Author Archives: mariannedecher

Yoga Challenge Day 6

Posted on by mariannedecher

Today’s gem was, “If my hair looks bad at the beginning of class – no worries! It will look infinitely worse after 90 minutes in the hot room” 🙂

Wow, did I have chattering monkey mind today. And it wasn’t just one cute little monkey; there was a full-fledged committee in there. When the teacher sweetly said to push all thoughts away during savasana, I wanted to say, “Seriously? The chattering chimp committee is currently debating the merits of grated ginger in tonight’s dinner over minced. And they haven’t even touched all the spices yet. That’s a whole different dialogue”.

Day 6 Done!! And hey – with quitting coffee (for the many millionth time) and doing all this yoga, I am down 8 pounds without even trying. Hoorah!

"And you think you're going to clear all thoughts, do you? Bwhahaha"

“And you think you’re going to clear all thoughts, do you? Bwhahaha”

 

Yoga Challenge Day 5

Posted on by mariannedecher

It was very inspiring to have a teacher and a teacher/studio owner practicing next to me yesterday. Their dedication to their practice helps me to dedicate myself to mine.

Day 5 of a 10 day challenge complete. I’m already feeling positive changes in all ways. Yay!

I also live for the closing remarks that one teacher routinely says at the very end of class, “don’t let anyone piss you off, don’t let anyone steal your peace.” Amen and keep saying that because I need to keep hearing it.

Yoga Challenge Day 423 – million

Posted on by mariannedecher

OK, so day 4 FEELS like 423 million. And I never exaggerate 🙂

I was really brave and practiced in shorts and a sports bra today. That’s like superly hugely brave. BUT – I discovered that the short sleeve tech T I’ve been wearing really keeps the sweat out of my face in the standing- forehead-to-knee posture. (Addendum: After 10-12 years of this practice, you’d think I would know the posture names by now. I meant that the T shirt keeps the sweat out of my face in the standing separate leg head to knee pose – the one after Triangle!) Back on with the shirt! I’d better get used to being without it though if I’m going to do the yoga competition in the fall.

 

 

Yoga Challenge Day – 2?

Posted on by mariannedecher

The yoga challenge officially started on Valentine’s Day but I started on Friday the 13th. Am I on day 2 or 3 now? My goal is to complete the 10 out of 15 days challenge and hopefully much more. But I will be away for several days hither and yon, so I can’t do the 30 day challenge.

Today, I challenged myself (by overusing the word “challenge” 🙂 ) by getting out of MY customary comfort spot and moving waaaay over to the left side of the room, against the wall of mirrors. As I did the first backbend, I found myself under a BRIGHT spotlight. I could see all the blood vessels in my retina!! I was also wearing a new FitBit which seemed to think I was very busy before and after class but that I did nada during the strenuous 90 minutes of sweating. 🙂

A good day, especially with the warm temps and sunshine. Yippee.

Yoga Challenge

Posted on by mariannedecher

Yoga is like meditation. One day can be bliss and ease. The next day is torture.

Two days ago, I was humbled to be practicing next to someone with a *broken elbow*. She modified her moves but she was there, doing it. Yesterday was just all around challenging for me.

I’m doing a yoga challenge, attending 10 days in a row but hopefully more. There are a million reasons to call it off – such as the unusually warm and sunny weather we are having – in Oregon, of all places. But I will be there again today; sweating and doing my best.

Just add high temps, and we're good to go!

Just add high temps, and we’re good to go!

 

What you give is what you get

Posted on by mariannedecher

Whenever I go to play music at the hospital, I feel so unprepared. And in today’s case I was unprepared because I had not played anything since Christmas; at which point, I came down with a month-long respiratory illness. I lugged in all my equipment to the unit of the Children’s Hospital, promptly dropped music everywhere, and was too lazy to open either flute case.

So I ended up jamming on the handpan for about an hour and a half in 2 different locations on the unit. I came up with a nifty tune that had a heartbeat. And I went into trance state – hence the title of this post. A baby who was crying uncontrollably in a treatment room instantly calmed down. I always think it’s a coincidence but perhaps it is not. It’s also nice to hear staff say that the music is beautiful but I hope what they are saying is that it is calming them. (One nurse requested that I play closer to their station because they were all in high-strung mode).

I had the chance to practice calm and spread some calm as a code was called over the PA system and police were running around. My inner freak-out was lessened by the handpan and I also figured the metal instrument would make a good shield if it came down to that (yikes).

My intentions are:

To have a nice cart so I can pull around all my equipment and not have my shoulders take the brunt of the weight and bulk.

To be PAID to do what I love to do – even if it is at poverty level, but hopefully not.

