Time Flies!!

I am always amazed at how fast time goes, and lately, more amazed when I realize how many days have gone by without a new post!

Life continues to be as busy as ever. This past week, I taught my first yoga class at Winston Salem State U, and was surprised to have a full class my first day. The class is an extra curricular offering of the fitness department, and it is not required that anyone attend on a regular basis. The students did wonderfully. Only one young woman in the class had ever taken a yoga class before. The rest of the group did beautifully, and seemed to take well to this first experience. After the class, many of the students exclaimed that they felt relaxed, and didn't feel at all like they'd taken a full day of classes. many of the students also said that they had plans to return!

In other yoga news, I am kicking off September with the free yoga weekend at the Yoga Gallery here in Winston Salem. I taught two demo classes this weekend of the class I will be teaching on Monday mornings this fall, "Focus and Flow," which is a powerful practice in both flow and deep alignment based exploration. I had a great time meeting new potential students, and I hope the class will take off soon.

Yesterday, I had a wonderful voice lesson with Barbara. I have begun an exploration into more classical singing, and have begun to practice "Ombra Mai Fu," both in celebration of this new vocal venture and my impending trip to Italy this winter! Barbara as always, is a lovely teacher, and I feel like I learn so much every time I study with her. Singing is such a satisfying art form. I think even if I never perform, I will keep studying voice for the fun of it. I find it is wonderful for finding your voice, literally and figuratively! And music really does make my heart sing!

These past few days at the dance studio have been difficult. Lately, I feel as if I am walking a thin line between great progress and utter burn-out. This past summer, this past year in fact, has been so full of creative projects, I don't know how my brain will be able to keep up to finish out my creative duties into the spring. Yesterday evening, I completely scrapped the idea I'd been working on for the past two weeks, as it was feeling antiseptic and not at all organic. I ended up staying longer than I'd originally planned, to stumble upon a concept that felt much more in keeping with the vein I am wanting to portray emotionally. This afternoon in the studio, all began well, but I soon became stuck. I think I became too judgmental about the material I was working with and I got frustrated. The frustration resulted in me sitting on the floor to stare at myself in the mirror, wondering what I should do next. Just then, Laura called. She told me to get out of the studio, to breathe easy and to have some "me time." Her thinking is, that if you're not ready, you're not ready. I can agree with her, but I feel guilty leaving after only an hour and a bit of work. I decide to go to the park, and sit quietly for a while. It is a gorgeous day, after all. I realize that I cannot for one minute, keep my mind off of dance, and making dance, and teaching dance and performing, etc., etc. So I set the alarm on my iPod to 5 minutes, and forbid myself to think any thoughts about dance. I am unsuccessful the first go-'round. I try again, and I give myself something to think about, instead of focusing on what I ought not to think about. I begin to notice my heart beat. The tension in my jaw, the feeling of adrenaline in my veins. And I begin to recognize those things that bring these sensations to rise. Contemplating my artwork, setting up my adult life, not breathing deeply enough, and not getting enough sleep are some of the things on my list.

After the park I make my way over to the book store, where I stumble upon a book that I might enjoy reading more than the book I have in my possession at the moment. I am supposed to be reading about feminism for my MFA work. The book that was suggested to me by my adviser is one that I am having a very hard time getting into. I hate to say it, but political conversation of any kind truly bores me, and feminist politics are no exception. But I'm willing to give the subject another try, and perhaps the book that I have found today will illuminate the contemporary feminist movement in a way I can relate to. School is yet another worry for the time being. After having such an amazing semester this past spring, I can't see how this semester will measure up. I haven't begun to put together the packet work that is due on the 20th of this month, and I am at a loss of how I should begin. Again, I suppose I should breathe, and let the work come when it is ready.

This evening, I am making preparations for Laura to arrive later, as we begin our artist's residency at NC State tomorrow. What a whirlwind two weeks these are going to be. Oye. However, I will do my best to keep you posted! This residency is a very exciting venture for us both, and despite how crazy these next two weeks are going to be, I am sure they will be more than worth while!

~Cara