Prayer (Pose)

I woke up this morning long before an alarm clock told me to.

As summer winds down, life should either be like
an alcoholic snow cone
(doesn't it look like a sunrise?),
or like  a fruit infused healthy cooler.
This is obviously the former.
*But* it's from last weekend.

I'm not a morning person. So it's always a surprise, my body being ready to rise and shine before expected. I was particularly thrown this morning, after having gone to bed just 4 hours prior. How could I possibly be ready to face the day. But there I was, energized and unable to go back to bed. I did just finish taking a course of steroids last week, so I suppose that's where the unaccounted for energy and odd sleep patterns come from.

Anyway, no matter the reason, there I was. Wide awake. I started my morning with home brewed iced tea and a series of yoga poses. I considered that maybe there was a minyan somewhere near me performing selichot (the penitential prayers leading up to Rosh Hashana/the high holiday season) that I should look up and head to, but I was spending my entire day ahead within a community and, quite honestly, didn't want to be immersed in one just because my body was convinced I hadn't been out partying until 2 am the night before.

Dancing Shoes... or devil's work?

In fact, my feet were cut up from cutting a rug while wearing shoes I hadn't worn in seasons. So, I stayed home in those wee hours this morning. I had my own prayerful day... while I stood in prayer pose, sat in prayer pose, thinking over my relationship with prayer all the while... but in a sort of a voided disconnect where brain and body weren't really in communication.

I finalized details to meet friends for the subway ride down to our event. I ate breakfast. I packed extra snacks for the day. I made a canteen of Good Earth iced tea to go. I was running perfectly on time.

Then I walked outside and couldn't help myself. I wanted to be a reflection of the skies above me. It was the perfect sunny day. It was the perfect temperature. There were darling clouds, large, white, beautifully generous, nearing the sun. I thanked God for the sun and the glory and for allowing me to feel blessed. I thanked God for blessing me with this day... and then got swallowed up into the subway station, not before being jostled by a homeless man, and accomplishing the tasks at hand.

At the end of the day, we walked a bit across the base of Manhattan. I must admit it, I wasn't concerned with the outdoors. All I could do was thank God for the people who'd surrounded me, who'd inspired me, who'd made me feel more reflective than prayer has and more motivated than I can be when I am solely in my own (head)space. On the subway, another homeless man, I have a policy against giving cash on the subway. But my snack of grapes was more full than empty. I offered them, and he accepted. It wasn't a balancing experience, or intended to counter the morning's confrontation, but there it was, something a little out of the ordinary.

As I got back home and took a walk around the neighborhood, I couldn't help but reflect that there were words said today that reached me at my core. They effected me on a personal and communal level. They enveloped me in a sense of gratitude. They were able to remind me why putting care into each relationship I cultivate is so important. They connected me in a way I wasn't connected this morning. They allowed me to end my day in a different type of prayer than I had started it with. Not needing the physical movements of yoga as the gateway to the mindfulness, but simply being mindful.

And, I must admit, being indoors wasn't so bad. After all, I spent last Saturday and Monday almost exclusively outdoors, and all that got me was a bit of a sunburn. Well, and tickets to Shakespeare in the Park. I can never resent a day spent in line for tickets to Into the Woods.

Chugging along...

I've been chugging along lately. Working on a lot of different projects has kept me sometimes food blogging, but mostly piling up recipes and restaurants to blog about. Spending time with friends when I'm not volunteering, educating, programming, writing the book and actually, you know, working at my fulltime job has been number one priority followed by time for yoga and general relaxation and exercise.

But this morning I woke up feeling an endless stream of gratitude. First, following an extremely productive and meaningful workday where students and faculty are back on campus and purpose is reenergized if not newly defined, I spent dinner with a friend in from Israel (and our ragtag group). Then more gratitude that when I got home and got a call, "I'm headed to your supermarket, wanna meet me?" When else in my life am I going to have 9:30pm grocery shopping dates (that aren't for children's tylenol emergencies)?

