House and Home

So I was watching HOUSE last night. And while we were waiting to solve the case of the sick teen girl (eclampsia! didn't see that coming!) said teen girl had a seizure and they ordered up 4 milligrams of Lorazepam for her. Stat.

And that got me thinking about the state of my own wellness 11 years ago, before I finally had the balls to walk into a 12-Step meeting and start my life over again.

Here's why. I had so confused and betrayed my body's natural ability to heal itself that it was on crazy-girl overload and succumbed to panic attacks on a regular basis. Like when I had to drive or go to the store or do anything out of the house. At night I was cool because I was all liquored up. But by day, since it seemed so, well, alcoholic to drink during the day, I would smoke cigarettes, drink coffee, not eat and obsess about mistakes past or drinks future. And I would panic.

In order to avoid and/or or override the panic attacks, I took Lorazepam. Sometimes up to 3 milligrams of it. Not like it was prescribed this way for me. But because I "needed" that many. I needed one less milligram than it takes, apparently, to stop a girl from seizing.

Here is what I remember from that time: misery. Misty water color misery. I don't have much detail but the despair is something I hope never to return to. I would spend days on end diagnosing my hypochondriacal self on the internet. If I ever got vanity tags on my car they would read "Web MD" for sure. But instead of leaning into the truth, I diagnosed myself with a million fatal and/or painful diseases. Because that is how I felt on the inside. Because that is how it feels to be addicted and out of control.

Every day you want to do it different and every day you repeat the same stupid cycle of behavior. Madness. In a bottle.

Today, I am grateful to report, I feel healthier than I have ever felt in my entire life. Stronger. More hopeful. Serene. These were things I used to pray for every day.

So if you find yourself being your own Web MD, searching for impressive illnesses to help explain your maladies, just consider leaving a few things out of your diet for awhile. And if you can't, if you need help, call me. There is a place we can go hang out that is all about wellness.

Stacy -
513-470-5548

My List

I am particularly aware of gratitude at this time of the year. Eleven years ago on Thanksgiving Day I said the words that would change my life. "I need to stop drinking."

And since then, I am aware every single day that I do not do any of this alone.

If I am asked to be helpful to someone new in my 12-Step Program, I always recommend that they start a gratitude list and add to it every day.

Here is mine today.

I am grateful for ...

1. My sobriety.
2. My mom.
3. My dad and stepmom.
4. My son Nick Sharp (who I pray is staying safe in Bangkok).
5. All the teachers and clients at Pendleton.
6. Kristine and Rachel. And Shannon.
7. Kristine and Kay and my all the other cool girls who spend time with me in all the right places.
8. The True Body Project girls, women and now men - we are going to have a wonderful year.
9. Heather and Susan and Alena and Julie and everyone at Rhythm and Motion.
10. My friends - the ones here.
11. My friends - the ones afar.
12. My friends - the ones who are not in my life but still in my heart.
13. Lessons. Every day.
14. Sam and the Road Theatre.
15. Brooklyn Museum and the TBP women in NY.
16. Fringe Team 2009!
17. Lolita San Miguel - for the inspiration.
18. Barack Obama - for the hope.
19. Brenda and Jeanne and everyone else who helped me heal this year.
20. My faith. Whew. Never more than ever.
21. The health of my loved ones.
22. Especially Kristin.
23. My health.
24. My bathtub.
25. My books.
26. The novel in my head and the musical in my head.
27. Coffee.
28. Time.

Happy Thanksgiving!! May your own gratitude list grow and grow this year.

The Truth of Me . . .

This is one of the writing prompts we work with in the True Body Project. You write down "The truth of me ...." and then let the pen fly across the page, trying to keep the editor in your brain from stopping the process.

It is always interesting to see what happens when you let your body try to tell the truth faster than your brain can stop you.

I have been thinking about the truth a lot lately. Particularly, as they say in astrology, in my "financial house." I have shared with a few people the fact that my financial house needs some work around the foundation. And you know what I've been told? "Don't tell anyone!" and "That's the kiss of death for a business owner!"

