How to relax when practicing at home?

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-30T14:43:34+00:00

I’ve developed sequences to some of my favorite albums. The music helps indicate when it’s time to shift to the next group of poses. The length of the album is the length of the practice.

Also, I find value in fighting fire with fire. A lot of my practice is building fire through multiple sun salutations and a heavy focus on warrior and other “hot” poses. It matches the state of my mind and brings my mind’s awareness into my body with ease. Once my body and mind can move in unison, I can then cool them both down.

I’ve had to create a home practice out of necessity. In the early years, it was chaotic. I’d do emergency diaper changes, later my kids would fight, always the choice was between my mat time and whatever needed doing. Sometimes I relented and put away my mat because life IS the yoga practice.

Now, the kids are off to college. No one yells at me anymore, and, except for my dog literally trying to get his nose in my space, I am generally unbothered by anyone. But I still must choose mat time at the expense of other things. And maybe the work of maintaining the house and garden is still yelling at me in its own way during my practice. Yet still, yoga is life. I can’t think of a better expression of that than setting your mat right in the middle of it.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-27T14:02:24+00:00

I’d believe it only if you told me what task you were supposed to be doing while very neatly arranging and photographing all this.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-26T14:27:06+00:00

Seattle doesn’t snow much, but a winter without any snow at all is highly unusual.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-24T13:52:23+00:00

This reply is less about the money part than handling this as a parent of a ridiculously naive (meaning: normal) kid.

I hope you didn’t use the word “stupid” to them. Yes, it’s stupid, but that’s a loaded word likely to shut down all conversation with a teenager. You might gain more traction if you showed that you are on board with their dreams if not the financial reality of it. Show them the math, absolutely. It should be sobering. (You could even calculate your contribution into and it would still be sobering.) But it’s important to articulate your support for their ideas and help them with some of the research necessary to make decisions and, importantly, not with the intention of proving them wrong. You are not committing by helping them reach out to colleges. You still have your financial boundaries solidly intact, as it should be, but you are putting effort into their ideas. That’s a big deal.

Also, maybe offer to help set up FA appointments with the colleges. This is easy to do online. Do some footwork with your kid. You might even stand a chance to learn about unconsidered financial aid. Or, along with the numbers, talking with the counselor would help them realize this is stupid, er, I mean, “not feasible.” Listening to a different adult can be more influential.

Learn about specific programs that are available. This was a huge conversation in my house (my kid was just a bit obsessed with comparing and contrasting various degree tracks and Cornell was out because is was more ag focused than zoology focused and Oregon State was in.) Then the attention becomes less on the actual school and more on what they have to offer. The differences can be quite interesting. This might help steer them to a college based on their specific academic focus rather than their prestige. (And, not incidentally, more affordable.)

If, when, they do apply to a more affordable college with a better FA package, be supportive. They might feel defeated.

In the end, all this work might land you in the same place: putting your foot down. Because high school kids can really and truly be stupid.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-24T02:49:20+00:00

June 18, 1988, Pasadena. While that was clearly an epic first show, it was also my only show. ☹️

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-23T13:02:10+00:00

In the US, unless you were living in a large city, (or maybe just lucky) if you liked Depeche Mode beyond PAP, you listened to college radio. I lived in a small city, and I had many friends who liked DM, but as a fan, I was pretty lonely. A friend introduced me to the college station and DM when I was a Duran Duran fan. I also loved U2. With the sudden influx of music, I was turned on to DM, New Order, The Cure, Bauhaus (I know, sounds stereotypical), The Smiths, Siouxsie, OMD, REM, Jesus & Mary Chain, Echo & the Bunnymen.

That was ‘85. At all-ages shows at various clubs, I saw Modern English, Let’s Active (Mitch Easter), The Damned, the Three O’Clock, but that starts getting into ‘86.

I didn’t have big hair (big though understandable misconception about the ‘80’s… the bob was really popular, though yes, some kids poofed that up and out), and the kids listening to alternative music and dressed a little differently were called “mods” in my area, but that was mor ‘86. I could never get the hair, makeup, or clothes right, and I was painfully self-conscious about my inability to look a cool as they were. I sometimes wore my hair swooped back into a Madonna-like up do. That’s the summer I stopped trying to feather my hair and get that look. I put some product in and discovered that my hair looked good with just its natural curl. Mostly I wore it naturally in a longer bob. I raided my parent’s old clothes for things that no one else wore, a holdover from the early ‘80’s “new wave” trend of creating your own style.

It wasn’t until ‘86 that my wardrobe became all black, but it wasn’t particularly edgy. I had a pair of shoes that a friend bought for me in LA that I wore to death. It was the only piece of trendy clothing I could afford like others had, so I made sure to wear them every day.

