à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Adventure
When Adventure Beckons, Pause. Then, Buy a Toothbrush.
Last weekend I attended a workshop at the Embodied Life School in Sebastopol, CA, in Marin County. It’s a 75 minute drive from San Francisco, the location of my Feldenkrais training program, far enough that I needed to rent a car, yet close enough that I couldn’t justify getting a room for the night. Marin, with its rolling hills and farmland that … Continue reading
Goldilocks and the Three Lodgings
Goldilocks (whose hair is actually brown and silver) decided to visit San Francisco in early January to check out a different Feldenkrais program. After carefully considering whether to go or not, she didn’t have much time to arrange housing. Goldilocks has a highly sensitive nervous system, meaning she is more influenced by the environment than the average bear and, therefore, needed to … Continue reading
Panic Attack as Spiritual Smackdown
“There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and will be lost.” – Martha Graham Towards the … Continue reading
A Camino Pilgrim Visits Costco
When I went to Costco many years ago, with my sister-in-law, I couldn’t wait to evacuate. The harsh lighting and din bothered me. The mountains of merchandise and the super sized containers turned me off. As someone who appreciates thoughtfully designed displays in specialty shops, ideally uncrowded ones, I found nothing visually pleasing, enticing or artisanal about the experience. Costco seemed designed for … Continue reading
Road Trip as American Camino: Yellowstone as Santiago?
Before I left for El Camino de Santiago nearly two years ago, my dance teacher told me she had seen the film, “The Way”. Wide eyed, she recapped a scene at Santiago de Compostela Cathedral, where robed priests swung a censer across the church, releasing white smoke into the air. My innards tightened, as if that … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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