Felipe Adan Lerma

*** INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

“Aging Gracefully” – Original Inspirational Poetry

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Header # 15 – Early Spring Austin Texas (Photography, PhotoPoem) (felipeadanlerma.com)
Header # 9 – Spring in Vermont 2012 (Photography) (felipeadanlerma.com)
dVersepoets FormForAll – Writing Visual Prompt, “Winter and Spring Form For All” (felipeadanlerma.com)

Tags: Austin Hike & Bike, Austin Texas, Earth Day, Felipe Adan Lerma, Nature

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Categories Arts, Arts Area, Austin, Captions Photos, Felipe Adan Lerma, photography, places poetry, Texas

Aging Gracefully into 62, Part 3 – Breathing, the Nano Stretch with Mucho Effect

22 Apr

Rosetta, Fiction Novel

Aging Gracefully into 62, Part 3 – Breathing, the Nano Stretch with Mucho Effect

The logistics, physically and emotionally, of returning to work as a senior. Commuting, snacks, sleep, and more.

Pictured to the left, “Rosetta” – fiction. From being fit, to having a full knee replacement, back to the courage of feeling good again.

Please check my Author Page Listings for locations.

***

“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

***

Site Areas

Fitness ** Arts ** eBooks

***

Breathing, the Nano Stretch with Mucho Effect

Other “Aging Gracefully” Related Links

Aging Gracefully into Mother’s Day – Original Poetry by Felipe Adan Lerma

Himalayan Institute : “Aging Gracefully” : An Article for All Ages – Review

Press Release – “Nice Thing ‘Bout Getting Old(er)” – Articles, Reviews, & Creativity in Aging

Aging Gracefully into 62, Part 1 – Back to Fitness

Aging Gracefully into 62, Part 2 – Returning to Work as a Senior

Aging Gracefully into 62, Part 3 – Breathing, the Nano Stretch with Mucho Effect (in progress)

***

Finding Gratitude, Sheila – The Breath Expanding Into the Soul

This is an older photo from another article when we were staying in Galveston.

The article is on gratitude, posted in May 2011.

Letting oneself expand with one’s own breath can be a challenge.

Doing it on the seawall does have its advantages.

***

Our Breath

Two things come to mind immediately regarding why our breath is so important.

One, it means we’re still alive on this Earth.

Two, it can be done nearly anywhere, any time. That’s big.

Dynamic vs Static Stretching

Ok, what’s this got to do with breathing? Was this supposed to be in another article?

Well, it could be in another post, but I am deliberately comparing what the intake of breath does, to a dynamic stretch, versus what is typically thought of as a static stretch.

A light static stretch is a great relaxing stretch of our arms and legs and torso and really all over, that is usually recommended after a great workout.

It helps the body cool down, helps lower our working-exercising blood pressure, and sure feels good.

Whatever is being stretched is held in place gently, and allowed to relax and reset to a less exerted exercise expectation.

A dynamic stretch is a gentle limbering movement. It warms up the muscles and makes more strenuous movement easier.

This latter stretching is still smooth, not jerky or ballistic.

Breathing, I’ve come to believe, is a combination of static and dynamic stretching.

To me, in the micro – nano level, the inhaled breath feels like it stretches the body to its range of motion, expanding the fascia and muscles, loosening tension spots.

While, in the macros – whole body area, the inhaled breath seems to aid and create a relaxed static state of rest.

The breath, our breath, is the best of both worlds, simultaneously.

Thus, breathing, is the nano stretch with mucho effect!

Mouth or Nose Breathing

I never realized this was even a topic of contention until I resumed my interest in learning and doing yoga, starting with my yoga teacher certification training with Lex Gillan in Houston.

During a morning meditation training session, when the topic of mouth vs nose breathing came up, I asked what I should do during one of my usual congested periods. At the time I was living in Galveston, which is bad enough for pollen, but am now in Austin, which is much worse!

His very good humored answer was, since we had to to live, was breathe any way we can.

Common sense and his acceptance, embracing, and teaching of the various modes of yoga practice made my choice of having him as my initial yoga trainer a very good decision.

So regarding breathing through your nose or mouth, whether in yoga or any other activity, do what you need to first, then experiment for effect when you are ready.

