A Writer's Vacation
I usually dont go on vacation. A vacation takes me out of my house, away from my keyboard, far from my wireless network. Ive grown to love the little conveniences of my home, the height of my desktop computer, the luxury of using my laptop even while cooking a big meal, the unexpected warmth of my dogs breath against my leg. before even packing, I miss my bed, my bathroom, my EVOO.
A vacation poses a leap of faith into the unknown. Aside from my normal apprehensions about going way up in the air on some physics principles and prayers, I wonder about the accommodations which never seem to match the brochure. Furthermore, there are noises I am used to sleeping through, locks I feel secure behind, and small amounts of identifiable dirt I can live with peacefully. And then there is the matter of being idle. Vacationing people are not only expected to leave home and family, theyre expected to leave their work. Needless to say, I had more difficulty with the latter, but I did agree to give it the old college try.
Yellow-belly that I am, I did not brave the trip alone. In addition to members of my immediate family, packets of Immodium, and a big bottle of hair conditioner, I packed a few other writers for company. I packed a modest size notebook. I packed enough pens and pencils to rewrite War and Peace, all of which I carried around in my oversized purse, awkwardly lifting and dropping passports and tickets, removing and replacing the books innumerable times for Tic Tacs and gum, knowing it was worth any inconvenience to be able to read on demand.
At our destination, my family predictably abandoned me to pursue fun, and I set up shop. I angled a lounge chair out of the sun on a balcony facing the ocean, and pulled out the first of my books. I grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator in our suite, and sat out there a good thirty seconds enjoying the view, the breeze, the quiet, noting my husbands position on a sailboat in case he asked the way the kids used to ask if I had seen them doing tricks in the water. Now my vacation was beginning. I was finally going to be able to enjoy someone elses work, without interruption.
The first ten pages were easy enough. And once I put the towel over my legs to keep from getting one of those sunburns I preached about to my kids, the second ten were bearable. During the next five or so, I finished the last of my peanut M&Ms from the airport, moving directly into my pack of Eclipse. And then I did my best to balance my sunglasses over my reading glasses, which worked, until there was no getting out of the sun on that chair.
As luck would have it, there was also a table and chair set on the balcony, which I could easily position in the shade, so I picked up my water bottle, my towels, my purse, my book, and changed locations. So I was upright. Being upright didnt preclude relaxation. I methodically noted the position of my daughter and husband now in a yellow kayak, acknowledged the mountains, the palm trees, my son who came to get his bathing suit, the heat of the sun, the strength of the breeze against the pages of my paperback, and then this strange black bird which started yelping insistently. I stood up as if to ask why it was disturbing my newly found peace. It seemed to be cursing me out, again and again, until I knew how Dorothy felt to be so very far from Kansas.
Offended, I clutched the railing of the balcony, mourning my lack of peace, wondering how early they started serving tropical drinks at the bar. The bird was relentless. What, I asked myself, could it possibly want from me? I was a stranger, invisible to the other, nicer birds who didnt feel the need to keep calling out to me. I stared up at the sky until my eyes watered, watching this bird for any Hitchcock leanings. He was definitely a screamer. Mom? That would be my luck. While the other tourists were bobbing to reggae, I was under attack by the winged ghost of my mother.
Suddenly I seemed to wake up and understand where I was. I wasnt on vacation. I had traveled into a wonderful new setting! I immediately reached for my notebook and cursed the very resolve that brought me here without my computer, because I was certain I would never be able to write as quickly as necessary in order to capture every sight, smell, and sound for some future story. Six pages later, the ocean still rolled about laughing at me. Bring it on, I smirked. I had towels. I had water. I had a whole new world to imagine.
L. A. Rentschler, author of the newly released novel Mother (amazon.com). Author of Jitters which was produced as a Lifetime Original Movie. Playwright, best known for Deathbed. IWWG. Dramatist Guild of America. http://www.larentschler.com
Books On Meditation And Yoga
How and Why You Shouldn't Have to Go Through It Alone
Are you a woman who is looking to lose weight? Whether you are interested in losing weight to improve your physical appearance, your health, or both, you may be feeling a little bit hopeless. While many women are able to lose weight when they want to do so, others have a little bit harder time. If you are finding it difficult to lose weight, it may be because you are trying to go about losing weight all on your own.
