September 9, 2009

09/09/09

Peaceful night after torrents of rain.

Finished my six week introductory course in Iyengar yoga, and began a three week one in pranayama yoga. The fact is, I don’t like yoga much. It’s boring and uncomfortable. I hurt for a day or so afterward. Perhaps there is some of the advertised relaxation under the hurt. The question now is whether to continue, because it is good for me, or try to find something with similar benefits that is not so boring. MM says to try the yoga that is done in a steambath. Maybe I will. Last night, “graduation” night, the women in the class (all were women but me) thanked me for putting up with “a bunch of women.” I had thought of apologizing for invading their goddess sanctum. But I was really very meek and quiet, and teacher commented on how I never complained.

Phone call from J, saying that our studio flooded again in the downpour.

I never eat hot peppers, but was fooled by their resemblance to the mild banana peppers that I like into cutting up three big hot ones and putting them in the pot of chili I made today. It burned in interesting places. The actual eating wasn’t so bad, but twice, once after each bowl I ate, the toe knuckles on my perpetually swollen left foot burned and turned red, as though stung by something. Maybe the bad circulation causes the pepper fire to gather there, or maybe the tissue is always a little damaged and vulnerable. Mild sensation of burning throughout the left leg. Unusual heat in the bowels. But I had a vague feeling that the pepper was medicinal, and would do me good. A kind of purgation.