienced it’s numerous benefits physically, emotionally, and energetically, I believe that yoga is a key to unlocking happiness in several ways, but especially physically by releasing some of the pain and emotional discomfort that we hold onto deep in our bodies- areas such as the hips and shoulders and even our guts!  By beginning to release that, we can begin to free ourselves emotionally, and that feels good.  I currently teach gentle and restorative classes that support therapeutic release and deep relaxation.  My classes are suitable for new students as well as advanced yogis. I honestly feel that every person in the world can benefit from practicing some form of yoga!

I ordered these super cute business cards on Moo.com. My only regret in designing them is that I did not include the address to this blog.  I just couldn't find a look that I was happy with because wherever I placed it, it just seemed to crowd the space of the page, and I wanted to keep an open, light feel.  That's OK because these are my first yoga business cards and I'm sure I'll end up ordering some other ones once I have given all of these away. 

my first private yoga session

One of my career goals as a yoga teacher is to have private clients as well as teach corporate yoga.  (OK, so that's TWO goals...) I have had a little experience teaching corporate yoga through a few free classes at StoryCorps but that was a short lived and poorly-attended introduction to it.  Ideally I would go to big businesses and office spaces and teach a few classes a week to employees in their space, paid for by the corporation.  I'm really attracted to the idea of bringing yoga to people who work in highly stressful jobs, and see this offering from their employer as a major perk, and one day I hope to be part of that world.  So far I have not had the chance to consult yoga one on one...until recently.

I send out a weekly email listing my class times and locations that sometimes includes a little update on my progress if something exciting has happened on my yoga journey.  Through this weekly email blast, a friend of mine, Ursula, who owns and runs a printing press (and makes beautiful cards!!!), contacted me for advice on what type of class to take for some work related pain she is experiencing and expressed interest in having a private class. While I recommended my restorative class, as it would be beneficial for pretty much anyone and requires no muscular effort or any previous yoga experience, restorative poses wouldn't necessarily target the areas that are bothering her and bring her the type of muscular relief she is seeking.  Restorative yoga could bring her energetic and emotional relief in addition to relief from stress and would help to rejuvenate her, but I couldn't guarantee it would help her specific ailment, because that is not the focus of restorative yoga.
I was hesitant to recommend another class since I didn't know her yoga experience or what was going on with her pain, so a private seemed the best idea.  I was very excited to be meet the challenge of assessing her needs and creating a practice just for her.  I made a list of some questions that I thought would be useful not just for her situation, but for future private clients as well.   I didn't want to get too clinical or impersonal (or personal) on our visit so I didn't ask every single question, but we discussed quite a few of the following and I was able to make an assessment of her situation:

(not Ursula's press, I just liked the image)

-what kind of space do you have/ do you have a space available to practice at home?
-who is home/around/in your space when you can practice? (babies, pets, spouses, roommates)
-how much time are you able to give? (15minutes? an hour?  10 in the morning, 10 at night?)
-what time of day will you practice?
- do you do repetitive motions at work?  what are they like?
-do you sit or stand all day or walk around? 
-are you seeing/have you seen a doctor/chiropractor/therapist?
-are you going through a stressful situation/life change?
-how would you describe your sleep habits?
-what is your goal with this private yoga session?  is it physical, emotional...what do you want to get from this?
-what is your diet like?
-what is your experience with yoga so far?

this is the type of press she uses!

Ursula showed me her workspace and demonstrated running the paper press so that I could see the repetitive movements she makes.  I even tried it a couple of times to get a feel for it myself.  She described a shooting/sharp pain originating in her left hip, more towards the back than the front, and also complained of occasional but increasing wrist pain. Looking at the press, I was surprised that Ursula is not feeling any shoulder discomfort -probably because I feel so much shoulder pain that I am constantly aware of and empathetic to it!  But because she is experiencing hip pain, usually there is some compensation in other regions, and for me it is always the shoulders, so I was surprised (and relieved) that she feels fine there. I looked at her shoulders and I noticed that one did seem to be sitting just barely higher than the other.  It was something that nobody would ever notice at all, unless they were looking for it, which I was.  This is totally common and not necessarily related to what's going on in her hip, but I thought it was interesting to note. As a costume designer and an (out of practice) figure drawer, (and a student of anatomy) I love it when I turn on my observant artists eye and I notice things like this!  People's bodies are so interesting to look at, to really observe and see all of the little things that make us so unique!  In my world of costuming, one of my favorite parts of the process of building costumes is taking measurements.  Two people can have almost the same measurements yet their bodies look nothing alike because of things like posture, muscle development, where fat sits on the body and the effects of gravity.  It's so cool!  -My observant yoga teacher eye notices not so much if someone is short-waisted or has long fingers, but how their body (diaphragm and chest) moves when they breathe, or if they are holding their shoulders up to their ears or if their face is super clenched up.  It's neat for me to use all of these qualities of observation...I am thankful to all of those years of figure drawing for developing my eye... but anyway, I'm getting side-tracked...