When it comes to weight loss, there are many women who find it easier, as well as less embarrassing, to doing their own weight loss program from home. While it is more than possible to exercise and workout by yourself, do you know that you don抰 have to? In fact, many women who have a workout partner or a workout buddy find it easier to lose weight than going at it along. Two popular reasons as to why those who have a workout partner or a workout buddy see success is because of support and motivation.
As nice as it is to hear that you should think about getting a workout buddy or a workout partner, to help you exercise and to help you lose weight, you may be wondering where that person may come from. Unfortunately, many women do not realize that they dont actually have to look very far. If you are married or if you have a romantic partner, you may want to think about asking them to join you. Even if your partner isnt a fan of exercising and working out, you can place a quality time spin on it. In fact, if your partner is a little bit overweight or out of shape themselves, they may even want to join you in your weight loss adventures. This is the ultimate show of support.
In addition to a romantic partner, you may want to think about asking any of your friends or family members if they would like to be your workout buddy or workout partner. When approaching your friends or family members, it is important to not focus on their weight or their physical appearance. Unfortunately, many women make the mistake of assuming that those that they know who are already in perfect shape wouldnt have any reason to exercise, but you may be surprised. For that reason, you are advised to ask any friends or family members that you know to join you when you workout.
If you have asked those that you know to join you as a workout buddy or a workout partner and you have still come up empty handed, you may want to consider joining a weight loss program. Locally operated weight loss programs are ideal, as you often get membership perks, like access to proven exercises, as well as healthy meals. Another benefit to joining a locally operated weight loss program is the support from other members. There is a good chance that one or more of your other weight loss program members would love to join you when you exercise.
If and when you get a workout buddy, it may be a good idea to spice up your exercises a bit. For instance, you may want to let your workout buddy or partner choose your exercises or activities for one day and then you choose for the next. This may help to keep your exercises fun and exciting.
For more information on womens issues, do visit womens issues a website that specializes in providing womens issues and other related Information, Advice and Resources.
See more articles at: http://www.healthbloger.com/womens_issues/how-and-why-you-shouldnt-have-to-go-though-it-alone.html
Yoga Cl Yoga Teacher Yoga Video Myyogasecrets
The Purpose of Yoga - Empowerment with Jnana Yoga
Jnana yoga is one of the four primary forms of yoga. raja, karma, and Bhakti Yoga are the other three primary forms of Yoga. When you consider the potential of Jnana Yoga applied to life, you will see that success is also a coordinated effort and a spiritual path of compassion, discipline, study, visualization, and meditation. Jnana Yoga is coordinated power.
Anyone can improve himself or herself with applied thought, action, and perseverance. personal development requires desire, guidance, and a steady stream of motivation. For all of these ingredients to come together at the correct time, one must study under the guidance of a Guru, Swami, yoga teacher, mentor, or coach.
At this time, and thanks to the Internet, children have access to information beyond our childhood dreams, but the amount of information is overwhelming for one person. In fact, you would need a team to work together, just to decipher facts from fiction, in order to acquire reliable information.
being smart does not translate into being successful. You could memorize libraries of information, but if you do not apply any of it to real life, it is just trivia. Applied knowledge must be put into action for self empowerment to take place.
Therefore, reading scriptures and classics is a noble pursuit. You are practicing the foundation of Jnana yoga, but you must visualize, meditate, and act ethically, for your Jnana yoga practice to reach its maximum potential.
Some people may say it is wrong to have goals, to improve yourself, and to visualize a better life for your family. Yet, the world would be a much better place in the hands of empowered Jnana Yoga practitioners.
Copyright 2007 Paul Jerard / aura Publications
Paul Jerard, E-RYT 500, has written many books on the subject of Yoga. He is a co-owner and the Director of yoga teacher Training at: aura Wellness Center, in Attleboro, MA. http://www.riyoga.com He has been a certified Master Yoga teacher since 1995. To receive a Free Yoga e-book: "Yoga in Practice," and a Free Yoga Newsletter, please visit: http://www.yoga-teacher-training.org/index.html
Yoga Positions To Avoid During Pregnancy