General Benefits of Good Breathing

There’s tons of good info on why breathing, and breathing more correctly, is good for you.

Yoga Journal has many articles, even on how to check (at a easy minimal level) to see how well you’re breathing.

A Google search of the benefits of improved breathing is really useful.

MindBodyGreen has a nice article on how to vary the length of your breathing to relax, saying:

“When your exhale is even a few counts longer than your inhale, the vagus nerve (running from the neck down through the diaphragm) sends a signal to your brain to turn up your parasympathetic nervous system and turn down your sympathetic nervous system.” (emphasis in article)

Dr. Andrew Weil has three differing breathing exercises on this page, one for relaxing, one for invigorating, and one for mediating; and one uses nose only while another includes the mouth. Now that’s useful variety.

Varying my Google search to “breathing counts” brings up even more suggestions!

Here’s a list of 18 benefits of deep breathing.

And here’s a final Google search for the physiological benefits of exercise, which, for me, almost always included breathing more completely and fully.

As I mentioned in the first post in this series of aging gracefully into age 62, getting fit again was the key to enjoying doing and being able to do things that make life more satisfying.

Conclusion, Last Thoughts

Breathing, the Nano Dynamic Stretch even in a Static Pose

It’s been a couple of years now since I first began again paying any in-depth attention to my breath.

And I am continually amazed how much I become aware of within myself.

The sense of surprise I felt recently, that my body is literally doing a micro nano dynamic stretch (reaching for one’s range of motion in that stretch), as I stand or sit or lay in a static restful pose, is still very much with me, and is the impetus for this third and final posting on aging gracefully.

Or at least trying to.

Try this:

Stand or sit calmly still.

Place the palms of your hands on each side of your rib cage.

Inhale softly and slowly and easily.

Feel your chest cavity expand.

Visualize and know, in reality not just symbolically, that your ribs expand apart, because there are muscles between them that allow that!

Easy to Do Anywhere

And breathing is not only necessary, it’s so easy to fit in and do anywhere.

Waiting in line at the store, or any of the other number of “lines” we seem to be in.

Sitting in freeway traffic. Yes, know that one well!

Laying in bed waking up.

Or going to sleep.

Or resting.

And if you watch a baby, like our new grand baby Max whether they’re exerting, sleeping, or eating – they’re breathing.

Holding My Breath

I know, growing up, especially in school, playing hide-n-seek or hoping the teacher wouldn’t “pick” on me, I held my breath.

But the habit of holding my breath is probably not a good idea.

Actually, people expect you to breath.

So often, it was just me – being self-conscious, about taking my breath.

And ok, I admit it, I’m still kinda wondering if someone’s staring, making fun of me, if I take a deep (needed) breath.

But I’m trying. One breath at a time.

***

Next up, my Paris Photo series.

Not immediately, as I need to choose and prepare the images. But that’ll be fun.

Thanks so much for coming by

adan

***

blessings everyone

namaste´- con dios – god be with you

101 Sports Poems – Original Poetry

***

***

INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

Aging Gracefully into 62, Part 2 – Returning to Work as a Senior (felipeadanlerma.com)
Austin Texas : PhotoPoem # 5 – Birds in the Bath (felipeadanlerma.com)
Vermont : PhotoPoem # 5 : “Stowed Away at Stowe” (felipeadanlerma.com)
Meditation: Am I Doing It Yet? Part 2 — “definitions mechanisms comparisons” (felipeadanlerma.com)

Tags: Aging, Aging Gracefully, Breathing, Fitness, National Senior Health & Fitness Day, Senior Fitness, Senior Health, Seniors, The Breath

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Categories Austin, Bio Updates, Felipe Adan Lerma, Fitness, Fitness Area, Seniors, Yoga-Adan

Austin Texas : PhotoPoem # 6 – Spring Time Along the Lake

20 Apr

Click for Full Size

Austin Texas : PhotoPoem # 6 – Spring Time Along the Lake

Pictured Left : New – Slumming in Paris, Part One, Arthur & Gricinda.

A fun novella. A young couple with a little time before their two children and the children’s four young cousins all arrive to join them in Paris (Parts Two & Three).

And yes, they’re all from Texas.