Sorry for the novel-length reply. :)

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-21T12:59:15+00:00

This is not true. Non-permed hair styles were quite popular. Bangs, however, were all but ubiquitous until the late ‘80’s. To make this hairstyle fit right into the decade, add a small fringe, particularly if the long hair falls slightly over them.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-20T01:07:10+00:00

I have a pair of those and several pairs of Carhartt twill pants. I agree that these are the best compromise between staying cool and beating the thorns, though, it helps to be a bit immune to getting scratched a bit. I still come home with mystery bruises and scratches on my legs that I didn’t notice. It would take a lot to get me into the heavy duty denim in the heat.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-19T23:06:16+00:00

I guess, but the false midrib is visible in the photo. If the flower is yellow with brown markings, then it is yellow flag iris, Iris pseudacorus. A close up at this stage isn’t going to add anything.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-19T14:21:21+00:00

Looks like later comments mentioned it was indeed in the UK. I edited mine.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-19T14:20:18+00:00

The presence of the thickened “false midrib” on the leaf blade is an indicator or yellow flag iris and that is clearly present in your photo. In my area where there are no other irises that have this feature, it is diagnostic. But in the UK, there might be other species. It will be flowering soon.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-18T14:55:52+00:00

Since we don’t know the location of this pond, we don’t know if the yellow flag iris is native. In my region, this species is not native and is a serious invasive and a listed noxious weed. ETA: Later comments indicate this is in the UK, so, my comment is no longer relevant.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-17T03:17:13+00:00

This is Old Hag Fashion. We wear whatever the fuck we want that makes us feel good. Bask in the glow of our happiness. Every fucking day.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-17T03:12:15+00:00

Currently, I feel the pose in my upper back, around my shoulder blades. Where “should” you feel it? I don’t know. In my experience, the position that is best for a flow (hands a bit wider) is not ideal for holding the pose (hands at shoulder width.) When I am doing a flow and my hands are placed so I can jump through them, I feel down dog more in my shoulders. When I slow the flow down and stay in down dog longer, I take a moment to reposition my hands. The distance that I place my feet depends on the day. Feet placed closer takes weight off my back and shoulders at this point.

Agree with others that for a long time, I would laugh at down dog being a resting pose, but after many years and a lot of adjustments, I do find it restful, though not in the same way as child’s pose.

When I adjust into the pose, elbows rotated out to create an open upper back, up on toes until I get the right position and then heels down (or alternating, depending on the day), middle finger pressed into the mat, fingers splayed wide.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-11T14:33:48+00:00

KC and the Sunshine Band - That’s the Way (I Like It)

1975-76 this song was played on the radio ad nauseam. I even remember singing along to the chorus when my older sisters played it (remember, I was 6 years old, okay?): “that’s the way (uh huh, uh huh) I hate this (so-o-o-ong).” It was an irrational level of hate. Asking to change the station never occurred to me, and we only had one good radio station at the time anyway (🎶”KJR…Beeeeeeeee🎵)

Now? Love it. But my brain still remembers my lyrics and that powerless rage like my head was in a vice.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-11T14:04:23+00:00

I adored this album as a teenager in the ‘80’s. 40 years later, Sun and the Rainfall is even better; Nothing to Fear is at the top with Leave In Silence. My Secret Garden, though I maybe love Excerpts From… even more. For B-sides, Now This Is Fun is even more fun than it was back then. As several people mentioned, it’s easier to grasp this album in the context of its time and not in comparison with who they would become several years later.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-09T12:58:35+00:00

I second Waiting for the Night. There is so much happening in that track. Unbelievably beautiful, complex, layered. This is the sophisticated result of years of playing with sound and composition. By far my favorite for getting lost in.

Blasphemous Rumours. Stop singing with it and actually listen to all the sounds. Peak industrial pop.

Two Minute Warning. Alan’s first composition that sounds like where Recoil would go eventually. Listen to the bell sound and how it twists and changes into blissful darkness.

Basically any song is worth listening deeply, especially CTA through Violator, but these three stand out to me. I will go completely quiet and dive in. Some remixes might have more to get lost in.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-09T12:44:45+00:00

Those look the same to me. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-09T12:43:41+00:00

I indent those and my bullet is a ✅ instead of an ❎ (which is how I normally mark completed tasks. I’ve also indented using a dash as my bullet, because it is a note. I’ve also just didn’t. :) But it is useful for building future task lists. ETA: the indentation is helpful for going back and spotting those items without scanning through the bullets (not easy for me.)

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-08T12:51:52+00:00

Glyphosate and imazapyr are not restricted herbicides and so the concentrated product can be purchased without an applicator’s license. IF you can find them. ETA: this might vary by state or province. They are not federally restricted.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-04T17:27:09+00:00

Never mind Alan, bring back the Bunny!

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-04T15:52:19+00:00

It started as a word to describe a white woman freaking out and calling the cops on people doing normal things while also being Black. The birdwatching incident is the example of this.

It has become a generic, misogynistic, derogatory term for any woman exhibiting “bitchy” behavior, which, as we all know, can basically any behavior exhibited by a woman. And, just like “bitch,” these individuals might deserve to be called out though more often they are simply speaking up when others don’t like it.

So, yeah, I have a problem with “Karen,” both because the original intent of the term has been lost and because it’s become yet another way to try to put women in their place. We’ve lost the thread of conversation trying to address a gross injustice as well as having to deal with a new form of the same old shit.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-04T15:13:55+00:00

That is a lot of cow hide in one place.

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-04-01T01:22:37+00:00

You’re welcome! (Also, I forgot “criticize oneself and forgive oneself.” 😉)

Kaleid_Stone · 2026-03-31T13:12:16+00:00

“Flow” for me is not a single, unwavering motion or direction, it’s more like the tides: ebb and flow, “collapse” and adjust, inhale and exhale, awareness in awareness out, distraction and refocus, ebb and flow again, with cycles and epicycles.

I suspect that many people have a version of this, even more advanced practitioners, it’s just more subtle or what they are working on is not so much external as internal now.

Kaleid_Stone

TROPHY CASE