From my first acro jam in late July. (Poorly executed shoulder stand) Photo by Robert Lee Bailey |
Also from that first Jam Photo by Robert Lee Bailey |
My very first Star! Photo by Robert Lee Bailey www.robertleebailey.com |
From my first acro jam in late July. (Poorly executed shoulder stand) Photo by Robert Lee Bailey |
Also from that first Jam Photo by Robert Lee Bailey |
My very first Star! Photo by Robert Lee Bailey www.robertleebailey.com |
That's correct. This blog is becoming less about biking and more about trying something new as often as possible. Last night I found myself at Peter's Pub in Oakland. I know what you are thinking. "Why the heck would you ever go to Oakland to dance?" I will tell you I never would have. I went because I have always wanted to learn to dance. I recently met some people who dance quite well and quite often so we decided I should tag along and give it a try. I took my friend from work with me for moral support and so I wasn't the only one looking silly.
Turns out, if you dig the blues the place to be on Tuesday nights is Peter's Pub. Not knowing what I was getting myself into, I took the opportunity to learn some blues dancing. If you are interested in learning I would recommend the 8pm til 9pm hour where you can get a quick lesson before the real fun begins. At 9pm the music starts. It ends abruptly at midnight and you are awkwardly shooed onto the street- immediately.
The Dance:
It looks simple. It looks easy. Do not let them fool you. Pulsing to the music is not as easy as they make it look. In fact, I am convinced they were all using voodoo magic. I don't think they let newcomers in on it. It is a fairly easy thing to get used to until the person leading you decides to walk, spin and twirl you. Although by the end of the night I think my friend and I got the hang of it. Being there with a few guys who knew what they were doing was helpful.
The Rest:
I was feeling anxious that day. More than normal so I was looking forward to relaxing with friends, dancing and laughing. All those things happened however, I was not prepared for the amount of people (strangers) I would be dancing with and meeting and talking to. It was like nothing I have ever done before. I will warn you newbs- if you go Blues Dancing you'd better be ready to sance with everyone there. At least once. Even if their breath stinks and even if they talk too much. It seemed say "no" to a dance was not a thing. So be ready for that. In other words, do not go on a day you are feeling socially anxious.
My Experience:
I loved it! I would like dancing to be a little more up beat, so perhaps Blues isn't the best for me but the space was comfortable and the people were all very friendly! I recommend you all go try it and make sure you say, "Hello!" to all my new pals!
Cheers,
Fauna
Day One just as the rain let up. |
Day One: Rainy and Frozen! |
The view of the reservoir from our tent! The leaves are already changing! |
Proof we had a fire going! |
The terrain was awesome and pretty! |
Day Two had perfect 60 degree weather! No rain in sight! |
Strapping the Keg to the Cargo Bike! |
The former site of East End Brewing. |
Brian doesn't know how to smile. Apparently. |
Pedal Pale Ale Keg Ride, 2015 glass. |
Eleven years of bicycle delivered beer |
Guys and Gals! I know I usually bike, but last night I tried something completely new and different. AcroYoga. AcroYoga as the word suggests, combines Yoga with Acrobatics. This 2 (or more) person yoga allows you and a partner to trust, communicate and connect while making something beautiful (or in my case pitiful). I know, I know, "but Fauna, what does this have to do with us? We like to bike!"
The answer is easy hypothetical question asker: You need to give this shit a try! We all know how good Yoga is for us. We hear about it everyday from our Yoga friends. However, we all have reasons for not going. Trust me friends, this is fun, ralaxing and worth it!
So I arrived last night at TakeYoga in Allison Park not knowing what to expect. Even as familiar faces arrived I felt more nervous. I have not done yoga in about 2 years and I certainly was never good at it to begin with! My best friend Mike and his sister Becca filtered into the tiny room and soon the room was filled with people of all ages, cultures, and a healthy mix of men and women. Leigh Ann taught the class and began by having everyone introduce themselves, say how long they have been doing Acro and if they were a base or flyer.
As we went around the room the experience level ranged from "this is my first go at this" to "just over a year".
The class was called "Back to Basics" which was a review for all the experienced Takeyogis but allowed the other new people and myself to work on very basic poses. The first pose was like the bunny hill at Seven Springs. It got you warmed up, but you couldn't stay there all day! As Becca did a plank on the floor, I went opposite her and planked by holding her ankles and placing my shins over her shoulders! Then we switched! I was amazed at how body placement easily made the person above you feel weightless!
Then we moved into the real hard poses. (At least for me). I was paired up with 2 other first timers and Mike. Mike wasted no time. I was first up and it was my turn to fly. He and Leigh Ann demonstrated Bird. Bird looks like what you did with your parents when you were little. They push you into the air with their feet and hands. Then the person in the air squeezes their butt and lifts chest and legs into the air! Then we practiced taking away one foot, then placing it back. Then taking away the other foot. Working and communicating with your partner as you start to move through to poses is important. There is a lot of person to person contact and people can get hurt if you don't. This is why at TakeYoga they have a safe word, "Down." At any time, you can say the magic word, "Down" and the pose will be abandoned and the people in the pose will get down as safely and quickly as they can. '
After Bird pose was accomplished, Mike helped me into some sort of handstand thing while supporting me. I was wobbly and nervous to be upside down and then asked to trust and let go. It was hard for me to overcome the negative self talk of "You're going to die, You're going to crush this person under you"... which was on repeat in my head.
