Me Too You

Channeling Cirque du Soleil OVO --- Daily Yoga

My sister, Robin, has been doing daily yoga for the last 45 days or so. Every few days she would call me, blissed out and reporting her new inch of stretch she can get in Eagle or some other such pose. I would retort "I am officially letting myself go." It actually made me a little bit mad to hear how well she was doing. Jealous much? Me? Well, twin sisters can motivate each other in a great way, but it can also be quite a lot of pressure to keep up. Yes, I know when I am doing the wrong thing. And sometimes that makes me want to do the wrong thing even more. I would snap "I don't have TIME to do that. Must be nice!" Until...I wanted to do the right thing. Maybe saying those nasty words out loud struck something. Maybe it was my parents leaving for their year long RV trip (miss you!) that jogged something in me to DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT ALREADY. After all, no matter what, you have to make your own time.

I gave into inspiration a couple of weeks ago and started going to yoga again. As in DAILY YOGA. Sometimes a live class, sometimes at yogatoday.com, sometimes in my bedroom for15 minutes of sun salutations. I just have to fit it in when I can. But I am making it a priority. It began with a Bikrum class, which I haven't been to in about 7 years - it was my post chemo and radiation recovery, I have to say. And it was strange doing Bikrum with hair...last time I stared at my third eye for 90 minutes in a Bikrum class, I was still fairly bald. It was great for lung expansion and healing. It was a HOT class. Well, it is supposed to be hot, but still. I am not used to that heat anymore, that's for sure.

During the first couple of days, coincidentally, I went to see OVO by Cirque du Soleil in San Jose with a bunch of my fellow bloggers from Silicon Valley Moms Blog. Watching them and feeling my sore muscles from yoga felt great. It was a good connection. Nice to feel my body again and to feel like I am doing something good for myself.

The OVO show was amazing (you can watch the trailer here). I am a big Cirque du Soleil fan (I have seen O and Mystere in Vegas and a few shows here in San Jose) and they never disappoint. My favorites from this show were the gorgeous butterfly coming out of her cocoon, the feet juggling with kiwi fruit, the giant slinky bug (so cool! I have never seen anything like it), and the fun trampoline wall. The next morning, we watched some YouTube with the kids - it was especially fun to see some of the behind the scenes documentary-like videos of the performers practicing without their costumes on. There is something about seeing them in their street clothes that makes them human. Even though they are doing super-human feats.

This last Saturday I went to a Power Flow class at Yoga Source in Los Gatos. I am seeing some different in my strength in just a week or so. The daily routine is having some good effects. I am also...happier. Less stressed. I know, it is not rocket science that I would feel happier and less stressed after doing yoga. But it is markedly different. During this particular class, my friend Akemi and I swore that there was a Cirque du Soleil performer in the studio with us. She did a version of Crow that included some sort of whizzing sound and a dismount. Of course, we couldn't see exactly what she was doing, as we were focusing and breathing and sweating through our own versions of Crow... Inspiration continues to abound.

Today, I won't be getting to a live yoga class. But I will do Yoga Today... and every day.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I was not paid for this post, although I did receive two free tickets to the show OVO from Cirque du Soleil as part of a local bloggers night and Silicon Valley Moms Blog gathering (I am a partner at SV Moms Group). I was not obligated to post about my experience, but I loved the show and wanted to share!

This could be me or you - support "For Heidi Family Run" on Sat Dec 12th at Hogue Park

Last week, new guidelines were releases regarding the frequency and timing of mammograms.

My friend Susan from Toddler Planet and founder of Mothers With Cancer, writes in defense of mammograms: "Earlier today, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) issued new recommendations on regular mammograms for women in their 40’s.  In short, they’re against them." Read the rest of the post here. 

As I read Susan's twitter feed on Tuesday morning, she was counting down the minutes until TV crew arrived at her house to interview her on the subject; I was headed to my yearly OB/GYN appointment, my main objective being to leave with an order for a mammogram and breast MRI. I am 36, but an MRI is recommended for women younger than 40 with risk factors - my risk factors? Chemotherapy and radiation to the chest 8 years ago when I battled Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Other risk factors can include, for instance, having a sister or mother who had breast cancer. I was fairly sure I would leave with the order - cancer in your health history can do that for you!

I left the office with my order, but immediately thought of a fellow Farnham Elementary School mom, Heide, whose girls my girls adore. We both have girls named Ava and those two girls have played together at the park close to our school. "Hi Ava, want to come play in the sand, Ava?" "Ok, Ava." They are SO cute! My little Ava loves her little Ava. And Lily loves to play with Ava's older sister, Genevieve. Genevieve is in 1st grade, but had Lily's kindergarten teacher last year. They run around in the grass together, giggling about I don't know what. 

