Ed. note: Sad. They took it down. Well, this WAS Lily Tomlin, giving an amazing speech about how when moved to New York, she had big dreams of being a waitress, but she could only get work as an actress. Until one day, the ace waitress is out and she gets her big break! 10/22/09
In a couple of weeks, there’s an open house at the midtown Bikram Yoga NYC studio. It’s a great opportunity for anyone who would like to try out bikram yoga to learn more about it and get in on some specials they’re offering. All brand new students can sign up for a 30-day pass for only $30. (The beginner special they offer at all other times is a one-week pass for $23.) If you are ready to jump in and take a class, there is a free beginner-only class that day at 3:45pm. You just have to sign up online beforehand to get a spot!
Today in class, Georgia (the teacher) was saying that people don’t “do” yoga. You “try” yoga. All that matters is you try you best with where you are and what you have, and you’ll reap all the benefits of it. I know that’s been true for me!
All the pertinent info…
Open House Saturday May 9
1-6 p.m.
Bikram Yoga Midtown
797 Eight Avenue b/w 48th & 49th Sts.
4th Floor
The other night at work I was talking to the manager, Tianna, whose photography career is really taking off. She’s been traveling all over the world over the past few months taking photographs. She’s gotten a lot of her work through various grants. She told me about an awesome resource in New York, called the Foundation Center.
Turns out, there’s tons of money out there for artists. Actually, Tianna said it’s almost overwhelming to see what’s available. I checked out the web site and sure enough they offer all sorts of classes and seminars to help with the process of researching grants, writing proposals, and everything else that goes into this process. There are even webinars you can check out in your underwear. Tianna suggested just visiting the Foundation Center and checking out their vast library. She said the people who worked there were eager to help.
I like taking a look at this web site just to widen up the ole’ worldview a little. I find it encouraging to see the abundance of financial support out there for artists. But it also sure gets the wheels turning.
There are roughly three New Yorks. There is, first, the New York of the man or woman who was born here, who takes the city for granted and accepts its size and its turbulence as natural and inevitable. Second, there is the New York of the commuter—the city that is devoured by locusts each day and spat out each night. Third, there is the New York of the person who was born somewhere else and came to New York in quest of something. Of these three trembling cities the greatest is the last—the city of final destination, the city that is a goal. It is this third city that accounts for New York’s high-strung disposition, its poetical deportment, its dedication to the arts, and its incomparable achievements. Commuters give this city its tidal restlessness; natives give it solidity and continuity; but the settlers give it passion. And whether it is a farmer arriving from Italy to set up a small grocery store in a slum, or a young girl arriving from a small town in Mississippi to escape the indignity of being observed by her neighbors, or a boy arriving from the Corn Belt with a manuscript in his suitcase and a pain in his heart, it makes no difference; each embraces New York with the intense excitement of first love, each absorbs New York with the fresh eyes of an adventurer, each generates heat and light to dwarf the Consolidated Edison Company.
From Here is New York by E.B. White
(A wonderful little book.)
I had four glorious days off of work before returning to the restaurant Thursday morning.
I think I had a day similar to this one, the day my friend Jen realized she no longer wanted a day job. (Who “wants” a dayjob? No one. Right. BUT, I’m talking about the day you really hit that wall and start to sense that it doesn’t have to be this way.)
I had been at work for about an hour, and was squeezing into the server station, and I said out loud, “This doesn’t work anymore.”
Now these feelings have been brewing for a while. But, after having several days off in a row, I really got used to doing work on my own terms: writing, doing yoga, writing some more, researching, rehearsing, performing. Going to work seriously messed with my mojo. I didn’t realize how happy I’ve felt lately until I was at work and faced with waitress-related unhappiness. I found myself in the server station saying to myself, “Shake it off!” I left work with that familiar depleted feeling I generally feel after 8 hours of waiting tables. Oh! How I long to feel invigorated after 8 hours of work… and that will come when I am doing work I am passionate about, that excites me. Work that I already do, but living off of it! YOU know what I’m talking about, right?
Dude, I’m not lazy. I don’t want to just stay home and nap all day. (Although there is something to be said for those days.) I want to do valuable work. I want to give something meaningful to the world. And I want to LIVE off of that, not off of my ability to serve coffee.
Now of course, I am thankful to have a job in a busy restaurant (especiallyinthiseconomy), and to work with interesting people in a beautiful part of the city. And, lucky for me, my schedule requests are granted and I have the days off I need to rehearse, perform, and pursue my life.
I’m just ready for MORE. Do ya hear that, YOUNEEVERSE? I’m ready!
Well, it’s right here, in print, just in case you forget.
Some days I am nice to myself by going to yoga.
Some days I am nice to myself by not going to yoga.
That’s all.
My friend Maia and I have some wonderful chats at work. She is a mutli-lingual writer, actress, and traveller who has amazing stories, and will say whatever she is thinking at any moment. She’s a force to be reckoned with, to say the least.
We talk a lot about our different dreams, loves, heartaches, and visions for ourselves. We are both spending 4 to 5 days a week at the restaurant, and then trying to use any time left over from that to pursue the lives we really desire for ourselves. I have that in common with most of my coworkers (and so many other New York artists).
