Yoga, WASL, Passover and writing...
Also known as: How to drive Erin insane in a week.
My students began the WASL last week. They all seem to be doing fine, and are handling it very well. I, on the other hand, am a basket case. I just want one normal day. One where I don't have to check, double-check, and then re-check what time they all go to recess. One where I know when they have art/music/PE (or if they even have one of them). I want a day where I can plan my lessons and be reasonably assured I'll get to teach them...and not just teach the science lesson (dissecting owl pellets takes forever!!).
And since I was such a wreck all week, I decided to give yoga a third (or was it a fourth?) chance. This time it 
went fairly well, all things considered. Well, until the next day when moving my arms took an immense amount of effort. I still don't believe humans are meant to bend these ways. One move required me to stand on one leg, bent over at the hips, while using one arm for balance and the other extended up in the air above me. Then I was supposed to twist. The directions alone are were confusing enough, let alone the execution of them. But I will admit to feeling pretty darn zen-like by the end, when we got to my favorite pose. You know, the one where you lie flat on your back like a corspe? Yeah, I really like that one.
went fairly well, all things considered. Well, until the next day when moving my arms took an immense amount of effort. I still don't believe humans are meant to bend these ways. One move required me to stand on one leg, bent over at the hips, while using one arm for balance and the other extended up in the air above me. Then I was supposed to twist. The directions alone are were confusing enough, let alone the execution of them. But I will admit to feeling pretty darn zen-like by the end, when we got to my favorite pose. You know, the one where you lie flat on your back like a corspe? Yeah, I really like that one. Saturday brought the first night of Passover (Pesach to those in the know), and 8 guests to my apartment. I worked in the a.m., and the guests were due at 6:30. Theoretically this left me with about 5 hours (give or take 30 minutes) to make the charoset (yummy apples & nuts mixture), clean the apartment and set up the table. At 4:30 I finally made it home from the second grocery store of the day, with most of the ingredients I needed.
Among all of this madness (or is this just normal life in my world?) I needed to get 55 pages of my manuscript read so that I can dive back into work this week. It was close. Sunday at noon I was still 25 pages short and looking at another Seder that was guaranteed to go well passed my bedtime (and it did). But I did it. I buckled down at the computer and read. And read. Ate some matza, and read some more. And while I have an obnoxious craving for all things bread/pasta related, I'm just about ready to get back to the writing of WHISI.
Labels: Jewish musings, teaching, writers aren't crazy, writing
posted by Erin @ 4:43 PM
2 Comments:
The giving up pasta and bread would be brutal for me. I have a carb addiction. Tragic really.
I've also been trying to get back into yoga. The difference between us, though, is that I love it. I think I lucked out years ago by stumbling upon a class in the Hatha style that was perfect for me. It taught me proper alignment as well as the mindset that helps one get the most out of yoga. My advice to you is to try different styles until you find one that does work for you. Have you ever checked out the free classes on yogatoday.com? They do a blend of different styles with a new class every day. I did one last Saturday that was a very good Hatha yoga. Check it out! (P.S., the classes are only on the site for a week before they're replaced with new classes).
Gosh, I sound like a commercial. I just love it that much!
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