But telling the truth is an important part of my wellness. So I wanted to share a few facts to put this sticky moment in time in perspective.

Here are some of the facts:

- I am a single woman supporting a son in college.

- I run a small and wonderful wellness business. We do amazing work and honestly can say we change lives. But it is a wellness business with tight margins even in the best economic times.

- I founded a non-profit. And we create and run programs for teen girls via the True Body Project despite the fact that we don't have enough money to do what we do.

- I have an entrepreneur's spirit. I work to build and fund things that take time to pay off.

These things add up to a remarkably full and spiritually enriching life. Not to mention creatively rewarding.

But at this second in time I am not financially enriched.

Is Pendleton Pilates okay? Absolutely! But it is in the exact same situation as every small business (and now larger business) in this country. We cannot borrow any money for the short or long term so we must meet our expenses out of cash flow. So we just have to work smarter and harder to make ends meet.

Will I be okay? Absolutely! I think it is an awesome time to get financially fit. I am making adjustments that should have been made a long time ago. I am making sure that I live within my means and plan for my future. I am working to have good financial health every day.

It is the same thing I learned through Pilates and through the 12-Step program. If you keep yourself honest and hard-working and truthful one day at a time, spectacular strength can come from it. And we can't even imagine the blessings that will come as the result of the diligent truth.

So I share mine with you in case you are struggling yourself.

Yes. This is a hard moment in time but if we are truthful and real and we work to shine light on the issues rather than hide in the dark in our fear, we will move into a stronger place for it.

That is the truth of me. Conserving and working for a better future. Optimistic beyond belief.

What is the truth of you?

Or there is Pilates ...

Honda has spent a fortune (I'm assuming) to innovate and develop a device to assist with walking.

This is what the press release says:

"The cooperative control technology utilized for this device is a unique Honda innovation achieved through the cumulative study of human walking just as the research and development of technologies was conducted for Honda's advanced humanoid robot, ASIMO. Applying cooperative control based on the information obtained from hip angle sensors, the motors provide optimal assistance based on a command from the control CPU. With this assist, the user's stride will be lengthened compared to the user's normal stride without the device and therefore the ease of walking is achieved."

Here's what - if you don't want to have to walk around in a contraption that looks like this, consider Pilates! Seriously, it will do all the same things for you.

Don't believe me? Let me give you a Pilates for Walking (or skiing or running or other "upright" activities) session.

Call Pendleton Pilates at 513-478-3232 and let us help you feel like you've lost 5 pounds in 30 minutes.

Democracy is Exhausting

The day after the election I felt convinced that the world had shifted significantly. I felt certain that it meant something good. Something new. Something truthful. Something without artifice. Something that feels like breath.

And I had this thought: "I don't have to wear make-up anymore!"

I kept this bold thought of the authentic me prospering in these authentic times for all of about two minutes until I looked in my bathroom mirror.

And then I had this thought: "Well maybe just mascara."

So that's what I did to celebrate. Yes. You read it right. I went out of the house with ONLY mascara on. Radical. Brave. My civil rights and/or feminist and/or True Body sisters and brothers may want to throw me a parade.

An hour later, I was sitting in a coffee shop and met a handsome young guy who had spent weeks here working on the campaign. While we were talking the good talk of what an exciting moment it was for the entire country and the world, this is what I was thinking: "Damn it. I wish I had put on make-up."

And by the weekend, as I was making nachos in my kitchen after a hard week of trying to promote wellness and creativity while paying the bills and keeping the faith about my place in the world, I basically fell apart.

For me, falling apart means a splitting head ache and tears and a bath and bad TV and too much sleep for about a half a day. That is the good news. It doesn't take too long for hope to resurface as the only acceptable way to craft a life.

But I think what I experienced last week was the hope that hope had paid off - right that second - and that all the things that have been beyond my grasp, whether love or money, would be in my life by week's end.

So with eye-liner in hand, I got back to the business of backing up hope with hard work. And breath. Oh yeah and exercise and gratitude and service work too.

