Yoga Dreams and Aspirations

There is a saying that "when the student is ready, the teacher will appear." I have been wanting to take my yoga practice to the next level for a little while now and keep envisioning myself being strong enough to lift myself from a seated position into a handstand with ease and control.

Currently, my upper body strength does not support that vision and I have been working to condition myself to be more flexible, but have needed a teacher or trainer to help me reach the next level of my yoga practice......one that is strong enough and flexible enough to have the knowledge of how to achieve the goal I have in mind.

It just so happens that I was at the gym last Thursday for my yoga class and did some shoulder exercises and cardio after class. As I was stretching I looked over to see one trainer inverted on an exercise ball with is legs up in the air. I was in pigeon pose and decided to comment and said, "Now you are just showing off!" He told me I had him beat because he could never get into pigeon pose. I tried doing what the trainer did and fell commenting that once I master Crow position, I should feel more confident doing an inversion. Then seemingly out of nowhere appeared two more trainers, one of which showed me he could not only do Crow, but he could push himself from Crow into a handstand!!!! OMG!! My teacher has appeared! I told him I wanted to learn how to do that and he said he could teach me.

BRING IT!!!!!!

He proceeded to put me through the wringer for the next 30 minutes, but was impressed that I was able to do most of the exercises he put before me even though I'd never done them before. One thing I do need to work on is my balance! At the end of it, I was so seduced by the idea of meeting my yoga goals, that I hired him as my trainer....not taking into account that right now spending money is a no, no in my household. I ended up having to cancel my training membership the very next day and felt so badly about it because I wanted so much to train my body to be stronger without looking like it....and I know this trainer can get me those results!

Luckily, he said he'll still train me regardless of a membership......and I'll sign up for a valid personal training membership once funds become available.

Life is good!

Until next time.....

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

Olsen Olsen

Olsen Olsen is a song by Sigur Ros off their A'gaetis Byrjun album. I had been skeptical of this album and Von only because other listeners described the albums as dark and moody. I'm still digesting A'gaetis Byrjun, but so far I really like it! My new favorite song is Olsen Olsen. It starts out with a kind of dark tone to it, but as soon as Jonsi starts singing, the mood lifts. His voice sounds like I'm hearing it in my dreams.....all soft, distant and echoed. When he crescendos at what I assume is the chorus, the feeling overtakes me and tears just spontaneously well up in my eyes. The sound is so beautiful. Then come the flute, piano and brass interludes that ultimately build into this very joyful and free spirited collaboration that lifts the heart out of any possible sadness. God, I love these guys!

I actually just sent a letter off to the band just expressing my appreciation for their fine work and in the letter I told them that I almost couldn't go back to listening to American music because their unique music makes American music sound cliche and almost ugly. I know that sounds harsh, because obviously there are still some decent American bands out there, but today's pop culture and the way the big record labels dictate song artists creativity have soured me to much of the American music industry. I do still have some bands I can listen to.....Dave Matthews being one of them.

By and large though, I am religiously reaching for Sigur Ros when I want to hear music. I sneak off to get a little listen on my iPod every now and then when I don't want to inundate my husband with the same tunes over and over again. I find I am more creative when I listen to them and I'm also more calm and happy as well. It's no wonder they were asked to play for the Dalai Lama about a week ago. Wow! What an honor! The feeling in the arena where the performance was held must have been pure love and bliss.

I say this because; even though it may sound retarded, I truly believe that Sigur Ros' music could bring about world peace if everyone listened to them. Bring the Dalai Lama into the mix and it's practically a done deal. Does any of this sound like a kooky movie from the 80's? Remember "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure"? Remember how they were destined to create music that would bring world peace? Ahem.....enter Sigur Ros. The modern day and infinitely cooler band with a musical aesthetic that any true music lover can appreciate. Ahhhhhhh! I just can't get enough of them!

Until next time....

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

Sigur Ros......again!

Over Mother's Day weekend, Sigur Ros posted a link to Pitchfork.tv so fans could view the bonus videos included with the deluxe edition for their most recent album, Med sud i eryum vid spilum endalaust. I have watched the bonus videos twice now since then and invariably end up crying my eyes out by the end of it!