Heide always seems to have a smile on her face and she is always fashionably dressed - you know, one of those moms you are always thinking "she really has it together!" She is the kind of person you can see enjoying a mani and pedi with and just laughing about what your girls get up to together. And then having a deep conversation about the meaning of life right after that. I don't know Heide well, but I feel like I do.

Heide has been battling cancer for 18 months. It started out as breast cancer, she went into remission, then it returned...and now is in all of her major organs, including her brain and bones. She has come to the end of all FDA approved treatments and has been given little hope. Her grace and strength through all of this has impressed everyone around her. It breaks my heart thinking of little Ava and Genevieve growing up without their wonderful mother. Heide also has a twin sister, like I do. It is so hard to imagine life without your twin...

Heide's many friends from our school are coming together to hold a benefit run, the "For Heide Family Fun Run" on Saturday, December 12th from 10am - 1pm. The purpose is to raise money for the Medina Family Fund. It is just $25 for an entire family to run (or walk) and easy course at Houge Park (our neighborhood park) in San Jose, CA that day. There will be a bake sale, face painting, a silent auction and a gift card drive. 

Really, this could be me. This could be you. This could be ANY ONE OF US. Please help me support and rally around Heide, her husband Ric, and their lovely girls Ava and Genevieve. Come join me at the run. Save the date and RSVP via the evite here: http://www.evite.com/pages/invite/viewInvite.jsp?inviteId=QEIBXEZDEHDJVRADKKAK.

If you can't be there in person, you can donate to the Medina Family Fund on Heide's website.

Hope to see you on December 12th!

Ayelet Waldman and Michael Chabon talk family in Berekley Dec 7th

Cover via Amazon

I just received a note from a PR contact about an event in Berkeley that looks like something that is right up my alley. Do you think I got this note because yesterday I wrote about being a bad mother? Hmmm....I loved Michael Chabon's book The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Klay. (Jeff and I read this book to each other on a Mayan Riviera trip about 8 years ago....ah, reading by the swim up bar, you really can never go wrong with this vacation plan.)

I am not sure I'll be able to go to this event...Berkeley is a bit of a trek for me (at least an hour drive or more with traffic) and I am already headed there on December 3rd for a holiday open house event at Marie Veronique Organics, one of the sponsors at SV Moms Group's holiday event and guide (I will recap that event soon, but it was FANTASTIC...if I do say so myself, being one of the planners).

Anyway, if YOU can go, here is the info:

We all know Ayelet Waldman’s best-selling hit, “Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities and Occasional Moments of Grace,” inspired by the controversy she caused when she explained in an article for the New York Times that she loved her husband more than her children.  Her book was an immediate sensation among moms, who delighted in her familiar and comedic stories of frantic motherly mayhem, and felt some alleviation from the unrealistic expectations of the modern “Good Mom.”  Now her husband, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Michael Chabon, has jumped into the growing pool of parent lit with his latest book, a collection of reflective and deeply personal essays entitled Manhood for Amateurs: The Pleasures and Regrets of a Husband, Father, and Son 

Waldman and Chabon will appear at the Berkeley Rep on Monday, December 7, at 7:00pm in a conversation hosted by the San Francisco Chronicle’s beloved daily columnist, Jon Carroll to benefit the financial assistance programs at Park Day School, and laughs will certainly abound.  In addition to thoughtful and poignant commentary on the challenges faced by parents today, on creativity and writers block, on family and marriage and each other, the audience can look forward to Waldman’s no-holds-barred, bold, and bawdy sense of humor, and Chabon’s needle-like wit.

WHEN:        Monday, December 7, 2009, 7:00pm

                     Arrive early to purchase a glass of wine and find best seating. 

WHERE:     Berkeley Repertory Theatre

                     2025 Addison Street, Berkeley

TICKETS:      Tickets ($30) can be purchased in advance online at www.ParkDaySchool.org or by calling 510-653-0317 x103. ($5 discount for students with valid student ID)

DISCOUNT CODE:  A $5 discount is available for my readers.  If you buy online, you can buy at the student price, and when you arrive to pick up their tickets, you can say “I got the Bad Mom Discount.”  The same code works if you want to order over the phone.

Disclosure: I was not paid for this post. I simply received this email from a PR contact and thought it sounded great!