And now, a week later, I'm back. In the here and now. Still hopeful for the future but wed not to the fantasy of what is to come but the moment itself. When I romance the moment, I am both loved AND prosperous.

How To Be Certain in Uncertain Times ...

.... AKA the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

These are uncertain times for sure.

That is why it is more important than ever to stick to what you know works to keep you in a healthy frame of mind to make sound decisions for mind, body and spirit.

And as the days get shorter and winter creeps closer, as fear and lethargy start teaming up to whisper (or shout) their bad advice, there is no better time than NOW to re-commit to your very best self.

Because here is the deal: we cannot know today what the world will look like tomorrow or next week or next year. But we can know with 100% certainty how we will feel about the world and our place in it today and next week and next year. That part is easy and it goes like this: whatever it is you do to be well, whether that is Pilates or walking or volunteering or going to church or staying true to your diet, then do more of it. Then no matter what happens, you will feel that you've done your best and you can be assured that you will feel your best, in fantastically good times and the more challenging times too.

You do not have to read another book or get advice on the exact formula. You do not need to think about it one more minute. You already know what you need to do. If you need to quit, quit. If you need to move, move. If you need to eat differently, do so. If you need to ask for help, ask for it. Now.

Just do it. And then do more of it. Take care of your body and your body will take care of you. Take care of your spirit and you will be reminded how little we need to be whole and happy humans. And if you tend to your body and your spirit, your mind will be clear to make all the right decisions in the right time, without struggle.

This I promise.

Do you need something from me to make it easier for you to be your best self? Let me know. If it is Pilates or movement you need, I'll get you set up. If you wish to get help with something else, I will do my very best to help you.

Oh I wanna dance with somebody ...

i wanna feel the heat ...

Oops. Sorry. You caught me. Singing cheesy songs that really and truly sum up my adolescent frame of mind.

And since we are on a Whitney Houston kick, here is how my popular culture-influenced life played out in NY recently.

On Wednesday, I went to see "The Seagull." The nice box office guy asked if I wanted a better seat. Uh yeah!

Seconds later, in my very good seat, I am sitting next to a very nice British lady. And so we chat. I ask her what she has seen. She names some plays. But then she says, "I am actually here because of my son." And I say, "Oh." And she says, "Daniel Radcliffe." And I say (but not out loud) OH MY GOD IT'S HARRY POTTER'S MOM! This was all exciting enough. And then Marissa Tomei sat in front of us. And that was exciting enough (times two). And then Dustin Hoffman sat next to Harry Potter's mom. I could barely concentrate on Kristen Scott Thomas and friends in The Seagull!

So the next night, I figured I better go see Equus. Since I'm a friend of the family and all.

And the box office guy tells me he has a great ticket for me. And I think "how much better can this get?" So minutes later, there I am, first row balcony, sitting next to a a cute guy. All alone. Single. So we start chatting. And guess what he does? SECRET SERVICE!!! Just like Kevin Costner in "The Bodyguard!" And when he isn't protecting the UN or the president, he sees PLAYS!! I imagine this is the perfect "how we met" story. I imagine many things.

So then I start rambling on like a maniac. "So what plays do you like? What have you seen?"

He says, "Spring Awakening." I say, "Me too!" I think, "Kismet! And he has good taste!"

I say, "what else?" And he says, "Jersey Boys." And I say, "Hmm." Mainly because I didn't see it.

So I say, "what else?" And he says, "Xanadu." And I say, "Hmm." Mainly because I am now sure he is gay. Because we are in the front row balcony of Equus and Harry Potter is gonna get naked soon. And he isn't going to be my Secret Service ex-boyfriend and Whitney Houston's "iiiiii-eeee-iiiiiiii will always luv youuuuuu" will not be our song and I am, yet again, sitting in a theatre with a gay guy.

Oh I wanna dance with somebody ...

The Science of Sarah Palin

Okay. Here goes.

A blog is a place especially designed to raise your voice. And people can choose to read it or not. Right? That means you. Because this is my contribution to the dialogue about Sarah Palin. Take it or leave it.