When else am I going to be able to come home, realize the book I need for the educational project I'm working on actually belongs to my friend and neighbor and be able to stop by and just pick it up? No schedule, just a quick (and really appreciative!) text message? When am I going to also find time to catch up with a friend who recently moved cross country or, over a series of emails, discover that I'm seeing a dear friend 4 days in a row (it's like we're practically going on vacation together!) or, best of all, when am I going to settle in from all of that to then develop the educational material and explore the possibilities of challenging traditional understanding of relationships we develop with God during this holiday season.

Mostly, the quiet force behind last night being so jam packed is not an endless source of energy. That seems to have fizzled a little post-30th (maybe 31st?) birthday. It's more likely a side effect of the short term medication I'm on after having bug bites the size of my the island on which I live. Nonetheless, feeling an obligation to take advantage of what will be a very short-lived burst of energy, I committed myself whole heartedly to every encounter yesterday and will again today, in the hopes that gratitude can continue to flow through me, warm me, and help prepare me for the coming weeks of reflection, of direction and of rededicating myself to everything that's kept me chugging along this year.

But I'm also feeling inspired, and forward movement is forward movement, and here's to a year where that just keeps happening.

Reappearing ... and the Punanny State

I didn't mean it! I'm so sorry. I disappeared to never never write land because of great projects I'm working on. My book draft is coming along so well, I'm glowing with pride. Whenever I think "it's time to write" that's what I settle in on. I get to play with one liners about dirty dishes and dishing dirt. Back at it in full force after it was in the incubator stage for a while because I co-chaired an amazing conference with a phenomenal team called Limmud NY which I'll gush about another time soon. Since then, I've helped to put together an amazing alumni event for Columbia which was beautiful, and have a similar Columbia Hillel event this week.  All in all, it's been a crazy few months. My full time job is also kicking it up a notch this semester with 2-4 events on our calendar per week and some crazy other cool projects down the pipe which I've been working on.

So I don't really, read the news anymore. Or have time for "living the dream" whether its American, Jewish or just the kind that hit you when you actually reach REM. So what I'm most grateful for this week is that some people out there in the big bad world are defending my rights to womanhood with their sketch comedy-political commentary take on men being the only voices given credence when Congress convened a panel last week to settle the standoff between the Catholic Church and women... I could say OY but I'll also recommend you watch it, and perhaps yesterday's as well, and even read the Guardian piece which does a great job exposing our dirty laundry to the UK.


Admission of an over-share: In a month where my birth control was recalled, I'm filling particularly close to these particular types of women's issues. Also, yes, I was prescribed said birth control when it was determined that I have PCOS - polycystic ovarian syndrome - which Stewart also mentions. And of course when you're thinking of personal level women's issues something always come along that gives you a worrisome frown line in your big picture scope - fortunately, when the topic of human trafficking resounded on my radar today it was solution oriented thanks to CNN's Freedom Project. Today's topic was about how two people and a huge number of supporters are helping women with an economic hand up which will help keep communities from selling their children into our modern slave trade. 


Finally, in another issue close to my heart, (ahem, yes, sex ed,) back here at home, in the Jewish community is taking on a progressive overtone - at least that's the claim of the upcoming event at the JCC Manhattan which should be filled with some good inspiration... If you want to join me let me know!

Anyway, next post promises to be about what a wild, crazy, and irresponsibly expensive week this one has turned out to be - as I'm off to Red Rooster Harlem for their opening of "Downstairs" - with Cal Massey inspired Blues and amazing food.


And my belated inclusion ... aptly said on the Colbert Report, about the house of representatives hearings on women's reproduction, "Aren't guys really the ones who should be talking about reproductive rights, because we're the ones who have the responsibility of telling the lady it's really her responsibility." Steven Colbert asked of Nancy Pelosi, while he further mused on why women are "so obsessed" with controlling their own bodies. Perhaps words like these will enlighten the people who are making decisions for us.