Thursday, February 24, 2011

Yoga: Discovering yourself again

"Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting"-William Wordsworth

Who am I? Why do I do things I do? Why do I feel the things I feel? These questions and more have been with us since we can remember. It was that moment when we began to remember that we forgot. We forgot the oneness of ourselves. It was the time where we separated from the all of who we are to become a name that fragmented us in an environment of other names: Mom, Dad, apple, red, book, dog, cat. The words of our growing vocabulary and the approval we gained from them enticed us to look outside of ourselves more and more. The gap from who we are widened with age as we began to cling closer to our external world seeking more approval, success, and union with others. By the time most of us come into yoga, we are very detached from ourselves, with the weight of our language heavy with Chitta Vrttis, sanskrit for the ruminations of the mind, overwhelming everything we do. Random thoughts shooting across our brain with vigor, so much so that simply sitting still seems painfully impossible.

The instructor asks us to stand in Tadasana, mountain pose. Our ego tells us we know this pose, it's easy, we stand all the time. The instructor highlights the many actions involved in the proper alignment of the pose. However, our mind doesn't want to focus on keeping our toes and heels together, or equalizing the weight on our feet from heel-to-toe. It doesn't want to think about keeping an inward rotation of the legs from the root of the thigh, while keeping the lower abdominal muscles (and pubic bone) lifted. It doesn't want to focus on keeping the shoulders back and the biceps rotating outward; or stretching the arms straight down at our side, back further than we thought, palms facing our thighs, while holding our fingers and thumbs together. It doesn't want to think about pressing the outside of our heels towards one another to compact the hips (yes, while still rotating the thighs inward). It doesn't want to think about stretching the spine and lifting the chin slightly. It definitely doesn't want to sustain the actions in quiet repose without rigidity. It doesn't even know how to concentrate on all of these actions at once, much less do it with sustained effort. However, our mind flits over dozens other thoughts from a long grocery list to thinking about that coffee we haven't had yet.

A good instructor can tell our mind is wandering. They simplify the direction for us and ask us to concentrate on one thing. Not everything. Just do one thing with concentrated effort. Start from the ground up the instructor adds. You choose to concentrate on the weight of your feet. The instructor tells you to lift and spread your toes. You begin to feel more weight in the ball of the left foot. Your body wobbles. You concentrate of equalizing the weight on the feet as best you can. You relax the toes back down. All the while something is happening, the chatter in your mind is quieting. The moment you notice, the chatter starts again. Your body stiffens. Your breathing gets a little erratic. You punish yourself for getting off track then shift back to your feet. You notice once again the weight is back on the ball of your left foot. How interesting, you say to yourself, that the weight in my feet quickly goes back to the habit it had before I changed it. You set your mind to equalize the weight again, and realize if you hold your concentration there, you can maintain the action. The instructor may or may not notice, but you've noticed something huge. You've started the process of discovering yourself in a way you never have before...and you've only done one pose. That's the magic of yoga.

Sunday, February 06, 2011

Tip your Barista they may inherit the earth: Part III



When our two boys, Dale Donchey and Jordan Chambers came back from the coffee war down under, they were battled scarred, but determined to rebound and serve their loyal followers. The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Octane owner, Tony Riffel was ready to move his Emory location, so Dale, Jordan, and Jamie Pair pooled resources to create their dream: Steady Hand Pour House.



It was November 5, 2010. As the months of construction commenced, I witnessed an incredible transformation not only in the space where Octane used to be, but in the boys themselves. It's what happens when people are empowered. They take ownership of the details. They pay attention to what succeeds. They remedy what fails. More importantly, they become more of who they are. Their followers know who they are. That's why they patiently waited for them.



Never ones to keep their customers waiting too long, Dale, Jordan, and Jamie came up with a brilliant plan: enter the gassy, sputtering, but oh-so-delicious-mobile-espresso-drink-maker known as The RattleTrap.
A 1982, sienna VW van was transformed into a mobile espresso maker, with the help of loyal customers, Tim Stephens, a Technology IT maintenance coordinator for Emory's Chemistry Department and Curt Bridges, an engineering consultant. Bridges helped to configure the van by using metal scraps to build the table to hold the 145 lb gb5 Marzocco espresso machine. He also made a window serving table. In a little over a month, December 22, 2010, The Rattletrap rolled up to the parking lot of the soon-to-be Steady Hand Pour House, and successfully began serving customers coffee.


In the frigid cold, they lined up, two-by-two to stay warm, and they bought whatever their baristas were pouring. Familiar faces recognized other familiar faces. The reunion began to happen. Buzz about The Rattletrap took hold. Invitations from movie sets and corporate functions were on offer. All the while, the shop's construction continued hidden behind papered windows.

Pulling out the old and designing the new took a lot of hammers, nails, paint, stain, and glue. Trip Pairs, Jamie's father worked on cabinetry. Tim Stephens became the "go to guy" for everything from plumbing to wiring. Greg Gessler, our friendly woodsman, kept busy making the new round, wooden tabletops and other such things. Dale, Jordan, and Jamie juggled jobs, construction efforts, and The Rattletrap service night and day. Just to give an idea of their dedication: Jamie, who also works on visual imagery for The Vampire Diaries mentioned he clocked 90 hours the week Steady Hand Pour House opened.


It opened February 2, 2011. If you add up the numbers: month (2) + day (2) year (2 + 2), they equal (8). Quite a powerful number, which their customers hope will serve them well. The tip jar was full that day, the first tip was by customer Chloe, a $20.00 bill with the red inscription "Good Luck"! You can see it in the framed window in the back of the shop along with their "A" inspection rating and business license.

Fully vested with ties. That's what they wear in the shop. It's also how they serve. They are tied to their customers. Many of whom took time out of their day jobs to put in extra hours to get the shop ready. As much as their customers have been committed, Dale, Jordan, and Jamie are fully vested in them, as well. They know that over the many months of transitions from the Method coffee days, through Octane Emory, and now Steady Hand Pour House these customers are not just customers; they are true friends.

The lighting is great. The tables are wonderful. The padded chairs...let's just say my butt thanks you. The coffee (Intelligensia) whether it's siphoned, chemex'd, espressed, or chilled, it's awesome as always. Teas and Aztec chocolate are served as well. Sandwiches will be served soon. Bagels are freshly made by Ben Horgan Bagels, and there are other goodies galore. The hours are Mon-Thurs 6-6, Fri- 6-9, and Sat-Sun 8-9 pm. The baristas remember your name. They know your drink, and even if you don't, they'll educate you. So come with an opened mind, ready your taste buds, and always remember: tip your barista, they may inherit the earth.