50,000 words

So the rough draft is done. It is around 50,000 words. I sent the last section off to my editor for review this afternoon. So far her feedback on the material has been positive. (plus she gave me a much needed pep talk a few days ago, which helped me with my small crisis of faith I was expereincing. Wow, it is so helpful to talk to wise people! I should really talk to her more often!)

Anyway-I take the manuscript with me to Costa Rica tomorrow to give to John. He checks it for accuracy, gives me feedback, his two cents and input and then I incorporate those changes. Meanwhile my editor will start working on it on her end and then I make the changes she suggests. In and amongst all of that I have a few other experts like Craig review it and oif all goes well he is going to contriubte some pearls of wisdom to the project. And so on.

But the bulk of the creative process is done. And I should easily make my deadline . If I get it turned in to Anusara Press by June it will be out in September at the Estes Park Ansuara Yoga shindig at the the Yoga Journal Conference. We are the featured style this year and so the pre-conference will be ALL ANUSARA. (with yours truly even getting the opportunity to teach. Yippee!) So that will be fun. Plan to come. It will be a blast. Check it out.

I have had a busy few days. I got to review a lot of videos this week and even attend Julie Carrion's class. Seeing her was fun. Too short, but fun nonetheless. I definitely miss her being here. Hopefully they will move back.

Since I last wrote- I got a gold crown on my tooth, I got a sassy hair cut, I taught all my classes, I "finished" my book, and I even had a chance to work more on dwipada viparita dandasana to sirsasana. I am working with Craig's recommendations for the next two to six weeks to do a moderate Kapha-reducing diet and kapha-reducing-oriented practice. It is spring officially here in Texas and so that is the season of kapha. (Wet and damp.) And for many people during the winter season of vatta (which is dry and cold), we have accumulated a fair amount of mucus and excess dampness in the system. That is good when it is cold and dry because you need the excess moisture. But when the season is damp and you also have the inner dampness you are a breeding ground for allergies, spring colds and so on.

So- for a couple weeks we are changing our herbal regime and making some small changes in our diet. Nothing major as our diet is pretty good right now and I am not really one for drastic changes in diet at this point. Most of the changes are fun because Kelly and I stopped eating spicy food to reduce pitta like a year ago, but actually this time of year it is good to have a little heat in the food. So we are both happy about this. (although good-bye to my creamy cup of morning whole organic milk for a few weeks and hello to apples and green tea! Oh and this crazy mung bean thing that is too much to go into right now but suffice it to say that after two days of drinking the water of soaked mung beans, you eat the mung beans for breakfast that have been soaking. Hmm....not as bad as one might thing but not particularly good either!)

As far as asana it is a good time of year for more surya namaskar and twists. Craig suggested a strong stimulating fiery beginning to the practice, followed by getting upside down and then back bends to open the chest. All of this dislodges the kapha. Then add strong twists to detoxify the intestines and then hip openers to assist with apana vayu moving things out that you have liberated. Strangely enough I did this in my classes and in my practice today and in the middle of the back bending section I had a massive sinus release with all of this mucus that broke free and then my sore, itchy throat was gone. So- there you have it. A personal testimony. Try it yourself.

Off to Costa Rica tomorrow early in the morning. I am told we have wireless there (by the pool! Have I told you how much I LOVE POOLS?!) so I should be able to keep this updated. Have a great week.