I struggled for a year to decide whether or not to blog. I was nervous about the blah-blah-blah factor. And narcissism. I worry that we have an inaccurate sense of our own importance and relevance and competence. Don’t get me wrong. I believe that we are all incredibly worthy and inherently good and our voices have a place. I just don’t believe that we are all meant to have leadership roles on the world stage – not without hard work, anyway. Not without study and discipline. Not without experience. And context.

That is why I created a tight frame for this blog – eMotion – a place to comment on the emotion of motion. Or the opposite, the challenge of inertia in the human spirit. Or worse, entropy. Because these are things I know about.

Some of these things are scientific terms, mind you. Inertia is a concept of classical physics. It is the resistance of an object to a change in its state of motion.

Entropy is a quantum term, worthy of a more thorough explanation of what it means:

Entropy
1. Symbol S For a closed thermodynamic system, a quantitative measure of the amount of thermal energy not available to do work.
2. A measure of the disorder or randomness in a closed system.
3. A measure of the loss of information in a transmitted message.
4. The tendency for all matter and energy in the universe to evolve toward a state of inert uniformity.
5. Inevitable and steady deterioration of a system or society.

It seems to me that THOSE OF US WHO BELIEVE IN SCIENCE, have a distinct advantage in this upcoming election. Because we can count on the fact that as we work diligently toward a higher consciousness, there will be a distinct and scientific tendency for opposition.

Which also means that the higher the consciousness, the more quantum the desire for true change on a global scale, the more aggressive and backward will be the opposition. Need I say more?


At first I kept thinking that it was unfathomable that creationism and reproductive choice are actually things we must struggle against and/or for.

But then I recalled that the science of progress means that as hard as we work, there will be a pull in the opposite direction. Disorder. Randomness. Chaos. That these things are SCIENTIFICALLY inevitable.

So that’s how I put my mind at ease. I believe that Sarah Palin is scientific evidence that we are onto something. The universe loves balance. So the science of Sarah Palin, the absurdity of it all, simply means that the quantum force for positive, conscious change must be incredibly strong.

We just need to harness our energy to move conscious voters to the polls. We need only to tip the scales in our energetic favor for one day.

And because of the whole science thing (not to mention the whole Constitution thing) our work will never be done. There will always be opposition and there must always be freedom of expression.

But at least we will know that our children will be taught that there is a science to how the world works. And if you care to explore quantum physics (THE DANCING WU LI MASTERS, Gary Zukav is a good one to start with) you will see that science is big enough and generous enough to hold all the best parts of spiritual devotion in its hands.

So don’t panic. Trust science.

And then vote.

Dance and be well.

I was watching "Dancing with the Stars" last night (crying like the dork that I am when they do well) and loved it when one of the celeb dancers said that dance should become our National Health Care Plan. 

I have spent the last year and a half falling madly in love with dance at Rhythm and Motion (visit www.cincinnatiballet.com). Heather Britt (and Susan and Alena and Rachel) have provided me a home for movement and wellness that has allowed me to take my Pilates-strong body and move it joyously, each week learning a new song and practicing 9 others.

In fact, when I had the bad luck to get fast-onset double vision last year, the doctor was a little under-concerned about how much this might effect my day-to-day life. 

So I grabbed his arm dramatically and said, "But Doctor, I'm a dancer!"

And I am. When I move on the Reformer or in a yoga class or in a dance studio, I am a dancer. And when I put a few words together on a page, I am a writer. And when I reach out to someone in need, I am a friend. And when I vote, I am a citizen.

We are what we do. And if you just do it - you are it.

So be a dancer today. Or a friend. Or a writer. 

Or register to vote and be a citizen.

Whatever you do - do it.

And be well.

Whew!

I am overloaded with inspiration and just in the nick of time.

It's rough out there, you know? No matter what are your politics, I think we can all agree that these are some strange days with much uncertainty.

Last week I was blown away in NY by the timelessness of Chekhov. Yesterday I went to hear the remarkable Wendell Berry read from his work at NKU. In addition to the fact that he is a gentle genius in the vein of Thoreau (just replace Walden Pond with Kentucky), he is not a youngster anymore. Mr. Berry has been around the block and he has been keeping notes and taking names.

