alexexpressions

Six Degrees of Waffle House

I recently got an assignment from my editor at timesquare.com asking me to interview a jazz musician named Joe Alterman. I said yes, but I was shaking in my boots a bit. I am nothing close to a trained journalist (or any kind of journalist for that matter). I decided instead of approaching it as a writer who knows nothing about giving interviews, I would put on my thinking cap and just go balls to the wall. However, that involved several minor freak outs. Thankfully, my fiance Nate has had some training in that area, and I definitely didn’t want him doing my assignment for me, but he did help me a great deal (aka saved my ass*****).

My research showed me that Joe Alterman was a 22 year-old recent graduate of NYU from Atlanta. “Ok, he’s from the 2 and a half hours from my hometown, let him know that from the start of the interview so he knows we have a similarity, and  if all else fails go back to that,” I thought to myself.

I tried to keep my cool before I did the interview, which was over the phone. I decided that I would not drop the ball under any circumstances and would remain insanely professional even if I lost my footing. That went out the window, but for a great reason. Joe turned out to be so personable, and as soon as I told him I was from Greenville, he exclaimed, “Waffle House Crew!” So we ended up talking about Waffle House in all its glory before we proceeded with the interview, which I believe turned out to be successful because we ended up talking like two 22 year-olds who found out they had a quite a bit in common (in fact, we found out after it was published that we have a mutual friend!).

I’m so happy the interview was successful, even if I did forget to record out of my speakers….really? headphones kill the sound output if you don’t do that (I totally know that, but pretending I don’t makes me feel a little bit better about my mistake)? The interview was so memorable that I got much of it in writing verbatim once I realized I didn’t have the audio. It was quite a crazy ride getting there, but here’s the link to the finished product

*****I noticed that when writing about yoga I feel much more inclined to watch my mouth, but when writing about writing (heehee that sounds funny) and most other things, my typical Alex sarcasm switch flips on

So I’ve been writing some stuff…..

So I’ve been a REALLY bad blogger, and to be honest, the blog hasn’t been of high priority. But, this is for a good reason: I’ve been getting a slew of professional writing gigs lately! I have had some articles published here and there, and I have an internship with timesquare.com writing restaurant reviews! 

I know it’s totally cliche, but this phase in my life is teaching me to “expect the unexpected.” A few years ago, if you asked me what I’d be doing post-graduation, I thought I’d be auditioning for dance gigs and trying to make ends meet by teaching yoga. Dance is and will always be a huge part of my life, and I do want to find a way to incorporate it into my career, but I’m not quite sure how it will fit. I feel like I’m someone who can use both sides of my brain (creative and logical), and right now I’m trying to  highlight things that encompass that aspect of my personality. I’m finding that writing is one of the best ways possible for me to do that.

As far as yoga is concerned, I’m still teaching a beginner class at Creative Vibrations at 5:45 on Wednesdays. I’m also subbing kids’s classes for a few different people. I’m really hoping that I can find a place that will really allow me to use my creative freedom when building my sequences, but I also have so much on my plate that I can’t imagine adding too much more.

Thanksgiving and a Hand Turkey

I feel like as a yoga teacher, it is my duty to post something inspirational about Thanksgiving. It is the holiday where, hence the name, we are supposed to give thanks. I was trying to come up with something new and insightful to write about Thanksgiving, and my mind was running dry. I soon realized, there isn’t necessarily a need to come up with some novel concept. Some might argue that it shouldn’t take turkey and pilgrims to necessitate giving thanks, but in such a busy world, at least we’ve maintained the tradition.

If you’re a yogi, next time you practice, perhaps focus on sending out gratitude-filled energy. Your practice is for *you*, but dedicating your practice to someone or something for which you’re thankful, even if it’s the fact that you are capable of movement can feel extremely rewarding for you and the recipient.

I’ll admit, I’m not always the most outwardly giving person, but I’ve felt incredibly lucky lately. My fiance’s business is lifting off the ground, I’ve been building my career slowly but surely, and my loved ones are all healthy. I dedicate my pre-dinner practice (which is probably a lost cause in terms of fitness, Turkey Day is one of the few days where nutrition shamelessly goes out the window) to all of those that support me and what I do.

Now that I’ve gotten the sentimental stuff out, WHO’S READY FOR SOME STUFFING? MEEEEE!

