Soup!

Having just come back from the dance studio, I am awaiting a second batch of sweet potato soup to warm, so I can have a lovely dinner alone tonight. Rob is at work. But I have to say, I am excited about this soup, as I have changed the recipe slightly, and added butternut squash given to me by Jan when Laura was here, and a few changes to the amounts of each spice I've included.

Today in the studio, there was no work to be completed, I just needed to move my body and sweat. And sweat I did. It feels like an eternity since I have danced, even though it has been less than a week since my last visit to the studio. As I have taught my yoga classes this week, I notice that I've been tight. The result of anxiety and tension, no doubt.

Yesterday, Mom and I went to a Kundalini Yoga workshop with our favorite Kundalini teacher, Har Darshan. The topic of yesterday's workshop was prayer and actualization. Kundalini Yoga is fun for me, as it is a departure from the Hatha Yoga I am so used to. There are no sun salutations in Kundalini Yoga. However, there are moving meditations, beautiful mantra and much time to absorb the material being presented. It puts me in a completely different mindset from the day-to-day. I get to be in my head, but I occupy it in a way that is not the way I do when I am art-ing. Yesterday, I allowed the mantra and the meditations to vibrate in my body, and loosen resistance in my mind. I feel a lot of resistance lately. Resistance to the reality of every day life, and it's trials. Resistance to the coming big changes in my life that paradoxically, I am so looking forward to. After our session, my mind is a bit more at ease, and more ready to invite these changes fully into my person.

Yesterday also, I continued my vocal studies with Barbara. My range is expanding! I have about two and a half comfortable ocatves now. That is much improved from the one octave I had when I came to her. I am beginning to hear the difference in the timbre of my voice, and my ability to cultivate a smooth quality in my singing. I am having so much fun, and cannot wait to continue work with Laura on the vocal music for our collaborative project, "Common Threads."

Now on to finish looking over the grant applications for the Regional Artists Grants. The panel meets tomorrow to deliberate over who will get what, and I am very much looking forward to it! I am interested to hear what everyone has to say about each of the presented proposals.

And my soup is warm. Time to eat.

~Cara