Help! Intense pain coming soon...

It's not Cobra pose but I do have one leg - that works.  I posted earlier about my temporary insanity - sliding to the splits, no hands and no warm up after an 8 mile run.  (At least I didn't have a lamp shade on my head).  I heard a pop in my hamstring and haven't been right since.  I walked slowly with a limp well enough later that day and the next.  I've been to Yoga hot and not 3 times since and have walked several times 3 to 4 miles each.  I am functional. 

I WANT TO CRY WHEN I DRIVE.  My darn one leg hurts like a mofo, a bee-atch, and any other non-cursing supurlatives you want to fill-in. 

I have to drive 3 hours with my 3 kids to the beach later this morning.  Does anyone have any hints on making the drive more comfortable.  I'm going to prop til I drop.  Wiggle, wrap ice, take Alleve,  pray and focus on the road.  If you had any ideas on ways to make this more comfortable, I'd really appreciated it.

Oh, and it's my driving leg.  Son of a split!

How do you like your Jesus?

I like to picture my Jesus with angel wings singing lead vocals at a Lynard Skynard concert.  And I'm in the front row hammered drunk.

I like to picture my Jesus with a tuxedo tee-shirt.  You, know something kinda formal that says I'm formal but I like to party.
                                                                       --Cal, Jr. Talladega Nights.

It is with great pride that I confess that my 12 year old son can quote Talladega Nights on command and I laugh every time.  It's not Romans 8:12 but it still takes a good memory.

I coulda used some Jesus on Saturday when I pulled my hamstring. 
I was trying to do this:

On this:

 Oh snap.  Loser.

I had run 8 miles with my sister on a beautiful, unspoiled stretch of earth near her gawgus rivah house on the Potomac. I ccelebrated my run, my health and my pursuit of Yoga Teacher certification with a couple of glasses of  pinot grigio.  She started dancing on the picnic table and I will NOT be outdone I tell you.  I started with Warrior I on the bench and then felt called to slide down to the splits with no hands.  I hope no one else heard the snap because then my faking that I was fine would be found out.  I faked not limping.  Sounds like something our buddy Cal, Jr. from TN (above, left) might do.  But

I FOUND JESUS because I called.  Often I don't call Him but He just shows up like over the crest of a huge hill I'm sludging up or at the finish line of every race or in the face of my child or in the fresh veggies the earth births or in every single solitary Yoga class I take or in my dogs, my friends or yes friends cheesy crass humor that tickles me. 

 Jesus, Clair.  Raise your bar.  Just don't do the splits on it.

Lesson learned:  wine and Yoga tricks don't mix.

What have your learned lately?  Peace out.

Workshop review

On Saturday I participated in a Yoga Workshop led by the 2010 Asana Champions, Kasper Van Den Wijngaard, Brandi Winfield, and Griffen Peddicord at the Bikram Yoga Richmond Innsbrook location.

Here's how it went.  First Kasper (on left in photo) led a beginner Bikram class to a sold out crowd.  His Dutch accent and candence was mesmermizing and soothing and definitely keep my vomit inside, though it was knocking on my thoracic door.  Sold out in a 107 degree room when it's 102 outside means more than you think.  My toes actually touched the water bottle of the girl behind me, to my right (sorry cutie pie in pink).  I got touched by the toes of my neighbor in front. 
But they were champion digits!!  Griffen Peddicord (center) was right in front of me and ever so slightly to my right.  Surely he was so mesmerized by me he just had to feel me.  Even if it was with his toes.  I know you think I'm crazy but I could feel his energy even when his toes weren't gracing my forearm, or head, or.....

After class besides being grateful I was alive, I prepared for a 3-hour workshop.  I exited the Hot Room and hit Nirvana.  Our friends, Kara and Sam provided fresh fruit and home made slushies to us.  HUGE KARMA POINTS.  I saw the beautiful fruit and almost cried.  I went outside to the biggest heat wave in recent history in Virginia and IT FELT BREEZY AND COMFORTABLE.

Here, folks get high on slushies.

Yes that is someone's sweat print on the sidewalk.

Then we returned to the hot room with doors open and watch each champion demonstrate their winning routine from the 2010 Asana Championships in LA in February.  I was moved to tears.  Brandi, complete with flowers in her hair showed us her soul and it was hauntingly beautiful and real.  Then came the fun Q and A, my favorite part because my favorite thing is to talk Yoga and Life.  We learned a little the champions.  They each in their own unique way made me want to live a deeper more Yogic life.  And this is just the way to start...

I took my children to the James River and watched them play on God's green earth.

I know I should adjust my skirt but it was HOT out there. 

Just like the workshop.

What did you do over the weekend?

  

Walking around naked

Alanis, baby.
When I was single living on Monument Avenue in Downtown Richmond in the mid 90's  I would belt out these words by my soul sister Alanis Morrisette...
I recommend getting your heart trampled on to anyone  (I had.)

I recommend walking around naked in your living room...(I wanted to.  Alone or not.  Didn't matter)

And then my very favorite line...

