Incremental Adaptation in Everyday Ramblings

On Thursday I went out for a walk around the neighborhood with a cloth mask on by myself to get some exercise of course, but mostly to take some pictures so I would have something new to use in the reminder emails I send to my yoga students. There has been a big change in the angle of the light the last few weeks.

On occasion I will choose an older photo to post here but it is rare, the whole point is to create a mood, put a pin in time to when I am writing these posts and the reminders.

The practice also has a meditative quality, by looking at the world I am moving through for something to share it means I am paying attention to the world around me. Even with that, there are always new things to see.

These days I am teaching two Zoom yoga classes. Most of the activity takes place siting in a chair. We spend maybe 15 minutes of the class standing doing simple movements behind the chair. I am also giving folks the opportunity to relax back on the floor or a bed for the last 15 minutes for deep relaxation. It is very cool because no one needs to go anywhere, once relaxed the student can stay where they are.

Based on the feedback and attendance I think this is all working but I admit the limitations are frustrating for me.

Using the webcam, I have started filming a companion practice for each week’s online instruction that involves using the floor and more standing movements.

This is a lot of work, but it is also labor of love.

Everything is coordinated.

The thing is that no one is watching the recorded practices. That is okay right now because I am working on the video quality, looking at the camera, the lighting, the angle, what colors I wear etc etc. This week I am going to try using my iPhone and see how that works. I want to get the videos to look relatively professional so I can put them up on YouTube. Most Honorable and I have been talking about softboxes and lumens…

I have been teaching for 7 years now, hard to believe, and in preparing for this series I am working on now about the psoas muscle I realized that I know as much as a few of my teachers have shared in paid seminars or courses.

Cool fact about the psoas. About 40% of us have an additional muscle called the psoas minor that is vestigial. We are evolving out of having one. The minor is most helpful in both being on all fours, (rabbits have strong ones), and my favorite thing, swinging from tree branch to tree branch with the knees bent.

I have no clue if I have one. As far as I can tell it is more prevalent in White folks, so it is possible. I certainly loved the monkey bars when I was a kid.

Another challenge is to write up all this practical knowledge into a searchable format, so I don’t have to reinvent the wheel say when I am teaching knees or shoulders or… Currently I have detailed notes written in notebooks and hand drawn classes.

Charity has hunkered down for the next three days in her air-conditioned apartment with the Discovery Channel and her New Yorkers as it is supposed to be scorching hot.

Mrs. Sherlock and Frieda are coming over in a couple of hours to go for an early walk around the neighborhood. Medical Grade surgical masks are becoming available here now and I just ordered a box. The cloth masks are great for a fashion statement and warmth but no fun when it is hot hot.

Then I think I will chance it when I get home and make zucchini bread with walnuts and cinnamon. A treat for later in the day snuggled up with the cats and a murder mystery. Grateful I am for the privileges I have.

We adapt. Us humans, we are good at that.

Last updated August 15, 2020