And I was reminded that while this feels like a very scary time, it is not much different than it was 30 and 40 years ago.  The things Wendell Berry read that he had written so long ago seem as relevant as if he had written them yesterday.

Should that be scarier? Perhaps. Are we taking too long to figure it out? Maybe.

But I think what it speaks to is our refusal to give up hope and to find ways to connect to ourselves and each other, either through simple labor or art or laughter. Take time to read the entire Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front. 

You can find it here:

http://journeysomething.wordpress.com/category/wendell-berry/

Or read this lovely excerpt. And then go do something that won't compute.

So, friends, every day do something

that won't compute. Love the Lord.

Love the world. Work for nothing.

Take all that you have and be poor.

Love someone who does not deserve it.

Denounce the government and embrace

the flag. Hope to live in that free

republic for which it stands.

Give your approval to all you cannot

understand. Praise ignorance, for what man

has not yet encountered he has not destroyed.

Only the rereading counts ...

Here is a passage from the beautiful novel "Divisadero" by Michael Ondaatje. Thanks Carolyn Krause for the recommendation.  This rocked my world this morning.

"Only the rereading counts, Nabokov said .... For we live with those retrievals from childhood that coalesce and echo throughout our lives, the way shattered pieces of glass in a kaleidoscope reappear in new forms and are songlike in their refrains and rhymes, making up a single monologue. We live permanently in the recurrence of our own stories, whatever story we tell."

Have you reread a book lately? Or your own life? Take time where there doesn't appear to be any. You will be rewarded.

Just say YES.

Oh come on. Just do it.

It is easy. You go to www.pendletonpilates.com and you go to Schedule Online part and go to workshops and click on the Mat Class with Lolita San Miguel and you say yes. You give us $30 and then you come on this Saturday, Sept. 13th, from 9-10 am for a mat class with a 72 year old powerhouse of a woman who is one of two people in the entire world to be CERTIFIED BY JOSEPH PILATES PERSONALLY to teach Pilates.

Here is why you need to just say YES. Because you will be so happy you did it. Because what else you gonna do on Saturday morning? Because if you think you know Pilates, why not find out if you are close to the source of it? Because if you don't know Pilates, why not find out from as close as you can get to the source of it?

Because you will look taller and younger and more vibrant and sexier and smarter and all around nicer if you do. I swear.

www.pendletonpilates.com 

YES. YES. YES.

There you go. You look younger already.

SHINING CITY and AMADEUS

I had a lovely weekend and saw TWO fantastic productions here in Cincinnati. I encourage you to get tix now to see each of these plays.

SHINING CITY is at the New Stage Collective in OTR where a tiny staff and artistic director Alan Patrick Kenny have been knocking them out of the ball park for two incredible, award-winning seasons.  This beautiful play about two men, each haunted by different things, is surprisingly moving; which should be no surprise I suppose as it is written by Conor McPherson, the fantastic Irish playwright. 

AMADEUS opened at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company to sell-out crowds on Friday and Saturday night and for good reason. Chris Guthrie (Mozart) and Bruce Cromer (Salieri) tear it up in this intense story about obsession, madness and genius - all my favorite subjects right there. I assure you that this production will only get better and harder to get tickets for so hurry it up and buy your tickets now.

www.newstagecollective.com

www.cincyshakes.com

And I want to express my sincere gratitude to the theatre community here in Greater Cincinnati for doing such extraordinary work, year after year and show after show. I have spent the last two years doing much of my homework about how to make a play right here in Cincinnati. 

Thailand or Bust

My son, Nick Sharp, is on his way to Thailand right this very second. He is spending three months at a university in Bangkok studying. 

I imagine that about now, with his long legs crammed into a seat on the very long journey from LA to Taipei, he might be thinking, "This is a terrible idea." 

I felt the same way on my way to Bali. I felt the same way on my way to spend a month in Paris. I most often feel the same way on my way to any new thing, no matter how near it is. New can be terrifying.  