So after meeting with Ursula, I went home and started researching.  I had a hunch that she is having an issue with sciatica.  I'm not a doctor, but based on my little bit of anatomy training, and books that I have, my sources pointed to that.  My therapeutic yoga books all warned to be cautious with doing yoga (particularly forward bends) if there is an issue with the sciatic nerve, so I thought it best she see a doctor before we proceed. Since neither of us really know what's going on, I wouldn't want to risk her hurting herself more or doing more damage, so the major yoga prescription is on hold for now.  In terms of the wrist pain, I think we can work with that and I can show her a few simple exercises that would help to alleviate that irritation.

Pepper Press!

While I could be upset that my first private yoga session wasn't fully executed in that I wasn't able to develop a practice for her, demonstrate and teach it to her (yet!), I don't feel like it was a waste of time or a loss in any way.  She is going to see a chiropractor (I recommended Dr. Grant of course!) and perhaps also try some acupuncture (on my suggestion, since it has been so helpful with my shoulder pain management), so I am glad that she is taking steps to heal her pain.  And that is a very yogic way!  Yoga is about listening to your body, respecting what it is saying to you, and honoring that.  While she may not be doing asanas (poses) yet, she is certainly practicing ahimsa... "non-injury".. the act of not hurting one's self or others :)  And in the end, I feel good because I too am practicing ahimsa by not choosing to push her to do yoga for my own selfish reasons of wanting to teach!
-

Yoga+Gardens=Happy Celina

Today I had the pleasure of assisting Sarah Schumann, the owner of Shambhala Yoga and Dance Center, in an open level class at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, in the Cherry Tree Esplanade!  It was a peaceful and supportive setting and this was quite a lovely way to spend my Sunday morning. 
I arrived at the Gardens right as the security guard was opening up the gates and was among the first few people to enter the gardens.  Quiet surrounded me and I was quickly humbled by the enormous trees and I felt small yet expansive as I strolled towards the rose garden.  I am used to walking through the gardens with other people milling about, and it felt very special to be there as it was practically empty. I took my time as I headed towards our yoga spot.  I noticed the range of emotions that came up as I contemplatively walked through the greenery, I noticed how quiet and calm I became.  The BBG is a special place for me, and I have memories associated with every visit I have experienced there, some happy, some painful.  Though the grounds are thoughtfully landscaped, and therefore not "natural" in the sense of being like untouched mountains or a babbling creek, it is still a place that I like to go to when I need a break from the city and need to be recharged by nature.  I always feel at peace when I'm there, and I was excited to combine two of my loves together- Yoga+Gardens=Happy Celina.
As I moseyed down the sidewalk towards the visitor's center, I saw a pair of giant brown tree-bark-looking moth/butterfly-creatures, just chilling smack dab in the center of the sidewalk.  They stayed still for a while and kindly posed for my picture.  These moth-beasts appeared to be around 4" tall and even seemed to be situated on or attached to some kind of strange base (not visible in the photo)....maybe it was their excrement?  Anyway, they were cool-looking...a cross between tree bark and a moth and a butterfly.  That's the thing about being in nature, whether it's constructed or wild; there are always moments when creatures or plants or water features command your attention and cause you to slow down a bit and ponder life and all of its wonders. 
As I approached the esplanade, yogis were getting settled in the area, some chatting, some remaining introverted, some busying themselves by setting up their mats and removing shoes, etc.  An adorable family came together for the morning class, and as I introduced myself to them, I learned that they had experienced the last esplanade class together as a family as well.  I can't think of anything sweeter!
I joined everyone under the trees and opted to remain matless, as I had planned to move around while assisting.  It was a joy to feel the moist grass on my bare toes, my feet traveled in tune with the tiny hills and valleys of the ground.  Sarah led a sweet class, focusing on our awareness of ourselves in our bodies, in this place outside, among the trees, the grass, the sky, the air, the clouds, and our neighbors.  She has a wonderful approach and voice, and effortlessly guided us to connect our own physical bodies with the earth by beginning the class with a focus on our toes and the balls of our feet.  It was an effective way to bring this awareness of the real physical connection of earth and skin that we were lucky to experience, barefoot in the grass.  
Though my shoulder injury is still nagging me, I was happy to be able to demonstrate and practice with the group for a good amount of the class without abusing myself.  I felt connected to the class in a way that is a different experience from being a student, or a teacher.  I was neither leading as a guide, thinking and vocalizing as I would be as the teacher, nor was I listening intently to follow directions, focusing and challenging myself as I would be in the student role.  Assisting allowed me to gently guide and give manual adjustments, demonstrate, participate or quietly sit back and observe and share the energy of the group.   The class had it's own unique pace for me, which I created...and it was blissful!
Though this was the last yoga class of the summer at the BBG, Sarah has plans to continue the program though the fall and in the winter, and I look forward to practicing in the gardens.  As a person who grew up in Las Vegas, where 4 seasons refers to a hotel, not a reflection of climate cycles, I take great joy in witnessing the visible, colorful changes that happen in plant life.  I can not wait to experience yoga at the Gardens again come fall and winter.  Until then, I'll continue to enjoy teaching my restorative classes at Shambhala.