Alexander and...Caramels

I used another pass from my 2010 NYC Yoga Passbook to attend a second small-group class in The Alexander Technique.

Pass 4: One "First Class" in the Alexander Technique, Hope Martin Studio, Union Square.
Date(s): 2/25
Instructor(s): Hope Martin
Thoughts: The studio was a lovely place, designed by Hope and an architect who is also a meditation teacher, if I understood correctly. Hope was a calming and thoughtful instructor. She went more in depth into the foundations and language of the technique than the other teachers I've worked with so far. She even stayed an extra 30 minutes to teach us about "Active Rest."
I'm starting to "get" pieces of Alexander Technique practice the more I attempt it. I wish I could afford to have private or small class sessions more regularly. It really makes me feel good when my head balances correctly or my spine comes into alignment, however briefly I can sustain it. I welcome the alien moments now.
Walking home, I entered a sort of mild-blizzard winter wonderland trance, prompting me to feel extra alive and poetic and powerfully impotent. I wish I could have captured it on film -- the swirling snow underscored by my audible breaths, the light and white and dark and silence, the distant siren and the feeling running up and down my spine.
Failing your being able to witness that, I wish you could taste the caramels I ate once I went inside my apartment. Jen and Max and Rich gave them to me as a gift at the Cookie Party and told me I didn't have to share them. I promptly hid them on a shelf and forgot about them. But they're still here, and they're still good. They tasted buttery and warm, homemade and important.

The photo above captures none of this.

Post-Workout Comestibles: Three caramels.
Total/Goal: 5/40

Alexander and...Almonds OR "Am I (un)doing this right?"

Maybe it's the alliteration, but I was really in the mood for almonds after my Alexander Technique group class. Here comes another one of my NYC Yoga Passbook experience posts:

Pass 3: Two classes in the Alexander Technique (1 attended so far) through ACAT (The American Center for the Alexander Technique), Union Square. The first class is a group introductory class, free with or without the pass. The second class allowed through the passbook offer will be a one-on-one session with a certified teacher. Rebecca from ACAT says, "let folks know to bring their coupon to the group demonstration. We are prepared to assign private lesson teachers at the event."
Date(s): 2/1
Instructor(s): Lisa Lutton, with hands-on assistance from Jane Tomkiewicz and Elizabeth Reid.
Thoughts: Even without the passbook, you can attend this class for free on the first Monday of each month. But that didn't make it seem like less of a value to me, when all was said and done. I appreciate that the passbook informed me about the session, which I otherwise wouldn't have known about.
I entered ACAT's space on 14th Street with a slight timidity, but eventually found myself feeling there hung a certain golden glow over the evening. The room warmed up, and so did I. Lisa Lutton (who also teaches in private practice on the upper west side) had a special air of calm authority about her, without seeming at all authoritarian. Need I say her posture was lovely? After Elizabeth welcomed us and introduced her, Lisa gave us an introduction to a few ideas behind the intentional, thoughtful movement that the Technique seeks and why it is efficient and desirable. We watched her demonstrate with her own body, and then with volunteers, the physical possibilities when one thinks "forward" and "up" while sitting, rising, standing, and even running.
Our small class (only six non-teachers/non-trainees were in attendance) then broke into 3 groups of two, each with a teacher, to practice a bit more focused upright and table work. I still feel like The Alexander Technique approaches "magical" when one first experiences it, due to how infinitesimal and almost "accidental" adjustments seem (though, of course, they're no accidents), but I am also convinced of its utility. I was in Lisa's small group, and she offered both verbal and kinesthetic/physical feedback while working with us. Something clicked for me on the table as she spoke about "undoing" and "doing less" with our bodies. I could feel progress when I occasionally managed to harness the "thinking without trying" she described. Who knew I needed to think about making my ribs go "mushy" to release inhibiting tension?
At the end of even such limited one-on-one work, and after a surprising but not at all upsetting tear rolled down my face (isn't it interesting how an emotional response can sneak up on one during new forms of physical movement?), I felt more stretched and buoyant for a few minutes, before sinking back into my poor posture and bad physical habits. I tried to think and un-do and allow my body to do less all the way home on the subway, and it felt good even though I have barely scratched the surface of "right."
I know it would take work to progress and retrain my body, but the effects of Alexander felt very real to me after this class. I'm interested in doing more work in the Technique, and will be looking into the "volunteer student" program ACAT offers to support its teacher trainees.
Post-Workout Comestibles: A handful of almonds felt right.
Total passbook classes/Goal: 4/40

Pilates and...Radishes.