The first video depicts Sigur Ros the band on tour for their new album and doing a music video for one of my favorite songs, Gobbledigook. It's kind of nice to get a feel for what these guys are like when they aren't performing. They seem like regular, down to earth people who just love to have a good time and cheer each other on. It's really very endearing!

The second video is the making of the song, Ara batur at Abbey Road in London. For this song they used an orchestra and The Westminster Boys Choir. The end result is nothing short of breathtaking and would easily bring anyone to tears.....it's THAT beautiful!


The more I see....the more I hear........the more I love.

Until next time....

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

Current TV

If you have Cablevision, you can't get this channel. If you have a dish, you might and probably do. If you have AT&T U-verse like I do, you get this channel. And what a wonderful channel it is!!!!!

I can't say enough amazing things about Current TV. I discovered it after we got U-verse through AT&T. If I was to describe it to those who need something to relate it to, I'd say it's kind of like You Tube except it is much more organized with a worldly view of the issues that affect countries, societies, communities and individuals. The network will take a block of time; maybe 30 minutes or an hour; to explore a topic.....let's say hair. In that time, they will show you "pods" that viewers have created exploring as many angles as they can on the subject of hair. They discuss everything from every angle.....politics, fashion, art, technology, lifestyle, movies, sports, music, religion, hair.....everything! There's a lot of funny stuff too.

I don't even watch the news anymore since everything that's reported is so biased. If you really want to know what's going on in the world, watch Current TV! I was watching a segment of pods lastnight about Iran. They discussed everything from the basiscs of Iran (like where is it on the world map and what is the dominant religion) to Iranian transexuality and nose jobs in Iran. Apparently, Iran is the nose job capitol of the world!

There's a wealth of information on Current TV that more people should have access to. Too many people have been sucked into the clutches of mainstream media, where society is only allowed a small perspective of what's really going on. It's a shame that so many people live in the dark and allow themselves to be lead like sheep, buying into only what the news broadcasts, which is skewed by the networks own hidden agendas and political views.

Current TV is admittedly a liberal newtork, but they aren't afraid to explore all the facets of an issue, whether it be about hair or the possibility of war with Iran. The channel's varied podcasts probably answer many questions that we as an American society have that our government refuses to answer.

I know I keep going on and on about the political side of Current TV, but I must say that a lot of it is very lighthearted and simply all around informative. I always thought I could get smarter by watching the Discovery Network Channels, but Current TV trumps them all and I can honestly say I've learned so much more as a result of watching Current. Here's a link to their website: http://www.current.com/

That's all for now.

Until next time......

Thanks for reading!
Kristen

Trader Joe's

I have lived in Norwalk, CT for almost 7 years now with access to not ONE, but TWO Trader Joe's stores. I have never shopped there regularly and am now kicking myself. Just recently I have taken the time to peruse their aisles and check out all their goods and noticed one unmistakable fact.....their products are not only good.....they are really, really inexpensive!

I have been scouring the weekly fliers that come in the mail for savings to the stores I tend to frequent, like Stop & Shop or Shoprite and while they my have some decent deals depending on the week, they really can't beat Trader Joe's on certain things. Just last week I was at Trader Joe's with my son when they were going around with cereal samples for their Gourmet Flakes and Chocolate Cereal. Kellogg's has a similar product, in a smaller box, for almost twice what Trader Joe's is asking!!!!! It's amazing what a name brand can do to a price. And that's just one of their products that I have allowed myself to indulge in now that I can justify buying it again. They also have almond butter their which I have to buy for my daughter since she is allergic to peanuts and they charge around $4.00 for theirs where Stop & Shop has an almond butter for $10.00. Uh, no brainer! They also have their own verson of Pirate's Booty in a bigger bag for a whole lot less!

Not only does Trader Joe's do wonders for my budget, but they also offer a HUGE range of products that are ORGANIC!!!! Now that I've been scared into consuming mostly organic foods after reading Skinny Bitch, this is a mecca for me. The Trader Joe's I've been going to in Westport, CT is a small store and they don't offer fresh cuts of fish or meat (only frozen fish).....not that I should care since Skinny Bitch pretty much scared me into being vegetarian as well, so I'll have to check out the one in Darien, CT to see if that TJ's does things differently and offers a different variety.