I also have to mention my (not very) fabulous children’s book. I’ve become a regular sub at P.S. 9 for their after-school program, and I decided to integrate Thanksgiving into yoga. They love to color, and so I had them illustrate a book I wrote. “A VERY YOGA THANKSGIVING.” They were kind of curious as to why Tom the Turkey likes to do yoga, to which I replied “I don’t know, just color!” So my story wasn’t very cohesive, they (being first and second graders) humored me, and we had hand turkeys and tree poses galore.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

p.s. I am not responsible for this hand turkey. It’s awesome, though.

Whatever the Weather–In Yoga Class

Dealing with Wonky Weather Outside–In Yoga Class

Over here on the east coast, Fall weather can be a bit bipolar. By a bit, I mean VERY. One day it’s in the high 60′s, and a few days later, it’s snowing. Ok, the snowstorm we had in October was rare for the time of year, but the flip flopping of temperatures and rabidly crazy weather certainly aren’t.

Given the crazy mix of hot and cold weather, I decided to focus my class last night on maintaining our internal body temperature. I tried to guide my students through a sequence that yielded awareness of the rise and fall of body heat, in a safe manner of course. There are many forces we can’t control, like the weather, but there are things we can do to help our bodies find an appropriate and comfortable temperature, on and off the mat. 

Our breath is one way that our bodies regulate  temperature, and so I explained  to my students why certain pranayama (breath control in yoga) might be present in class. For instance, kapalbhati, or breath of fire, is a means to create heat. On the contrary , simhasana, or lion’s breath (I typically practice this in downward facing dog), cools the body. My students might have giggled as they let out their inner lion, but they seemed to appreciate the brawn of their breath.

One of the wonders of yoga is that it gives us an ability to look inward into our bodily needs. Another wonder is that it gives us the tools to fulfill such needs. Maybe walking down a crowded street sticking your tongue out and growling like a lion in hot weather isn’t advisable if you want to have some semblance of sanity, but knowing you have access to something so simple but powerful is incredibly compelling.

Pumpkin Days

So, I’ve been a bit of a bad blogger lately. Part of the reason might be because I have procured a few other writing gigs, but it’s mostly due to my weird schedule. On my busy days, I am REEEEALLY busy, and conversely, on my lazy days (which there aren’t very many of) I am REEEEALLY lazy. Hey, it’s yin and yang.

Anywho, I was feeling under the weather today, and after being in bed for most of the day and exhausting my internet and TV options, I decided that I needed to bake a treat to use up the extra pumpkin I bought for pumpkin cupcakes. Then I spent about 20 minutes looking for the right recipe for whatever it even was I was going to make. If I am not baking for a party or gathering, my concoction HAS to be remotely healthy because I will devour it in an unreasonably short amount of time (not the most yogic trait, but baked good-willpower is not a virtue I was born with). I also had to find a recipe that only involved ingredients I have in my pantry, as I did not want to change out of my polka dot pajama pants and fiance’s plaid shirt (hot, right?) to walk alllllll the way downstairs to buy anything else.

Long story short, I settled on this recipe for pumpkin bread, and OH-EM-GEE! It is delicious! To make it lower in fat and calories, I subbed eggbeaters for eggs and unsweetened applesauce for oil. A teeny pat of butter and a little bit of maple syrup on top, and you’ve got a winner.

recipe here

Vegging Out

So I know that this blog has been more of an attempt to be inspirational, but this is my first real day off in about 3 weeks, and DAMN it feels good. I always wanted to marry someone whose last name starts with a ‘Y’ so my initials would spell L.A.Z.Y., but instead I’m going for the “C” last name, but that fulfills another hope that I would marry someone whose last name is at the beginning of the alphabet so I’m not always friggin’ last.

Ok…I digress. A lot.

Sometimes, you just gotta sit in bed in your sweats, watch copious amounts of television, or whatever it is you do to relax. 

That said, I have some cool stuff on the horizon. Stay tuned.

my cuddle buddy for the day

Finding Ways to Enjoy the Crazyness

Wow! Things went from being fairly slow to CRAZY busy in the past three or so weeks! Everyone told me freelancing would be like this, and it was hard to believe that when I didn’t feel like opportunities were coming. In just a short period of time, I’ve gone from about 15mph to 80, and it has been interesting to say the least. I enjoy being busy and productive as long as I have intermittent periods of time where I can recharge my batteries. I’m realizing how exhausting traveling from borough to borough is, and so I have to find moments to de-stress along the way.

One important thing I have to constantly remind myself is that although I might be tired as of late, but that I have to be grateful that I have all of these awesome opportunities. A few weeks ago, there were three or four days out of the week where I had not much to do. Even though being a busy bee is  physically demanding, it is a lot better for my mental health than spending too much time sleeping/depressed in my apartment because I was lacking things to do. 