The other day, Maia and I were talking about creative dreams, and desires for success. As a single lady (putting my hands up with Beyonce), my heart is fully invested in my creative dreams. This can bring as much emotional turbulence as a difficult relationship! I think many of us improvisers have experienced that low feeling after doing a not-so great show, and many of us are good at beating ourselves up for it. As my group’s coach, Ashley Ward, will tell us after a so-so show, “It’s toilet paper.” As in, flush it down the toilet—it’s over and gone. I think that part of growing as a performer includes learning to let shows GO afterwards, and to not connect one’s self-worth with its success or (this one hurts) mediocrity.
Maia was telling me about some inspirational podcasts she’s been listening to on occasion. One of them says, “All we have to worry about in life is living our purpose. That’s it. Money, career, fame—that’s not what it is all about. Just find your true purpose and live it.”
I like that. It’s a freeing thought.
Seems easy enough, right? (cough cough.) Right?
Yesterday I attended the Holistic Spring Fling. The room was filled with self-help booths. There was a personal trainer, yoga teacher, life coach, astrologist, acupuncturist, massage therapist and more. Where to begin!
As much as I love discovering the various holistic health options out there, my guard immediately went up as I spoke to the different people. What are they going to try to sell me? (Tell me about your massage package but let’s go easy on the worldview, mister.) I spoke to a woman who was a feng shui astrologist. I told her my birth year and she gave me my principal number, which was 9 Fire. The qualities for this number are: well-known, bright, inspiring. I’ll take that! I’m best paired with a 4 Wood (Hello there, 1978 boys!) Then there was the personal trainer who has a little machine that would show you your Body Mass Index (fat index!). I was going to do this, but decided not to. I’m in a process of developing a healthy lifestyle on my own terms so I just moved on.
I had heard of Reiki healers and was interested in seeing what Reiki was like. I still don’t completely understand it so I’ll just repeat what their little card said: “REIKI is an ancient hands-on healing art that balances energy, reduces stress, opens up creative blocks, increases focus and productivity, enables the body to heal itself naturally, and creates an overall state of calm.” I sat in a chair and a Reiki healer gently touched my back, head and shoulders. I think I would have to try this more than once to get an idea of what I really think about it. Did I feel calm afterwards because that’s what a Reiki session “should” make me feel? Or did I just feel calm? Not sure.
Then there was the group acupuncture session. The practioner put needles in our ears. She said this was done for victims of Katrina, the Iowa floods, and US veterans, and was supposed to have a very calming effect. It was kind of hilarious though… My friend Jamie must have some really strong chi because the needles continually fell out of her ears. The poor acupuncturist was getting really flustered about it. It was supposed to be this calming environment and there she was whispering “Be really careful. Is it in your sweater? Maybe it got caught in your jeans? There. Now that should do it…” (Another needle falls out.) “This is ridiculous!” Then another lady’s ear began bleeding. She asked the practioner, “Is that a good or a bad thing?” as blood trickled on her chest. The practioner tried to give us some calming smiles. Meanwhile the rest of us were getting ansy, ready to get these needles out of our ears so we could try out some inner peace from the other booths.
The one thing I wanted to try out but didn’t was the Alexander Technique. I have heard a lot of positive feedback from friends who have really benefited from this. Emily Whyte is a friend of Jamie’s, who I attended this event with. She teaches Alexander Technique. One of these days I may have to try it out. (But a gal can only do so much self-improvement at one time!)
Being at this event was a giant reminder of something Dion and I talked about other day. It’s very important during this big self-improvement phase that I am in to truly understand that I am perfectly fine as I am today. None of these things will “fix” me. All of my various life goals are positive, but I have to remember that no matter what happens or how much I “improve” I am fine just as I am in this moment. I felt pretty good at the event, because I knew I wasn’t seeking answers from these sources. I realized that I’m in pretty good shape! I like the path I’m on. That’s a good feeling.
“Getting there.” Hmm. I think part of getting there is learning to just be here: flaws and all, bank statement as it looks, with all the literal and metaphorical dishes in the sink. I’ll get there once I can fully learn to just be right here.
Alrighty. So Saturday and Sunday were my last days of tracking my eating habits on thedailyplate.
It’s been helpful tool for getting some more awareness about the way I eat. There were no dramatic developments, and I mostly learned things I already knew. But it always more beneficial to relearn things from personal experience.
My goal in doing this was to achieve some balance in my eating habits, so that I can enjoy things like alcohol and cheese and sweets and still feel my best all the time. So, how can I do that?
1. Grocery shopping, and being pro-active about planning my meals. In New York, this means packing lunches and dinners. (Don’t laugh at me when I pull out grilled chicken and a spinach salad at Mustang Sally’s!)
2. Planning for the indulgences, if possible. If I know I’ll be out at night having 2 or 3 drinks, then I should eat better during the day, and skip desserts. Also, I should do my best to drink on a full stomach so that I don’t get a case of the drunken munchies.
3. Exercise (duh). I feel so much better on a day that I make yoga or bike-riding a priority. It also makes room for guilt-free indulging!
4. Pack snacks. Going 5 hours without eating leaves me dizzy and hungry and then I overeat.
5. Include LOTS of fruit and vegetables in meals and in between.
Now, I immediately have doubt that I will be able to follow through with all these little goals. (Hush hush, you naysayer in my head!) I’m going to reach for them and do my best to follow through with what I learned, and that’s all I can do! I should include “be easy on myself” in these goals.
The next area of my life I want to bring more awareness to: expenses. “Especially in this economy, AMiRightFolks?!”
