At the end of Bikram today, I got into a conversation with Bruce, a student on the mat next to mine. I have no idea how it started, but he was telling me that he taught martial arts to children, and they couldn’t follow directions for love nor money. I gave him some suggestions on how to teach this skill. Step one: isolate a specific action from the larger activity, training them to follow those directions. It will save time in the long run.
Then the topic of kinesthetic awareness came up. It was clear that these kids had none. I showed him how to teach that to them by using my method of Micromoves, very slowly moving either the fingers or toes- -very slowly. While he could feel the impact of the movement, it didn’t feel weird. That suggests that his kinesthetic awareness was fairly well developed. People who are not used to body awareness at a muscular level find the experience strange, and some don’t even feel that I’m moving their fingers or toes — just some weird sensation.
I asked him if he was aware that I had a high degree of kinesthetic awareness. He said, “I am now.” Before, he thought I was moving slowly to be cautious. Now, that’s true too. He didn’t think he could apply the principles I use at his skill level. I told him I could show him how to adapt them for his needs. He said from now on he would try to be near me so he could watch what I do. I was surprised that someone skilled in a movement discipline didn’t recognize what I am doing. However, I ‘m not sure I could determine what someone else is doing, either.
After Bikram, I went to the health food store for pumpkin seeds and golden flax seeds. Then to UPS to drop off a trunk stuffed with bubble wrap. Mike Glaser, my cousin, had borrowed three pictures of my great-aunt for an exhibition in her home town in Germany. They were returned a while ago, but I had postponed unwrapping them because I wanted to wait until Damon arrived, and we could rearrange pictures in my house together. I opened one of the returned paintings, a young boy in a petting zoo, because I had a place for it, and it wasn’t going to change. Then I opened the second one because it had a fixed place also. I took the third out of the box. The three paintings were surrounded in layers and layers of bubble wrap. UPS reuses the stuff. Ah!
Then I went to the bank and deposited two checks from the State of New Jersey Pension and Benefits Department. One was a widow’s benefit for something like $1500. Given what it costs to cremate someone today, that’s not much of a boon; Social Security is even worse. The other check was all the payments from March through July. I also got a withholding tax form from them. It asks if I’m single or married. I had to think about it. I guess I’m single, at least for tax purposes. I suppose even for dating purposes — another cut.
Then I went to Costco. I received a notification to renew my membership. Mike and I had the Executive Membership for $125. Our rewards for this year didn’t cover the $125, and with me alone, it will be even less. I haven’t decided whether to join Josh and Yvette on their membership or get my own for $60, without the rewards program. There is no way it will be worth it for me.
When I got home, Kathrin was busy in the kitchen cleaning out the cabinets. When she is inspired to rearrange, she always asks me first. I had mixed feelings. Yes, I told her she could clean whenever she liked. Yes, I am thrilled to have the cabinets cleaned. What a great house guest! But, but despite all the positives, there is a sense of boundary violation. Oh, it’s hard being human.
Kathrin helped me unload the car. I put the Bikram stuff from Scott and me in the laundry with some miscellaneous items for Kathrin and me. Then I had my morning soup and did some work on the blog.
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