I also am realizing that I am getting to see much more of New York City than I’m used to. During my four years in school, my life was very 14th St.-centric. Living off the L in Williamsburg made that very convenient. Now, I’m working in Astoria and Harlem, two neighborhoods I knew essentially nothing about. Not to mention I’ve had various interviews and gigs all over the place. It’s pretty cool to live in a city where you feel like there’s always a new place to explore. 

Finally, one BIG thing I’ve realized is I can get a hell of a lot done during my various commutes. It’s the best time to plan my yoga classes and organize my planner (which I’ve surprisingly been keeping up with).

Even following my own advice, I still am super looking forward to taking an Alex day. I’ve always been happy in my own company, and if I don’t take blocks of time for myself (probably more often than the average person needs), I really will go nuts. As I’ve said before, it’s important to know how you operate, and to try to honor that as much as possible. 

P.S. My fiance is the creative director for an up-and-coming (and AWESOME) game development company. Check out the facebook page here

Fall-licious

Ok, I realize that the title is TOTALLY lame, but it’s the best way I could think of to describe the contents of this post. October is, weather-wise, a funny month for the east coast. Mother Nature has a bit of trouble giving up the warmer weather, and can be quite temperamental.

There are some great Autumn squashes in season, and naturally, the day that I decided to make butternut squash soup, it was 81 degrees–not quite the Fall weather that this awesome soup recalls. After 30 minutes of peeling the squash, 30 minutes of cleaning the deluged kitchen (Who left the sink running? Not I! Ok….maybe I did….), and 30 minutes of simmering, I had concocted my first successful soup. I am a decent cook, but every soup I’ve made from scratch to this point has….well, sucked profusely. I am happy to announce that I made soup that is both healthy and delicious. 

It might have been hot the day I made the soup, but it’ll serve me well over the next few rainy days that more closely resemble Fall. 

Here’s the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/butternut-squash-soup-recipe/index.html

photo courtesy of some website from google images: http://forladiesbyladies.com/index.php/2009/12/24/fall-for-butternut-squash/

The Storm Before the Calm

Right now, I’m preparing for my first class at Creative Vibrations. I have about a gazillion thoughts running through my head, which is the opposite of my usual deliberate way of thinking.

I am teaching a beginner class at a studio that is new to me. I am going to teach students I’ve never met before in a style that is very different from what I usually teach and practice. I’m realizing that instead of saying oh @$)%&!@$)*****, I have to use this nervous energy to really prepare myself. In perfect yogi world, I’d just say a few om shantis and my brain would settle. Realistically, I feel that allowing myself to feel a little crazed tonight will help me be ready to take on the challenges I’m facing tomorrow…and that’s OK. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I’m a human being.

I keep telling myself that I have beginners. This is not only their first impression of me, but also of yoga. I need my new students to be able to trust me, which will only happen if I trust myself (here’s my Dr. Phil moment, but it’s totally valid!). I might be going a bit bonkers now, but I’m getting that out of my system so tomorrow I can be nice and calm.

So, I guess the moral of the story is know how your body operates, and do what you need to do to accomplish things. Handle things in a realistic fashion. As much as we’d like to convince ourselves that we’re superman or wonderwoman, we are, in fact, mere mortals.

******this is my attempt at subduing my potty mouth. It gets enough exercise in my day to day life, so I’m trying to give it a rest on my blog.

New Moon (No, not Twilight, the actual moon)

Yesterday marked the beginning of a new moon phase. Now is a great time for new opportunities to arise. Yesterday, I was offered the chance to study yoga for kids. It was a fantastic offer, except for one tiny detail. To put it mildly, I’m not a kid person. I realized that despite my initial hesitation, I’d be a fool not to learn a new skill. It also is a plus that a lot of schools want to bring in yoga teachers. I grew up in a state that is rated very poorly in public education, and as a result, I have a great interest in bettering the school system. So, while I was observing the kids’ class, I got a call to sub for a studio to whom I had sent a resume months ago! AND…the boots I want are now 20 percent off (ok, I know a digression about material things might not be appropriate for this entry, but hey! A girl needs her shoes).

It seems pretty karmic. As soon as I opened myself to a new experience, another great opportunity presented itself as well. So, I’m encouraging everyone to step a bit outside comfort zones. Who knows what wonderful things will happen!?

My moon tattoo represents the transition from childhood into adulthood via color imagery from Spring Awakening (yes, I’m a musical theater nerd). The four stars represent the four seasons