à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Adventure
When the Swimmer is Ready, the Wetsuit Appears
As recently as this summer, I told my younger brother how I hated wearing a wetsuit. I hated getting into, and getting out of, a wetsuit. Getting into a wetsuit is like putting very thick, and extraordinarily expensive, panty hose on your entire body. You have to maneuver the fabric so there are no wrinkles or saggy bits … Continue reading
Feldenkrais and Food: When Old Habits Die Hard
San Francisco, a foodie paradise, is the location of my Feldenkrais program. The training venue is sandwiched between two streets, Geary Boulevard and Clement Street, both chock full of food, mostly Russian grocery stores and bakeries, mom and pop fruit and vegetable markets, and a plethora of ethnic eateries (Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Japanese, Burmese and more), many of … Continue reading
I Write. God Laughs.
Again, I’m reminded that writing can be an uncannily mystical act. Shortly after drafting my latest post, some of my words came true. In that post, I wrote: “To have an answer, or at least appear smart, had been a survival strategy. To be caught without knowing something was practically as humiliating as being caught with my pants down.” … Continue reading
Self-Image, Feldenkrais and KonMari
I’ve been on a decluttering marathon the last 10 days. I began to follow the KonMari Method of tidying up after my own efforts stalled and I needed to jumpstart my resolve. The key to this approach is to keep only what sparks joy, unless an item is necessary. It reminds me of the Feldenkrais Method where, through multiple approximations, we learn to … Continue reading
Is My iPhone an Introvert, Too? What it Takes to Recharge
When I unexpectedly stayed overnight in Marin County, CA, not long ago, I relied heavily on my iPhone. Its mapping software helped me drive to Sebastopol and, the next day, to navigate to Point Reyes National Seashore. Without my car charger, I noticed the phone’s battery drained quickly during the day, similar to what happens to this introvert when I’m overextended, … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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