November 24, 2011
“On Thanksgiving Day we acknowledge our dependence.” William Jennings Bryan Though I consider myself fiercely independent, I do, indeed rely on so many throughout the day. To those upon whose hearts and spirits my strength and independence depends: Thank You to the PD community for your determination and humor. Both buoy me. Thank You to the woman on the elevator at the doctor’s office for your compliment. I thought about our encounter you all day. Thank You to the grocery bagger in checkout line 3 – I appreciate your care not to squish the avocados and not to pack so much into those giant cloth bags I bring. That way I can carry them. Thank You all who read this blog, for letting me share my musings with you. Thank you to my art teachers – you’re opening new worlds for me. Thank you to my friends and family who […]
November 4, 2011
It could be said that haiku is the yoga of poetry. The art of this traditionally seventeen-syllable piece rests in words that flow into a focused, present, meditative form. The beauty of yoga lies in the mind-body that flow into a focused, present, meditative form. I like to read poetry in yoga class, weaving the heart of the quotation or stanza through our asana practice. Today in class, we created our own words to move by. At the start of class, we took turns around the circle. Each of us listed one word that, to us, represents yoga. We moved through the warm-ups and poses, the adjectives and verbs in the air around us. Following savasana, they were turned into pure poetry: Council on Aging Yoga Class Haiku #1: Fun concentration focuses on opening, stretching attitude Council on Aging Yoga Class Haiku #2: Relax into peace, movement brings serenity pleasure, […]
October 31, 2011
At the Young Onset Parkinson’s Northeast Conference, I did something I hadn’t done in a long time. Years. Decades. I danced. After my childhood stroke, with literally half a leg to stand on, I crossed Dancer off my list of possible careers, hobbies and even casual past-times. But that didn’t keep me off stage in high school. Tall and not-so-graceful, the musical director cast me as an Amazon in “The King & I.” In my role, I stood cross-armed and at attention, guarding the entryway in each scene involving the king. Though I appeared more often than the wives — perhaps more often than Anna — in my role, I spoke no lines and certainly did not dance. I ventured onto the dance floor in college and at weddings. Two-stepping, waltzing, or lining up to do the Macarena called for so much concentration to get the footing right, to stay […]