 

Simplifying

Posted on by mariannedecher

Life has been SO busy (since mid October onwards), that it is now mid January and many of the Christmas cards we received still have not been opened. And it’s not like we took on every – or even very few – parties and social gatherings.

We were at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas during the first week of January. 165,000 people were in attendance – a virtual city of its own superimposed on the already crazy and overstim mode that is Sin City. Pete worked like a maniac at 3 booths for his company and I was in constant hurry up and wait mode, getting ready to assist with equipment or people transport.

My first thought while listening to a lecture from the CEOs of Cisco, Comcast and Bosch were, “we need to simplify”!!! Electronic gizmos are becoming ever faster, more data are being collected, life is becoming unmanageable. There is undeniably some benefit in all these advances – such as doctors assisting other doctors remotely, via Skype, during surgeries. Who could have even dreamed of that a few years ago?

But my thought during the lecture was – let’s have barn raisings, music gatherings and handmade crafts created in a group setting. Ironically, I say this while having an iPhone, 3 blogs, a Facebook account etc, etc, etc. From now on, my posts will be short. And if you’ve read this far, I will be launching an Etsy business soon. With short posts.

Be well, folks – and go hug someone.

 

What’s today and Which party are we on?

Posted on by mariannedecher

Was in Hawaii two weeks ago, where temps were warm and life was slow.

And then things got crazy. I’m usually one to lie around in slug mode during December, but not this time, apparently. Tomorrow – Saturday – 25 folks will be here for a house concert. Sunday, 25 different folks will be here for a baby shower. I’m going at it solo because 31 hours after coming back from Hawaii, KAH (kick ass husband) took off for a biz trip to Germany – with a 50 degree temp difference!

I’m dreaming of Tiny Bubbles…Tiny Bubbles…with a ukulele and a palm tree. Ahhh. (No matter how grateful I am to have a house and friends and these activities…that uke and palm tree are looking good!)

In 8 days, KAD (kick ass daughter) with KAB (kick ass boyfriend) will be here. And we shall slug and eat and slug some more. But we shall not eat slugs – ewww. Woop woop!!!

Instant happiness

Instant happiness

A New Skill

Posted on by mariannedecher

As someone who is notorious for countless ideas and novelty, I have finally started to practice a skill which has laid dormant since HS – consistency! For the last 2 weeks – ok, not long, I know, but it’s a start – I have consistently gone to yoga 3X a week, the gym 3X a week, practiced the harp, pursued my crafts (I really want to have an Etsy business) and gotten chores done.

It’s also now the 4 year anniversary of my 2 spinal surgeries. They happened 6 weeks apart. It took some kind of consistency (well, persistence actually) to get through the rehab, healing and more bad stuff that was piled on top. If not a consistent physical practice at least a mostly consistent spirit of, “I shall endure. I shall not give up”. That says a lot because for a period of time – I really wanted out. Not suicide exactly, but just OUT of the constant pain and bad stuff. Anyone reading this who needs encouragement, contact me. I’ll never fully know your experience but I bet our paths have some striking commonalities.

I would never have believed at the time that there IS a shore on the other side of wading through endless…dung. My life is good and happy. And I’ve given up the thought that I’m too old for things. I took up interpreting school at 36, snowboarding at 40, the harp and my first hostel stay at 53.  I’m weeding out what doesn’t work and keeping those friends and activities that are positive, supportive and present. Hoorah. Bring it on – consistently please 🙂

PS – I know many of my posts mention the “bad years” and how things are much better now. I don’t want it to be a constant referencing of the past but like a grief process, there are no sharp boundaries between states of being. There are: worse, better, the new normal, the former normal, the hope for continued improvement, etc. The only constant in life is change.

 

I asked for the smiley. Gotta have fun before getting sliced!

I asked for the smiley. Gotta have fun before getting sliced (2008)!

The morning after the 1st surgery. 10/2010. Hair got chopped because I didn't think I'd be able to wash it for quite a while.

The morning after the 1st spinal surgery. 10/2010. Hair got chopped because I didn’t think I’d be able to wash it for quite a while.

 

OY! A few hours after the 2nd surgery. 12/2010. Should have just shaved my head.

OY! A few hours after the 2nd surgery. 12/2010. Should have just shaved my head.

 

Flea collar court is now in session

Flea collar court is now in session

 

Let's just yank out some suspicious tonsils, shall we?

Let’s just yank out some suspicious tonsils, shall we? Or maybe this was the cantaloupe-sized abdominal tumor surgery. I lose track.

ENOUGH OF THAT. DONE!

PDX Half Marathon - 2014 - with the way oversized team shirt I got at the 11th hour.

PDX Half Marathon – 2014 – with the way oversized team shirt I got at the 11th hour.