Snowdrift

First snow in the valley today. Here comes the mail carrier. He's wearing shorts. Shorts in winter. How Utahn.

The snowfall has made me giddy. I love living in a place with seasons, but it really only works when you have a whole year under your belt and experience the transitions. Randin and I arrived in mid-winter, and to be honest I found last year's cold and snow to be overwhelming and depressing. Like being dropped naked into a snowdrift. I felt some dread that this upcoming winter would set me back. Instead I'm thinking of Christmas trees. Yes, this year I think I'll have a small tree and decorate it with the hindu pantheon (that's a lot of ornaments!).

I'm starting to move around and exercise with some regularity. I have a physical therapist who, for this month at least, visits me and has given me a list of activities to start building strength. I'm a little embarrassed by this. Me, a yogi, a hatha yoga teacher no less, doesn't know how to build strength on her own? Not from this place. I am graced with compassion thanks to this experience. I have not been the most compassionate yoga teacher. The level of physical strength I assumed in my students was considerable. I've never had a student who couldn't do a lunge for example (or that I didn't assume could do one). Now I am a student who doesn't have the strength to do a lunge. I'm beginning from an unfamiliar place and I don't know the way! I'm grateful for my guide, Adam.

I'm a little more than midway through Cycle 9. I will probably begin Cycle 10 November 12th. After that, maintenance for a year. 2009 has been a year of confusion and disorientation! You can tell, just look at my hair!