Thursday, November 29, 2012

MISSED MY THIRD . . .

Since April 2012, I have traveled each Wednesday to Del Mar (about a 40-minute freeway drive, if the 'traffic gods' are with me).  That is, excepting 3 Wednesdays -- yesterday was the third.

Why?  Well, you can only drive so much and living in So. Calif. requires a LOT of driving.  I have a workshop this weekend, which will require I drive to LaJolla (maybe 70-minutes, on a REALLY good day) tonight and each of the next 3 days.  I'm excited to do it, tho; drive, that is -- this will be the second more intensive workshop I've done since December 2011.

Now that I've piqued your curiosity, I'll give you the goods:  the workshop presenter is Bo Forbes (for those of you who don't know her, neither do I).  But, the topic is great (therapeutic yoga), and her credentials are stellar (clinical psychologist and yoga instructor/therapist), and she comes highly recommended.  I also did a bit of research on the internet and watched a clip of her teaching before I signed up -- just to be sure what I was getting myself in to.

Why her? and why this topic?  Well, in my teaching, there has been a shift to the more therapeutic (my choice - I love figuring out why something is not working at its optimal state).  And, I remember a statement from one of my teachers -- that the injury/condition will sometimes become a part of a student's identity.  Meaning:  take it away or cure it and what have they got to deal with, worry about, talk about; like that.

Example:  One day, waiting for my Mother at the beauty shop, when a couple came in (her, for a haircut; him, to wait).  He and I acknowledged one another in the small waiting room, and it wasn't long (like 2 minutes) before he was telling me all about his back problems -- how many procedures he'd had, what his limitations were, how bad the pain was.  I had noticed a cane, but I had not said word one to unleash his comments -- just 'hello'.  That single moment became proof positive of what my teacher had said -- this man's identity was clearly entwined with his back issues.  What would happen if someone 'fixed' him; what would he have to think, talk, worry about?

The psychologist part of this presenter promises to unravel just how to deal with students who are tightly connected to their 'stuff'.  Promising isn't it?  I'll keep you posted.

It's also my birthday -- 63 today.  Remember 3 years ago, when I did the dumb countdown to my 60th? That was back when I was posting to this blog every day and - clearly - was searching for stuff to write about.  My gift from my husband?  A stool specifically designed with the guitarist in mind -- not only can you sit on it, but it has a foot rest, and is shaped so that you can lower two levers and it becomes a guitar stand!!!  You must own a guitar to understand how valuable this is.  I have two guitars that I play each day.  One already had a stand, the other I kept in it's case.  How nice it will be to have each guitar out and ready to be played at will.  I also got artwork from the Grand-Dudes (special!), and a gift certificate from Nordstrom's (watch out!).

So, what happens today?  Taking one of the dogs for a longer walk, then teaching one class, then home until time to drive to the first session of the above-mentioned workshop.

I hope you have a great Thursday!


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