I have always done yoga on and off, but I started seriously working on my yoga this september and have gone almost every day since. This is truly saying something, as my college does not make getting to the gym very accessible, but I try to block out part of my day for it anyway.
Yoga seems to be the new trend in fitness, with designer mats and water bottles and assorted accessories available at most stores. But, this fad has some real health benefits that are almost immediately noticeable. Generally I am a pretty high stress person, with a few OCD tendencies, which means that by the end of the day I am usually mentally and physically exhausted. By the end of my semester of intense yoga, I was calmer, slept better, had better circulation, and was stronger.
Yoga is interesting because while practiced in a class setting, it is very personal. The many variations of poses allow each person to work at their own level and also lets you see improvement. I love when I can reach the next level of a pose, or stretch just a bit further. It truly calms the mind and the constant focus on breath makes falling asleep easier as well.
The health benefits are numerous. The twisting poses aid in digestion, the forward folds help sleep, the elevated legs help with circulation and the entire practice tones and strengthens the muscles.
I could go on and on about yoga. And I would be lying if I said I didn't go along with the trendy mats and outfits, but because of the popularity classes are more available and more in demand, and because of this, I can usually convince at least one friend to make the trek to the gym with me!
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Holiday Adventures in Art and More
For my family, the holidays means three christmases, boardgames, and a never-ending stream of cookies and pies. But, for me, it means that I finally have the time to sit down a read, and this year I haven't done much else.
A recent interest that has transferred into my literary choices has been art; but not just works of art, more along the lines of the world that surrounds art, and the people that inhabit that world. Art has always surrounded me, with my dad being an art teacher and artist, my youth was spent at more art museums and gallery openings than sporting events, and instead of video games, we would draw and color. But, while I always appreciated the art around me, I, unfortunately, did not inherit the natural art ability that came so effortlessly to my father and younger sister. I was perpetually jealous of their ability to have such assurance in their work, hardly erasing or editing at all.
In this environment, there was never a shortage of art related discussions or art related material around the house. I discussed this emerging interest with my dad, and his initial response was to walk over to the book shelf in the living room and proceed to pull 10 different books from the shelves, energetically explaining why I would like, and why I should read each one.
With this daunting task ahead of me I sat down and started to read. The first on the list was The Painted Word by Tom Wolfe. He is more well known for his work The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, but I was immediately interested in what he has to say about the art world. His writing style is light, yet never tips into the frivolous. He paints picture of the evolution of art theory in a way that is simultaneously factually accurate but never mundane. He describes this seemingly elite concept in a way that is completely understandable and fascinating. Needless to say, I was hooked. This led to the reading of A Portrait of the Walrus by a Young Artist by Laurie Foos and then with the new book by Steve Martin, An Object of Beauty. Foos writes a complexly layered novel from the perspective of a young artist discovering what art means for her. It has a compelling story line and explores the pressure that is put on artist by the media, and the effects on the families and the people close to the artists. Steve Martin, while not usually known for his writing, wrote an excellent novel about a woman deeply intertwined in the art world; with such detail and knowledge of auctions and galleries that it can only be assumed that art is a personal passion for him as well.
These books have sparked an interest in this world that is currently insatiable. I think the most intriguing factor is that they are not written about the art themselves. The art is almost a side note, not necessary for the world that it perpetuates. It's the intricacies of the dealings, of the study that make it so interesting.
A recent interest that has transferred into my literary choices has been art; but not just works of art, more along the lines of the world that surrounds art, and the people that inhabit that world. Art has always surrounded me, with my dad being an art teacher and artist, my youth was spent at more art museums and gallery openings than sporting events, and instead of video games, we would draw and color. But, while I always appreciated the art around me, I, unfortunately, did not inherit the natural art ability that came so effortlessly to my father and younger sister. I was perpetually jealous of their ability to have such assurance in their work, hardly erasing or editing at all.
In this environment, there was never a shortage of art related discussions or art related material around the house. I discussed this emerging interest with my dad, and his initial response was to walk over to the book shelf in the living room and proceed to pull 10 different books from the shelves, energetically explaining why I would like, and why I should read each one.
With this daunting task ahead of me I sat down and started to read. The first on the list was The Painted Word by Tom Wolfe. He is more well known for his work The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, but I was immediately interested in what he has to say about the art world. His writing style is light, yet never tips into the frivolous. He paints picture of the evolution of art theory in a way that is simultaneously factually accurate but never mundane. He describes this seemingly elite concept in a way that is completely understandable and fascinating. Needless to say, I was hooked. This led to the reading of A Portrait of the Walrus by a Young Artist by Laurie Foos and then with the new book by Steve Martin, An Object of Beauty. Foos writes a complexly layered novel from the perspective of a young artist discovering what art means for her. It has a compelling story line and explores the pressure that is put on artist by the media, and the effects on the families and the people close to the artists. Steve Martin, while not usually known for his writing, wrote an excellent novel about a woman deeply intertwined in the art world; with such detail and knowledge of auctions and galleries that it can only be assumed that art is a personal passion for him as well.
These books have sparked an interest in this world that is currently insatiable. I think the most intriguing factor is that they are not written about the art themselves. The art is almost a side note, not necessary for the world that it perpetuates. It's the intricacies of the dealings, of the study that make it so interesting.
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