Gate 11

We decided to spend most of August exploring Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Northern England. Today is the day we fly away. Without delays, we should land in Dublin around 5:30am tomorrow morning, which will feel like midnight to us. It is funny, because a couple of nights ago, we were lamenting leaving behind the heat & humidity. It was 76 when we landed at JFK. It felt like Fall.

Now, both kids are reading (Sleepy Hollow and The Rum Diaries) and I may start embroidering. 

caring for my skin, this winter

I am ashamed to admit that I have never bothered with a *formal* skin care routine. That is, until now. As 43 has approached, I have begun to notice changes in my skin that bother me. There are wrinkles;  deep "expression lines" on my forehead, the beginnings of crows feet, a nagging line above one side of my lip as a result of sleeping on my side. There are discolorations, especially on my forehead. The uneven complexion drives me insane. Finally, I just don't seem as *bright*, if that is understandable. I have combination skin, with the occasional, small pimple. I have no acne scars.

Time to take action.

First of all, I know that half of skin care comes from inside, and I am working on that, too. However, I wanted to document what I am doing on the outside right now. The changes to internal factors, well, I will talk about those later. The routine below is what I started on New Years Eve. I plan to stick with it until the first of March, and then reevaluate. And, as much as I hate having my picture taken, I think it might be a good idea to have some photodocumentation, just to see. I am grateful to having a husband who thinks I am beautiful the way I am, but he isn't the most reliable person to be honest about changes.

A little disclaimer. I am a long term vegetarian (since 2006) with *strong* vegan leanings. As much as I can, I try to use products that are cruelty-free and not tested on animals. I am also trying to make a transition to as many natural treatments as I can. However, I do have spa treatments on occasion.

So...here it is, my new regular routine...

In the morning, I simply splash my face with lukewarm water (I have not "washed" my face in the morning in a long, long time, because I don't want to over dry my skin). I then swipe with a toner (I alternate between Dickinson's Witch Hazel and Burt's Bees Clarifying Toner/Natural Acne Solutions). After that, I put on moisturize (Jason Age Renewal Vitamin E 25,000 I.U. AND Burt's Bees Intense Hydration Eye Cream with Clary Sage). While I wait for this to sink in, I gulp down 16oz to 20oz of water. I then apply Neutrogena's Ultra Sheer SPF 100+ sunscreen, and wait 15 minutes. During the wait, I drink an 8oz glass of hot water with 1/4 of a fresh lemon and cinnamon. I normally do not apply make-up until I get to work.

At night, I follow this routine. First, I remove my eye make-up with a make-up remover (Alba Botanica). Then, I wash with a non-soap cleanser. Currently, I am using Avalon Organics CoQ10 Repair Facial Cleaning Milk. I love it. It just feels good. (Before that, I used Burt's Bees Soap Bark and Chamomile Deep Cleansing Cream) I then use a honey (local) and Demerara sugar scrub on my lips. Every *other* day, I use Burt's Bees Citrus Facial Scrub OR a homemade sugar scrub to exfoliate.  I follow with a swipe of toner. I then apply a retinol product (currently, I am using ROC Deep Wrinkle Night Cream, but may switch to something by Philosophy in the future. I am happy with ROC right now). While this sinks in, I have another glass of my "lemon tea". This is followed by my moisturizes, only at night, I bring it all the way down the decolletage. Lastly, I dip a Qtip in EVOO and apply this to my eyelashes, to make sure they get love, too!

In addition to all that, I like to do an enzyme peel (Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Tone Correcting peel and most recently, ones I create myself...like the Blackberry & Yogurt Peel I have on right now). Once a week, I use Queen Helene's Mint Julep Masque...which I have used for years.

So...there it is. And, it seems like a whole lot of work. Thing is, it isn't really. The most time consuming part is the *sinking into the skin* parts, and I use that for hydration time. I realize it can seem frivolous and maybe a waste of time. Maybe its a futile exercise. But, I have grown to love the routine. It puts me in the mind set of...its time for bed, or time to get moving on the day. And, I like that I am taking a small bit of time to pamper myself. That can't be a bad thing.

Any other suggestions you can think of? I would love to hear tips and ideas.

from Mother Teresa

"We need to find God, and he cannot be found in noise and restlessness. God is the friend of silence. See how nature--trees, flowers, grass--grows in silence; see the stars, the moon, and the sun, how they move in silence...we need silence to be able to touch souls."

a question

It is never too late to ask yourself, "Am I ready to change the life I am living? Am I ready to change within?" Even if a single day in your life is the same as the day before, it surely is a pity. At every moment and with each new breath, one should be renewed and renewed again.

~Shams Tabrizi

The Speech of Antony

Today, I was helping Nico with an assignment on persuasive techniques used in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. It could be because of my deep interest in Roman history, but I found this part of the Speech of Antony quite beautiful and moving. I am actually considering memorizing it.

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.
The evil that men do lives after them;
The good is oft interred with their bones;
So let it be with Caesar. The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answer'd it.
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest--
For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all, all honourable men--
Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral.
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
He hath brought many captives home to Rome
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you then, to mourn for him?
O judgment! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

thoughts from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau

These are not my own words, though I completely agree with them. They are the voice of Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, an activist and cookbook author. These are all from Patrick-Goudreau's book, The Vegan Table. The emphasis in the text is mine. I apologize in advance if this offends anyone. I believe in sharing the essense of who you are with those you love, and these words really touched me.


