à la carte spirit by ilona fried
Freedom
On Giving Up Facebook for Eight Days
Despite my trepidation, refraining from Facebook for Passover proved to be a revealing exercise in awareness, therefore an excellent decision. During the first few days, I reflexively clicked on the Facebook URL in my browser history as if I were a caged rat conditioned to press a lever. Having logged out of Facebook the evening of April 3, I couldn’t … Continue reading
For Passover, I’m Refraining from Facebook
This year marks my first, “post-gluten” Passover. The holiday, commemorating the Jews’ hasty exodus from Egypt, is in part observed by eating matzah, unleavened bread, while also refraining from eating hametz, anything made of fermented grain (bread, pasta, beer, etc.). The complete dietary rules are more complex and vary depending on ancestry. Ashkenazi Jews, hailing from Eastern Europe, also avoid rice and legumes on … Continue reading
Common Denominator: Moshe Feldenkrais and Gertrude Stein
“Let me listen to me and not to them” – Gertrude Stein “The object of this learning is to remove outside authority from your inner life” – Moshe Feldenkrais Friends invited me to a “Night of Gertrude Stein” at a bookstore the other evening. I knew little about her poetry, save for the oft-quoted … Continue reading
Feldenkrais: Detangler of the Spirit
Some people have epiphanies in the shower. The other day, I had one afterwards. I wanted to comb my hair, but since my comb was in another room, I reached for my hairbrush. As I raised my arm to use it, I noticed I was holding my breath. Before beginning my Feldenkrais training, I wouldn’t have sensed … Continue reading
Reflections on 2014
Statistics are used much like a drunk uses a lamppost: for support, not illumination. – Vin Scully Our culture measures many things, including the passage of time, and looks to data for evidence. Last December, I wrote a post, 2013 Blog Highlights, that focused on my most popular articles based on views. Since then blog traffic, followers and “likes” … Continue reading
à la carte spirit by ilona fried 
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