But isn't it the best??? When you get out of our comfort zone to learn and experience and connect? I can assure you that Bali and Paris were not bad ideas. Nope. Not one bit.

And I know that Thailand will be the same for my son, Nick. Before he knows it, whether he is sitting in a classroom or riding on an elephant or standing on a beach or trying to navigate the crazy city of Bangkok, he will know he has arrived into the best part of life: making the unknown known.

New Dates for True Body Class

Whoops! We hope you can still come!

Please join us for True Body Project for girls and women at the Downtown Pendleton Pilates studio this fall.

THESE ARE THE NEW DATES:

THURSDAY NIGHTS - (Not Tuesday nights)

October 2 - November 20th

7-8:30 pm

Downtown Pendleton Pilates

500 Reading Road

Karma class - suggested donation $10 but pay what you can, when you can.

Move, Write, Create, See, Connect, Inspire.

With Julianna Bloodgood, Stacy Sims and friends.

For Girls and Women.

Have You Been Thinking About Teacher Training?

I assure you that if you have been thinking about it signing up for our four month Teacher Training program at Pendleton Pilates, now is the time to JUST DO IT!

Honestly, I know for sure that the experience always exceeds the expectations of the trainees. Not only do you get to connect with yourself and learn how the body really works best, but you get to study what it means to interact with - to truly connect with - another person.

Additionally, it is a great chance to practice Pilates ALL THE TIME while learning Pilates-specific anatomy and physics. 

If you are curious, visit www.pendletonpilates.com or contact me here or Shannon Faith at 513-333-0191. Payment plans are available. We start up again on September 11th. This session runs through mid-December.

Hip Hip Hooray!

I didn't come up with the clever headline - the most inspiring and fantastic super-hero of a woman on the planet did, right after she changed her body in order to change the world.

Please join me in congratulating the now bionic Ann Firestone into full-on fabulousness after she lost 135 pounds in nine months in order to undergo, as Ann puts it, "textbook perfect anterior hip replacement on 8/26 and climbing my apartment stairs with JUST a cane ....AWESOME."

Awesome is an understatement. I have rarely met a person so dedicated to finding her best self and boy do we love her for it.

Ann, we can't WAIT to see you back at the studio and thanks for sporting your Pendleton t-shirt to and from the hospital!

Pendleton Pilates - In The News

Check it out! Pendleton Pilates is one of the studios featured in an on-line cover story article at Pilates-Pro.Com.

Read the entire story by clicking on the link, below.

http://www.pilates-pro.com/

And while it speaks to the difficulties of running a Pilates studio in a recession climate, I am happy to report that our terrific clients have helped us weather the storm because of their commitment to their best selves. 

So if that happens to be you, thank you! And please keep it up!!

Take a break. (Or what to do when your computer is running slow and you are trying not to F- it up anymore than it already is by clicking relentlessly

. . . as it tries to process itself).

My computer makes a noise when it is preparing to be helpful to me. A crackling sort of noise which I am sure is not a good thing. And some days, I continue to click click click click on the mouse as though prodding it - "come on, come on, come on, come on!!" And it just can't deal. It is still trying to wake up and get its act together. It is trying its best to turn x's and o's into emails and word documents for me, but it hasn't even gotten out of bed and it certainly hasn't had a cup of coffee.

So .... that means I must be still and look around and consider a thing or two in my ACTUAL surroundings as opposed to my internet world of ideas, images and words. Here goes ...

• Hmm. Maybe my brain is not working because I need to eat. Blood sugar is dropping so no matter how hard I prod my own mind to be clever and helpful and patient, it cannot. Listen to body. Hungry means something. I am going to go eat.
  
• That's better. I was overprocessing, just like my computer. Hey, there are my books. There are my journals. Wonder what I wrote in Cuba?  Oh look. Some poems a friend gave me, tucked inside my Cuba book. Cool! Looks like they are Mary Oliver poems. Yay!

