LUMP

Lying in bed;
Unmotivated.
Maybe I’ll get up and get to work?
Probably not.

Wild and Blessed

Late night partying on a Monday night;
Leads to an early morning—sweating it out on my yoga mat—before a 10 hour tech day!
Play hard; work hard!
And I still found time for meditation, creative writing, and a Starbucks session;
I am blessed.

Double Down-ward Dog

When you’re attending multiple holiday parties;
Eating too much junk food and candy;
Drinking until you feel the Spirits;
And still have to look good––because you’re performing in a production at the LA Opera . . .
I have to double-down on my downward dog!
Today I took back to back yoga classes:
One for lengthening and strengthening and the other for toning and tightening;
Both for peace of mind.

Carved

I stab my knife into the orange pumpkin;
Scoop out all its guts;
Place the seeds on a tray and bake them––they taste delicious with sea salt.
Without a stencil or a game plan I make sharp, bold cuts on the smooth outer surface:
Plain, geometric shapes. . .
Nothing has changed since I was a kid.
I like the childlike simplicity!
#HappyHalloween

Six Word Essay on Quality of Life

Yoga and Whole Foods; expensive prevention.

Do Nothing Day

I lie on the floor watching endless docuseries’ on Netflix;
Occasionally I take a sip of wine and munch on a vegetable cracker with yogurt cheese.
It feels so good to be so lazy.
Especially, because I already practiced yoga and finished editing a chapter for my new book.
#Balance

Hours of Entertainment

Like most dogs––my dog Lily chases her tail;
Tired and dizzy she stops and plops down like a lazy obese man after taking two steps.
She scouts out her favorite squeaky toy and taunts me with it.
Lily is a smart dog; she understands simple commands and even knows that when we say, “Time for bed!” She runs into our bedroom and jumps on the bed, so I can’t understand why she doesn't get the concept of catch.
Instead, she chomps down on the chewy rubber and drops it three feet from my chair.
Maybe she’s trying to tell me something? Perhaps I’m the lazy obese man and she’s doing her part to get me exercising.
Doesn't she realize that I practice 8 hours of yoga a week?
Still, she pounces at another toy. . . stops, chases her tail––again––and plops.
God, I could watch this all day long.

Alarming Presence

The honking car alarm at 5 a.m reminds me to be alert; shocking me into the present.
Also, questioning: why do they still install car alarms?

It Happens...

I let my emotions get the best of me today.
I forgot to breath and remain present.
I woke up screaming at myself in a parking lot;
Took a breath, released the drama, and smiled.
I’m in the Now—again.

Monday

Mindful

Of

New

Directions;

Always

Yearning.

A Day Late...

Lost;
Forgotten.
Remembered;
Recovered.
It was only a matter of time.
Everyone drops the ball once––right?

Theater Hangover.

When it’s done well, there’s no greater escape than live theater;
A community of vibrant artists who share their passion on stage with uninhibited emotional abandon––their words explode into song and dance further connecting the audience with the deeper heart of a story.
Last night I devoured the first National Tour of Dear Evan Hansen.
Finally, a modern musical that understands the shifting landscape of pop culture and art.
I’m in a post show theater hangover and happy about it.
I’ll post my full review of the show for LA Dance Chronicle here, as soon as it’s uploaded.

Body Love

Today marks the fourth day that I’ve slept past 9 a.m. without guilt.

I’m positive that my body needs the extra rest;

it craves the complete stillness.

Rest, recharge, revitalize;

I welcome the body love.

Task:

An obligation to accomplish something in order to sustain a comfortable quality of life.
Why does it always seem that these duties, jobs, or errands end up making me resent how I spend my life?
I’m sure I just need to change my outlook and be grateful that I have the time, energy, and ability to get things done; but seriously––I’m ready to walk away from responsibility.

Six Word Essay on 6AM Yoga

Still sleeping; body moving on autopilot.

