my friend the witch doctor

so, after my yoga teaching experience I was in for a treat.
My dad did not have such an amazing day, as I did.
He spent the entire day in the hospital, getting his new "achilles heel" re: groin area scanned and skewed for cancer and bad things. I guess he pee'd some blood and for a prostate cancer 5 year!!! cancer free survivor that was a very stressfull & alarming thing. He had pain and no dr.'s had any answers. I stopped by and teased him that I'd do some reiki to him for free. Never thinking my Republican, conservative, Navy man dad would oblige (this man posted a sign on his geodesic dome home after 9/11 that read "these colors don't run", just saying) . We sat around, I recounted the class, he recounted his hospital visit, had a glass of wine, while he had a slice of pizza and talked some more.
"dad, want me to do reiki to you?"
normally he would laugh.
"OK!!!!" he said. "should we do it in the living room????"
(oh, I think, a skeptic turns a believer??)
"What do I do, do I go on the floor????" he anxiously asks. Many questions follow.
Oh, I think to myself; my Daddy is quite afraid. I can't believe he is open to this!!!
with his elephant knuckle stubby toe's in flip flops he lays on the floor. Places his my sized hands on his heart and waits.
I tell him to not tease me. "Don't pretend you're having a heart attack, or do some hilarious prank", I command.
"I would never" he replies.
As I move my hands along his frame I can feel his heat. He is nervous. Who wouldn't be? I move along his body and hover over his groin. In any other instance, could be kind of weird: A dad and daughter, her magic heated reiki hands hovering over his groin???? It was so simple and pure, It was fine. As I moved away from each part he would declare: "is it supposed to feel hot?? my hand is throbbing!!! my arm is throbbing!!"
yes, dad, it's ok.
I can't breathe. he would declare.
"I cant relax, when I relax I don't breathe"
After 3o mins of him marveling over this I wonder aloud: 'Does "relax" mean "sleep" to you I ask?"
Well, yes. he replies. Doesn't everyone sleep when they want to relax? he asks.
My stepmother and I laugh!!!
I finish and he tells me he feels good.
I am glad.
"Hey dad!" I comment.
"Our song came true!" remembering our old car rides to my mom's"
"my friend the witch doctor he told me what to do.
oo ee a
my friend the witch doctor he told me what to say
ooee a
my friend the witch doctor and this is what he said
he said:
ooooe ooo ahaha ting tang walla wall bing bang
oooo eeee oooo aha ahahaha ting tang walll awallla big bang!!!!"

I am a witch doctor!

who knew

who knew!
Who knew that my favorite yogi's would be aged 10-14??
Yoga: the nightmare years.
Well, I guess I kind of did. But I wasn't sure if I was just being contrary :)
because everyone kept telling me different.

Taught the Girl Scouts at their lock in sleepover @ the YMCA. The first class was so popular that I offered to stick around for an overflow class. Just so no kids would be left out b/c their friend wanted to do whatever else was being offered, or they couldn't decide. I wanted to expose as many as I could to the gift of yoga. There was zumba (which is like a fake salsa dancing), weight lifting (which startled me for their age group!) & some spa room with oatmeal masks and pampering. 2 girls did zumba and the rest signed up for my yoga class. Amazing! there were gigglers and one girl kept trying to hold her friend's hand. But I just went over and moved her mat far enough away.
I know now that I must lay some ground rules about chatter and laughing- but a little is totally understandable. This is out of their comfort zone- at an age when I don't even think their bed is their comfort zone! I led them all in a 30 minute flow, breath work, a bit of sun salutations, standing poses, floor work, and! svasanah oh, the beauty of it! I watched the awkward girls glow and bloom and be into it. It took a bit & there was giggling. But! I took Mary Kaye's advice and said "be so happy that by looking at you, others feel happiness" and they looked at me like I was Mother Theresa. yay! the feedback at the end has become my favorite part! "Do they offer classes like this all the time?" they asked
"is this your career?" how awesome to open their minds to a whole another world of "work"
"I'm always freaking out!!! how did you make me so relaxed???" one adorable, genuine- braced laced sweetheart mused.
or:
"I've like, never been so Relaxed!!!!"
"well, you created this feeling" I told them,
"and there is so much more bliss where that came from!"
:) love love love it!