And, as is always the way when you let the world show itself to you, a path is revealed, even if only in a few words tucked away in an old book. Here is what I found and what I will breathe today. I will remember that in the quiet is not loneliness but everything else profound.

The Winter Of Listening

No one but me by the fire,

my hands burning

red in the palms while

the night wind carries

everything away outside.

All this petty worry

while the great cloak

of the sky grows dark

and intense

round every living thing.

What is precious 

inside us does not

care to be known

by the mind

in ways that diminish

its presence.

What we strive for 

in perfection

is not what turns us

into the lit angel

we desire,

what disturbs

and then nourishes

has everything

we need.

One love, one heart ...

Let's get together and be all right.

And here is how!

Join the lovely Brenda Ghantous and friends at Shine Yoga Studio THIS Sunday, August 24th for their bimonthly Oneness Blessing event.

Here is what this means: you get a bit of hands-on healing which feels like the energetic equivalent of drinking serenity and peace through a fire hose. Seriously. It is not one bit weird - you sit in a circle and chant a bit then wait for one of the Oneness Blessing givers to put their hands on your head for a minute or two. After a few of these blessings (if you have ever had Reiki it is sort of like that), you recline and/or sit and meditate.

And then you are done and I promise you, you will walk around for days and days without ANY crazy talk in your head.

When you go, Brenda and the gang will explain it in much more scientific, energetic terms but I can think of no better way to get your bliss on for the week.

DETAILS:

Shine Yoga Studio 3330 Erie Ave. Cinti Ohio 45208. The program begins at 6:00 pm and lasts about 1 1/2 hours. The cost is $20. You may register by responding to this email or calling Brenda at 513 703.0148.

I Am Going To Feel Just Like This Today. . .

Could be! Who knows?

There's something due any day;
I will know right away,
Soon as it shows.
It may come cannonballing down through the sky,
Gleam in its eye,
Bright as a rose.
Tony, West Side Story, Something's Coming

Uh, yeah. I am a total dork.

I was corresponding with a friend yesterday and we were reminiscing about some powerful memories from the past - back when we were in our 20s - back when there was only hope and promise and potential.

I have long been a sucker for hope. In fact, I wrote an entire play about it. My favorite book in the world is The Great Gatsby and the passage I underlined and highlighted and asterisked during my many readings of the novel describes Gatsby as follows:

"If personality is an unbroken series of successful gestures, some heightened sensitivity to the promises of life, it was as if he were related to one of those intricate machines that register earthquakes ten thousand miles away. This responsiveness had nothing to do with that flabby impressionability which is dignified under the name of "creative temperament" -- it was an extraordinary gift for hope, a romantic readiness such as I have never found in any other person and which it is not likely I shall ever find again."

So I've been working on discerning between the sort of magical thinking that is keeping me stuck (or might put me in some Gatsby-esque peril) and that which is productive, creative and fertile.

How do I do it? First, I try to make sure that the things I yearn for are actionable. Can I actually do something to try to make it happen? Am I willing to make those steps?

Second, and more important, is what happens on the other end of my query. Am I getting feedback? Are my calls being returned? Does the object of my affection and attention, whether romantic or creative or professional, want to play with me? If not, I regroup and reroute. I try to be unafraid to put myself out there AND to listen to and feel whether energy is being returned or if I am calling into the void.

A more simple explanation of this method is to decide whether my hopeful notion falls into the "George Clooney can be my boyfriend!" or "I can write a novel if I just try" category. Guess which one has proven to be more productive for me.

In The Flow

So about a hundred years ago in the 1980s I met the handsome Ron Hamad. We connected as friends and have stayed peripherally in touch since then. I fell in love with his photographs and have used them to create an image of strength and beauty at www.pendletonpilates.com and on this blog.

And now he has a show opening in NY, with the gorgeous "Prayer" image above as the centerpiece of this gallery exhibition.

Want to go?? I'll see you at the opening....