The Driving Force of the Present

Lost in doubt, darkness, and sadness thinking about my past;
it is gone, still I react.
Tears rolling down my face are a release of energy and a baptism for my soul;
they will not carry me through time beyond the memory.
Contemplating the future; a world in chaos, I question my path.
A crash in my bedroom, suddenly I’m jolted back to the present;
The wind has thrown my bedroom door closed; I open in and return to the NOW.
It is all we have. It is all we need. I exhale and smile.
This moment is everything.

Enough

The overwhelming drive to do or be more is quenched by the peaceful embrace of my yoga mat:

Mindful meditation;

Moving energy with my body;

Manifesting light through inner awareness;

The joy of being Present is enough.

Lazy; I'm Okay With It . . .

My depleted body frozen;
I lied in bed until 1 p.m. in blissful slumber.
A work-free Sunday is rare;
I seek balance in life––sometimes that means letting go of routines.
Habitual change; constant evolution; freedom from a schedule;
A full life lived in harmony, acceptance, and presence.

Rainy

Lounging on the floor in my sweatpants;

Puppies cuddled up on both sides.

Post yoga haze watching Real Time;

The wind blows enough to relax my stressed nerves.

The country may be in chaos;

The rain outside reminds me that clouds dissipate and leave behind a fresh new perspective.

Fact:

I spend more time waiting for my computer to respond than I do working on my computer.
Technology requires patience.

Reminder:

My grandmother gave me some advice years ago and it continues to provide the permission to get on with things . . .
“Finish what you start before moving onto the next; it might not be perfect, but it will be complete.  Finished, but not perfect is better than perfect but undone.”

The Truth:

doesn't have to hurt;
honesty is important, but can often hinder artistic growth.
I’m learning how to say less about the things I don’t love, and praise the aspects I do––which are often few and far between.
Encouraging artistic evolution without the judgement;
It’s a delicate balance––I’m still learning, too.

One Word About Today:

Replenished.

Six Word Essay; Monday

Back on the treadmill; coffee helps.

Present:

The greatest challenge of becoming present, is understanding how to release the idea of who you think you should be or what you think you should be doing in order to be what you are.

Typical; Airport

I arrived with plenty of time for a coffee;

The TSA Pre-check line was closed—of course—so I stand with the wise travlers who didn’t pay for the privileged pass that (almost) never works.

No time for coffee, I get to the gate;

Boarded just in time for the flight to be delayed.

#TheGlamorousLife

Fall

Fiery orange and red leaves rustle against the pink and yellow sky;
The smell of a wood burning fireplace lingers in the crisp morning air.
Dew covered insects stuck in the web outside my door;
Children on the playground in the distance.
I’m layered in LA––that’s saying something.
The fall is always a gorgeous time for cleansing and getting comfy.

Creative Writing Challenge; Writers' Group

She wouldn’t stop complaining, I had nothing left to calm her down and I was losing hope that she would snap out of it.  I shook her; I doused her face with cold water; I even tried tickling her, still she persisted to nag at me.  Finally, I sat down, took a deep breath and released a years worth of my own built up rage–––she deserved it after everything she’s put me through; I’m not sure if she was even listening to my rant, but it felt so good to get it off my chest.
This has been the hardest job I’ve ever worked, and there’s no sign of any chance for career advancement, I HAVE TO please her.
Once I had a dream that she would call me into her office and thank me.  Thank me for remembering to pick up her dry cleaning, or wash her car, or maybe, just maybe she would thank me for the stellar deal I helped her close.
I snapped back to reality at the sound of her $300 manicure scratching the side of the Eames lounge chair she was nesting in.

Trust

My body is here;
My mind is wandering.
I catch myself in thought;
Releasing that which isn’t, required faith.
Trust and learn.

Zen

My warrior stance is grounded and connected;
Soaring high above my mat I feel inner peace.
Breathing through the movement;
I reach the destination of each pose when my mind is clear.
Letting go of the need to plan or control;
I transition into Zen.

Yoga; Renew

The weight of the long wedding weekend is supported by my yoga mat;
Transferring my heavy body, I surrender to the Zen: breathe, release, renew.