"It would be disingenous, however, to say there isn't something special about a gathering where no animals were harmed for the sake of our pleasure. When a sense of consciousness informs our actions, when our intentions reflect kindness and nonviolence, when our thoughts turn to someone else's needs rather than our own desires, there is no denying that something profound takes place. In the absense of suffering, there is peace. In the presense of compassion, there is joy."

"Most people don't look inside a slaughterhouse because if they did, they might be compelled to make different choices. It is our fear of change---our attachment to old habits---that drives us to keep eating animals and their products. It is our fear of doing something different that keeps us stuck in old behavior.

This is what I mean when I say that this habit harms our relationships. Our ability to compartmentalize our emotions and justify the pain of other living creatures in favor of momentary pleasure cannot but affect us on the most fundamental level. How can we function as whole human beings when we consciously cut ourselves off from a part of ourselves every time we sit down to eat?

Some people even believe that the fear, pain and violence experienced by the animals during slaughter are taken up into their flesh and fluids and then come into our own bodies when we consume them. Hokey as it may sound, we cannot deny that a plant-based meal is built from life-giving rather than life-taking foods. This is what I want to serve to the people I love most."


"I didn't stop eating animals because I didn't like the way they tasted. I stopped eating animals and their products because I didn't want to contribute to the violence and exploitation of another when I didn't have to. It is a powerful and empowering way to live.

The sense of peace you feel when you align your behavior with your values is tangible. It connects you with everything and everyone around you, and I can't think of a better way to deepen our participation in this world than by feeding our loved ones food that heals rather than harms.

May the dinners you create expand your heart as well as your palate, and may they draw you closer to those you love."

my personal practice

This is the first time I have shared my personal practice. It is an extended version of the classes I have taught in the past week. It is a practice I will continue to do until the end of the year. And I am sure parts of it will continue to come up during the classes I teach.

For the past few months, I have had a very unstructured personal practice. I have let myself just flow through asana as my body felt it needed to move. It has been eye-opening. Now, I think it is time to move into a more structured practice, so I can deeply learn to feel each asana.

Below is my sequence, without much commentary. If there is a variation of an asana I use, I will make note. If there are specific questions about the sequence...email me and I will try to clear it up. This is just off my notes, which I suspect make more sense to me than to others.

Centering

• Hero Pose (Virasana)


• Sphinx

Warming Up

• Flow between low Cobra Pose and Cobra Pose (Bhujangasana)


• Cat & Cow (Marjaryasana & Bitilasana)


• Flow from Down Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana through "cat plank" to Up Dog (Urdhva Mukha Svanasana)


• Sun Salutation B (Surya Namaskar B) *done twice. The first round is "on the breath". The second round with a longer Warrior I (Virabhadrasana I) moved into a Revolved Triangle (Parivrtta Trikonasana). If the second round is too much, just another Surya B on the breath.


• Flow between Standing Forward Fold (Uttanasana) and Half Standing Forward Fold (Ardha Uttanasana)


• Come to a squat, feet between hands

The Practice

• Step back with right foot to high lunge (hands over head), hold, then move into revolved lunge, hold, come back to center and step right foot up to meet the left. Repeat by stepping back with left foot, during lunge and revolving, BUT THEN STEP BACK TO DOWN DOG.


• Down Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasana) Low lunge (step up with left foot)(Anjaneyasana). In low lunge, pull in right knee gently for variation on One Leg King Pigeon Pose II (Eka Pada Rajakapotasana II), Lizard Pose (Utthan Pristhasana), Lizard Pose, Outer Hip variation, Half Split Pose (Ardha Hamunanasana). Switch sides by moving through Down Dog. When finished on both sides, walk feet up to hands.


• Rag Doll with deeply bent knees.

Standing Poses

• Goddess Pose (Utkata Konasana), then fold right and left, then twist right and left


• Triangle (Trikonasana) to Half Moon Pose (Ardha Chandrasana) to Standing Split (Urdhva Prasarita Eka Padasana to Sugarcane Pose (Ardha Chandra Chapasana). Do both sides. Transition through Wide Legged Forward Bend C (Prasarita Padottanasana C).


• Eagle Pose (Garudasana).


• Tree Pose with Cow-Face Arms (Vrksasana with Gomukhasana arms)


• Step to Side Angle (Utthita Parsva Konasana), half bind and holding bind, move to Triangle. Move back to Side Angle, release bind and repeat on other side.


• Repeat Side Angle and Trikonasana, but with full binds

Backbends and Seated poses

• move to child's pose


• Locus (Slambhasana)


• Half Frog (Ardha Bhekasana)


• Bow (Dhanurasana)


• Side Angle (Vasisthasana)


• Down Dog (Adho Mukha Svanasna), 3 legged variation


• Wild Thing (Camatkarasana)


• Half Camel (Ardha Ustrasana)


• Child's Pose


• Dolphin Pose


• Full Boat Pose (Paripurna Navasana)


• Reclining Big Toe (Supta Padangusthasana)


• Bound Angle Pose (Baddha Konasana)


• Head to Knee Pose (Janu Sirsanana) Right leg, then left leg


• Staff Pose (Dandasana)


• Seated Forward Fold (Paschimottanasa)


• Heron Pose (Krounchasana)


• Easy Pose (Sukhasana)


• Sage's Pose III (Marichyasana III)


• Seated Wide Leg Forward Fold (Upavistha Konasana)


• Half Lord of the Fishes (Ardha Matsyendrasana)

Ending,,,

• an inversion, such as headstand or shoulderstand


• Corpse Pose

This is what I am practicing at the moment. It seems like a lot, and it can take a while if you stay in each asana for a while. Some days, its nice to go slow, but you can flow through these as well.