All the same, Trader Joe's has great products and offer them at such competitive prices that I wish I'd taken the time to notice a long time ago. I was under the impression that it was high end health food store that only those who live in Westport and Darien could afford to shop at. I was way wrong. In fact, the staff as well couldn't be nicer! They all seem to enjoy their work, which makes the store feel so welcoming. They are so helpful and are so sweet to the kids. My son is sure he leaves with at least 2 balloons for both he and his sister whenever we go. Today he not only copped two balloons, but snagged two sets of mardi gras beads from one of the employees.....again, one for him and one for his big sis. What a nice little brother.

So, if you haven't yet discovered Trader Joe's, you must go! You can thank me later.

Until next time......

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

Skinny Bitch

Have you seen this book???? I have to say that I borrowed it from the library simply because of the title and figured it had to be a sassy read with a title like that! I was right! The authors were shamelessly dropping F-bombs all over the place in between moments of informative concern.

One would think that with a title like Skinny Bitch that this book would primarily be about diet and exercise, but no. I was shocked to read the things they were writing about. The major motivation for this book is to inform the readers about the greed, corruption and overall lack of concern for the public within the food industry. It relays graphic accounts of the horrible abuse the animals suffer for the sake of being food for the American consumer. The book outlines the corruption and conflicts of interest that go on within the FDA, USDA and even the EPA. Oh my God, the EPA even!!!!!!! Aren't they supposed to oversee our organic food handling??? YES! Apparently they can't be trusted!

The book makes an EXTREMELY strong case to go vegan. Afterall, the meat we eat is being injected with hormones to make the animals grow faster and fatter for slaughtering and antibiotics to keep them from getting sick......and being sprayed with pesticides to keep the bugs off of them. So now you know why 8 year old girls are growing breasts and getting their period. And this also explains why people are becoming immune to antibiotics or developing allergies. Also, contaminated meat still gets a passing grade because it's all about money and greed....and if the meat doesn't go to market, there's no money to be made. This information was making me sick......and I don't even want to go into what they do to chickens or how milk is handled! Basically, the food pyramid is BS and was only put in place by the FDA so each food category could get their fair share of the profits to be made. Even the sugar industry has their hand in the cookie jar. Did yo know that when ASPARTAME gets ingested, a chemical reaction occurs that turns it into formaldahyde?? This product is not fit for human consumption and yet it got passed through corrupt means. It's sickening and disheartening. It makes me want to buy a huge piece of property and grow all my own food so I know what I'm eating.

I'm still on the fence in terms of whether or not I'll go completely vegan, but I have made significant adjustments to my diet that include A LOT more fruits and veggies and organic foods from trusted sources(which they tell you about in the book). In fact, it's changed my thinking so much that I definitely make sure to wash all my fruits and veggies now (espeially if they aren't organic) before I eat them. The food industry doesn't care about our health and if the chemicals they use on the meat and produce lead to cancer, alzheimers or a host of other horrible diseases.....allergies included! I used to think the produce industries would go that extra mile and clean the produce to ensure that their food was completely safe for human consumption right out of the packaging. Nope, that was a silly thing to think. Why do you think there has been such a significant rise in allergies over the past years? Duh! Think about all the crap we have been ingesting into our bodies! It makes me angry that our food industry is so corrupt and that the government would allow such things to go on.

Yes, this book will make you think about food, government and our country in a whole new way. It opened my eyes and now that I know what goes on, I can't turn a blind eye to it anymore. I'm aware and will make every effort to see to it that I and my family eat only the best foods that are handled with human consumption in mind. If you want to be informed, read this book. If you don't want to give up your meat group, don't read it! This book will change you!

Until next time.......

Thanks for reading!

Kristen

Icelandic Bands.....Period!!!

Is it a problem when I can hear a bands music in my head when I'm not playing them on the stereo or my iPod? Or if I need to sneak away to listen to my iPod just to get a fix of their music? Is this a problem?

My obsession with Sigur Ros continues! To make matters worse, the lead vocalist for Sigur Ros has his boyfriend, Alex Somers in the band, Parachutes......which also happens to be an Icelandic band with an equally magical sound as Sigur Ros.....actully more airy. Still though, what is it with these Icelandic bands????

I think I need to see for myself. I'm angling to have my next vacation be to Iceland to get a feel for what inspires this amazing music.

Attached is a link to a You tube video for a Parachutes song that has me in its grips. Just click the title of this post to take you there.

That's all for now!

Thanks for reading!

Kristen