I'm lucky in that I don't exactly struggle with my weight. This does not mean I'm always happy with my body (curse you, media, you cults of youth and celebrity!!), but I have to be honest and admit that the issue is predominantly in my head. Sometimes I don't feel as thin as I'd like to, and I'm certainly not the beanpole I was until high school, but I'm a reasonable weight for my height. The Wii Fit balance board appreciates my BMI, my doctor is fine with what the scale reports, and everything seems to be holding steady.

That said, you may have noticed that I eat a fair amount of junk. I have a sweet tooth AND a savory tongue. I like salt and brine and sugar and peanut butter and fruit and vegetables and butter and . . . oh, almost anything. I also have certain couch-potato tendencies, a job that allows me to sit much of the day, and a number of sedentary hobbies (including writing these blog posts). So, in several respects, I could be a lot healthier. And fitter. And stronger.

My doctor asks me every year at my annual checkup if I am getting 30-45 minutes of cardio 3-5 times a week. She also mentioned once that she would like me to be a bit more flexible. Every year, I say I'm working on it. This is true. However, this year I am working on it much more seriously than I ever have before. I made myself a promise early this winter that I would aim to build healthier exercise habits (and not focus on whether or not I lose a few pounds of fat). I am interested in muscle and strength and endurance and less neck/back pain.

To this end, I purchased a 2010 New York City Yoga Passbook. For about $80 (the cost of 4-6 classes without the passbook), I received a book containing hundreds of coupons good for free classes in yoga, Pilates, the Alexander Technique, and more. This month, I began to use these coupons, which expire at the end of the year. It's my goal to take at least 40 classes over the course of 2010, in addition to doing other "fitness-y" activities.

I thought that I might as well post a quick summary of each place I visit here, in case you're either (1) interested in trying the passbook out for yourself (Chicago, Houston, and LA also offer them through the website) or (2) someone in NYC who is looking for more information on local studios, teachers, and classes.

And, of course, to keep things snack-related (or, at the very least, snack-adjacent), I'll let you know what I'm eating after each workout. Let's see if working out inspires healthier snacking post-exercise.

I'll begin with the two passes I've used since the beginning of January.

Pass 1: Two Pilates classes (Basic Mat) at Core Pilates NYC (Union Square)
Date(s): 1/13; 1/27
Instructor(s): Jo D'Agostino (for both classes)
Thoughts: I liked this Pilates teacher and her classes. She had a good energy and could speak quickly, explaining the moves thoroughly as we were doing them, which made the breathing patterns easier to follow. The first class was better than the second, but I'm not sure why. The flow seemed a little interrupted in the second class; perhaps it was me.
Core Pilates is a tiny place, but it's clean and modern. The woman working behind the desk was friendly and helpful on my visits. This is a studio and class I'd return to, especially given how conveniently located it is, just two blocks from the Union Square/14th Street subway station.
Post-Workout Comestibles: Radish salad (made by Dan) after the first class; chocolate milk, pita chips, and then an arepas dinner (made by Melanie) after the second.
Total/Goal: 2/40

Pass 2: One private lesson in the Alexander Technique
Date(s): 1/18
Thoughts: I knew next to nothing about Alexander before this lesson, but it's been recommended to me as a method that is good for posture and the spine, as well as rehabilitation. It's not really exercise, but I felt like it easily qualified as "fitness."
The Alexander Technique is something that's as much about thinking and focus as it is about doing anything. For example, we spent several minutes while I was lying on my back on a massage table during which the teacher coached me as I tried to, per his instructions, mentally "wave goodbye" to my first and second toes while thinking into my other three toes -- all this in order to un-sickle my feet.
The Technique felt a bit mysterious and frustratingly "magical" sometimes, but the teacher assured me we were making progress. I plan to take another class or two from other teachers to compare.
Post-Workout Comestibles: Chips and salsa at Papacitos', and then fish tacos. I was ravenous!
Total/Goal: 3/40

By the way, I am also taking a 90-minute yoga class taught by Laura, a friend of mine. She's offering the class almost weekly in my neighborhood, so it's very convenient. She's also a great teacher for all levels. I'm a yoga beginner, and this is the first time I've felt comfortable in a yoga class.

You know what's odd? While in a pose during the most recent class, I actually found myself thinking, "I don't need very much food to live! My appetite is gone! This is the start of a whole new relationship with food!" This turned out not to be true once the exercise high had worn off. After that week's session, I drank a chocolate milk and ate a banana, the combination of activity and refueling feeling just right [Chocolate milk never seems so luxurious as it does after exercise. Apparently it's a great post-workout snack].

My point is, just for a second there, this blog seemed doomed in the face of my fleeting spiritual enlightenment and quest for health. What's next?!