RON HAMAD

Sept. 17-October 26, 2008

Opening Reception 

Wednesday, September 17, 5:30 - 8:30 pm

ROBIN RICE GALLERY - Fine Photography

325 W. 11th Street NYC 10014 Between Greenwich and Washington Sts.

212-366-6660 www.robinricegallery.com

True Body News

What a beautiful thing. Women and girls connecting.

And did we mention that we won an "Audience Pick of the Fringe" for our work Body Language: A Radical Truth? See/read more at www.truebodyproject.org

We are thrilled to announce a few True Body tidbits.

WEEKLY CLASSES - Cincinnati

Tuesdays 

7-8:30 pm

September 30th - November 18th

Pendleton Pilates

500 Reading Road 45202

Girls/women of all ages.

Move, create, see.

Karma class - $10 donation recommended but pay what you can.

ON THE ROAD

We are meeting with some True Body women in New York in September about creating a community based work in NY. Interested? Let me know at stacy@truebodyproject.org.

My Mom Won't Pass It Along Without More Content

So now that I am blogging, I figure I better get to it. Create some gripping, irreverent and/or stirring, relevant content to generate some e-buzz. Or at least an e-hum.

And besides, my mom said she will send it along to her friends and peers when I get some more posts up.

So here goes.

A tip from an inspiring bag of tea. Last night I took notice of the little paper square that was attached to my Honest Tea string/bag. On it, great wisdom from Samuel Johnson.

"Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome."

So true. If we try to imagine all the obstacles, we will never get off the couch. Let's say we are considering a bold move to a new exercise class. And we are sitting looking at the schedule online. And then our brain weighs in as follows: "It might be too hard. It might be full. It might be too expensive. I don't know if I will like it. What if I like it but can't make it every week? What if people are mean to me? What if I feel stupid? What if my workout clothes don't fit? What if I have to work late?"

Wow. So many reasons not to try. Are any of them good ones? Not really.

So if you find yourself stalking wellness and change, you internet predator you, get on out there and give it a go. Commit to ONE CLASS. That's it.

Here are links to the best in Cincinnati. And if you write me, I'll try to find you the best places in your hometown. I've got people, you know.

Pilates - http://www.pendletonpilates.com/ (seriously, don't take my word for it, ask around)
Yoga - http://www.shineyoga.com/ (love these folks - And beginners, ask for Karen)
Hot Yoga - http://www.yogahome.net/ (sweat the crazy right out of you)
Dance - http://www.cincinnatiballet.com/html/lib/pdfs/OpenDivision0809.pdf (Rhythm and Motion Dance Classes. You will hear more about this I assure you)
Salsa - http://www.kamasalsa.com/ (Salsa with Diana! Hot hot hot)
True Body - http://www.truebodyproject.org/ - (Weekly Classes for girls/women coming soon! Check back for more info. Starting Tuesdays at Pendleton Pilates, Downtown, Sept. 30 7-8:30 pm.)

Back to School

I am so jealous of the back-to-school kids. New outfits and new haircuts not to mention new pencils and notebooks and protractors and compasses (or whatever hi-tech devices aid in dissecting and navigating the world these days).

Bottom line? This is the time of year where you get a brand new chance to reinvent yourself. A summer to grow into an active, organized, cheerful, popular person right? That was always my hope.

This year, my son is off to study in Thailand and I am settling down to revise a play, make a musical and commit to a novel. So I am thinking about should be on our supply list, besides vaccinations and Visas and cash.

Here is my list, so far.

1. Patience.
Man, it's hard to keep it together when you are trying to get organized to spend money and/or time in another country. When I got ready to call the guy at the Thai Consulate, my son said it best: "Don't be mean, mom."

2. Breath.
Always goes along with patience so well. I am working on adding commas to my day. Rather than running through each minute so fast that one thing blurs to the next. I am working on stopping, pausing, breathing, considering. I figure the future will be now fast enough. Hello, now! Fascinating.

3. Gratitude
Seriously, how cool? My son in Thailand and me in Cincy working on plays and novels that actually stand a chance of living and breathing in the world. Not to mention Pilates and dance as my water and bread. Not to mention family and friends.

Okay. So blogging ain't so bad.

Thanks for reading/listening.