I recommend biting off more than you can chew.  To anyone.  I certainly do. 

So. last week I had a birthday.  In your 40's they come faster and mean more.  My daughter turned 7 the same day I turned 42.   The birthday girls at dinner...

To Alanis' point, I want my children to pusher harder.  Do more.  Explore ideas and interests.  Take that class, try that hobby, play that sport, run that race, love that lonely-looking child at school, eat that vegetable, try that dish, throw away all their trash, study longer, practice more, pray til they sweat, prove the nay-sayers wrong, smile til their face cracks, cry til their eyes are dry because...

You live you learn

You love you learn
You cry you learn
You lose you learn
You bleed you learn
You scream you learn
You grieve you learn
You choke you learn
You laugh you learn
You choose you learn
You pray you learn
You ask you learn

You live you learn.

Can you tell I REALLY like that song.
This year...  I am getting my Yoga Teacher certification.  I might be biting off more than I can chew because it's a add-in.  I've wanted to to this for so many years.  I say bring it on.  I'll end up walking around naked in my living room because the laundry won't be caught up.

 Laundry?  Study Yoga?  Laundry?  Study Yoga?  Hmmmmm.
What's your favorite song?

Here's how I spend my time

Sometimes I feel all cool and evolved and salivating for life.  Like today.  In the middle of 5 zillion errands I found myself a quarter mile from my yoga studio.  With all three of my reasons-for-living with me I decided to stop in and say hi to my hot gumby peeps.  (I talk like that.  No really.)  My son - still on crutches and sweet as cheery pie - says:

"You don't have to do this, Mom.  It looks cool enough from the outside." 

But no.  At that moment, I'm all about seizing the moment so I have him hobble and the girls traipse inside to view my altar to connective tissue.  Two of the coolest Bikram teachers ever are hanging in the reception area and we parade in.  And so it is.  After a warm hello, we walked in the hot room and Nick turned as if he'd walked into a cement wall.  Here's what I got:

"God, that smell, Mom."   -- Nick
"It's not that hot in here."  -- Kathleen
"Can we go now?"  --  Jane

The best part of the day was...

"You know, your Mom's very good at this."  --  Jessica  (Certified Bikram Yoga teacher.)

"You know, she'll be 42 on Sunday."  -- Jane  (beloved daughter who shares my birthday.)

So we went to Target.  Here's how I spend my time.

Brokeback Mountain

Broken foot and other things...

My hero of a son sits here with a broken foot.

 Twist and take it, they say.  The wild pitch.  Get on base.  He did.  He broke his 12 year old size 9 (men's) foot.  After 23 days in polyester, 3 hours a day in 103 heat, he's out.  His team will probably go to the State tournament and he'll be cute in his jersey on the bench.  Not the beast of a player with manners he's come to be.  His cutter moves and drops like a freak of nature and the outfield moves way out when he steps to the plate.  My hero, my 135 pound baby is sidelined and I am sad.  The Norman's will be there though  for the rest of Districts and State to support the Boys of Goochland.  They are on fire.  Like the man he's becoming, my son will take the heat - just not deliver it this time.  The other teams in Virginia just got lucky.

Whoa doggie...

Look at this.

Organic cuke.  My party favor for showing up at the 6 AM Bikram Yoga class yesterday.  I have no words. 

Feeling really really sad about my boy but really really happy about my cuke.  Nuf said.

Going for a run.  Looking for balance. Do you have any?

What happened?

Floridian Meridian and I  miss Manny

It's fartin' hot near the equator.  I realize that 2/3 of the country is in a heat wave but at the waistband of our planet - it freakin' sizzles.  I just returned from a little vacay on the west coast of Florida near Ft. Myers.  I fit right in with my skin cancer as Mohs Surgery Centers are as common as Wawa or Texaco.   Here's Jane and me after the first day of sun.

SPF 50.  Really?  

Manny made me feel better everyday.  I miss him.  Manny is my poolside bartender who had Wednesdays off.  I hate Wednesdays now.  He's from Costa Rica and a father of 4 with a priceless piece of mountaintop property in his homeland.   He's personable and hard-working and honest.  Besides the delicious virgin daiquiri's made with fresh strawberries for my girls, he always made my pinot grigio a healthy pour.  Love it.  Even Jane said she missed Manny. 

I did a back dive.  In my mind (and only mine) I was an Olympian.  Because I haven't done one in probably 20 years.  I turned out about 30and my daughter said she was embarrassed because I was trying to show off.  At almost 42, you're dang right.  At first she was proud.

Then she headed for the Gulf.  Where we all belonged.  I can do back dives in Goochland but not with Manny.  Sniff. 

My workout scheduled suffered a bit...

Yoga everyday outside my condo with the lizards and snapping turtles watching but only one decent run.  It was a really, really good one.  Made me remember I am a runner.  On the beach, on the pavement, on trails.  Always in my heart.  Felt darn good.  What happened?  Maybe it was Manny.  He made me remember the glass is always half full.  Or more. 

When was the last time you did a back dive?