Next up: Back Bird. For some reason, Back Bird made me feel pretty and powerful. This one is just like Bird but on your back in a back bend over the feet of your base instead of on your front hips. From Back Bird, people were encouraged to go into a handstand backwards which I was pretty uncomfortable with. I will admit, even though you are only a couple feet off the ground, it was be a little intimidating. It all came down to self- confidence. I am sure Mike could have supported me through the motions, but I learned an important lesson last night. I am capable of doing more than my self- confidence will allow me to. I definitely held back a little. Next time I will push myself to use positive self talk and trust myself and my base.
The final move I learned was a combination of moving from Bird to Throne. Throne is just like it sounds. You place yourself in a sitting position on the top of the base's feet as if sitting on a throne! With the help of Mike being an awesome Base I was able to move into this position!
The entire night, Mike kept telling me to let go of hands and relax. Once I let go of hands and was able to relax, the pose felt natural and powerful.
I have known Mike for 15 years and the trust I have in him showed last night. Anything he told me to do, I did. Even when it didn't feel safe. I learned the most important lesson last night:
Sometimes when letting go doesn't feel safe... it is. As long as you have a stable Base and an open mind, anything can be done!
Cheers,
Fauna V.
Steve put his Pickle in his car. True Pittsburgh. |
I wished they had the trolley wrapped around the castle. They didn't. However, they do have it on display. |
Eight weeks ago I made the choice to start going to the gym and if you follow me on any social media you know it has been working. I have noticed a common theme that comes up a lot at the gym; "Do the work." It is no secret that results don't come for those who slack off. My muscle definition is at a place I haven't seen in over 12 years. My endurance has reached a new high. The more sweat that drips down my face the closer I know I am to reaching my goal. Work is hard, but it pays off. This is not only true at the gym, but in the rest of your life as well.
Would you like to better your life? I have news for you, you can but you are going to have to do the work. Last year I hit a low and decided to change my own life. I researched programs, applied to Universities, wrote essays and collected letters of recommendation in order to get into the school I chose. I got in but it doesn't stop there. I now have to work to get to my next goal. It isn't easy work because it requires loans, dedication and focus. However, if I never decided to do the work, I wouldn't have seen and won't see any results in my future. The work I would have been doing would not have yielded positive results. This is the part where I tell you there is a such thing as good-for-you work and shit work. Shit work yields misery, despair and hopelessness. Do not take shit work. Good work makes you feel...well, good! It makes your life better, helps you reach your goals and allows you to step back and say, "Damn, I worked hard for that."
How would you like to feel better about yourself? I can tell you first hand it won't be easy, but you are going to have to do the work. Counseling is something that is good for everyone, not just the crazies. Everyone gets a little out of whack, sad, or downright depressed. Whether it is seasonal, situational or persistent, going to talk to a professional is not as taboo as it once was. I think the reason people choose not to seek help is because at the end of the day they are afraid to do the work. Therapy is hard work but the payoffs are worth it. It makes you feel good. Therapy is good, hard work.
Do you have an excellent idea for a new start up company? Startups are a lot of work. There are plenty of people out there who can tell you that if they didn't get up everyday and do the work we wouldn't have companies like Facebook, Microsoft and Apple. How about companies like Google? Do you think Google became Google without doing the work? Now think of companies who no longer exist or are in danger of going under. How do you think they got that way? My best guess is a small part of it has to do with someone not doing the work to uncover [insert any part of maintaining a successful and changing business here]. Someone was riding high on the MySpace wagon when they should have been working. Is this making sense? I hope so.
What does your retirement look like? How do you see yourself? How will you get there? I hope you get there by doing something you love to do. I hope at the end of your career you can look back and say, "All that hard work, overtime, effort and passion paid off. Look at where I am! Look at what I did! I feel good about this life! I worked so hard to get here today and damn, life is good!"
So how about it? Are you ready to live your life? Are you ready to change your own life forever? Do you think you can do the work? If you could change one thing about yourself or your life, what would it be? Are you ready to do the work in order to change it? I bet you can. In fact, I know you can because I am doing it each and everyday. Sometimes the barbell is too heavy and I have to take a little bit of weight off. I don't mind those days because I know it means I think I am stronger than I am. On that day I feel stronger than I ever was and it gives me something to work toward. When I finally reach that new goal I subconsciously set for myself I will feel awesome. I will know all that sweat, effort, passion and work was paying off. So go for it. Do the work. See the changes. Just feel good doing it and if you fail, do it again until you reach that goal. Remember: Avoid shit work and I think you should be fine.
Cheers, ya bastards. (Aye, you didn't really think I could be lovey the whole way through, did you?)
Fauna