***

“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

***

Site Areas

Fitness ** Arts ** eBooks

***

Austin Texas : PhotoPoem # 6

Spring Time Along the Lake

Linked to dVersePoets Poetics : Spring – Hosted by Claudia

Please Click Images for Larger Size View

Austin Skyline with Day Time Moon

Spring Time Along the Lake

We walked down the slope to the Hike & Bike.

Another weekend, another concert along

the shore before the heat arrives.

People outnumber the cars

but the cars can’t

move.

It’s a good time

to be walking, rowing

sitting on benches by the shoreline.

There’s only small windows of

time

to see the better side

of Austin

but

the view is mighty

fine

when the glass

has just been cleaned.

***

I’m not gonna have much commentary this time around. Just a quick thanks to Claudia for the spring time prompt at dVersePoets.

And a big thanks to the rarest of weather days in Austin.

We’ll take more of these anytime.

Please Click Images for Larger Size View

Austin Skyline and Railroad Bridge

Inlet on Lady Bird Lake, Austin Texas

Couple on Bench off Hike & Bike, Austin Texas

On the Bench, In the Canoe, By the River, Austin Texas

I hesitated uploading this last image because of someone’s thoughtlessness of letting that bag of trash blow over onto an otherwise beautiful series of images along Austin’s Lady Bird Lake and Hike & Bike area.

It pitiful that people allow themselves to be so uncaring, and yet, thank goodness, it was the only instance of litter among all the clean-landscape images I took this afternoon.

At least that stood out.

There’s a lot of crummy people out there, but there’s a lot more that aren’t…

Future Posts

The third post in my Aging Gracefully into 62 series should be ready next week.

And after that, back to my Paris Photo series – yay!

namaste´- con dios – god be with you

***

Adan in Stowe, Autumn

*** INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

“Aging Gracefully” – Original Inspirational Poetry

Austin Texas : PhotoPoem # 5 – Birds in the Bath (felipeadanlerma.com)
Paris in 5 1/2 Weeks : Photos # 8 – At the Eiffel Tower (Day 7, 2 of 2) (felipeadanlerma.com)
Header # 15 – Early Spring Austin Texas (Photography, PhotoPoem) (felipeadanlerma.com)
Vermont : PhotoPoem # 1 : “I Spied the Past at Rock Point” (felipeadanlerma.com)

Tags: Austin Hike & Bike, Austin Skyline, Austin Texas, dVerse Poetics, Felipe Adan Lerma, Lady Bird Lake, Nature, Photopoems, Popular Posts

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Categories Arts, Arts Area, Austin, dVersepoets, Felipe Adan Lerma, Photo-Poem, photography, places poetry, poetry, Popular Posts, Texas

Aging Gracefully into 62, Part 2 – Returning to Work as a Senior

19 Apr

The Old American Artist – Fiction

Aging Gracefully into 62, Part 2 – Returning to Work as a Senior

The logistics, physically and emotionally, of returning to work as a senior. Commuting, snacks, sleep, and more.

Pictured to the left, “The Old American Artist” – fiction.

Please check my Author Page Listings for locations.

***

“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

***

Site Areas

Fitness ** Arts ** eBooks

***

Returning to Work as a Senior

Other “Aging Gracefully” Related Links

Aging Gracefully into Mother’s Day – Original Poetry by Felipe Adan Lerma

Himalayan Institute : “Aging Gracefully” : An Article for All Ages – Review

Press Release – “Nice Thing ‘Bout Getting Old(er)” – Articles, Reviews, & Creativity in Aging

Aging Gracefully into 62, Part 1 – Back to Fitness

Aging Gracefully into 62, Part 2 – Returning to Work as a Senior

Aging Gracefully into 62, Part 3 – Breathing, the Nano Stretch with Mucho Effect (in progress)

***

Returning to Work as a Senior

It’s not that, when I was younger, these things I’ve had to deal with on returning to work didn’t matter or happen or exist, it’s just that, after an extended time of not working full time, and being older, there’s things to remember, and things to work out.

Whether one is returning to full time work of necessity or desire, and whether for a set temporary time (such as in my case) or for an indeterminate amount of time, things come up that frankly I hadn’t thought much of when I was in the midst of a lifetime of full time working.

In no particular order, these are some of the things I hadn’t expected to have to deal with, and how I adjusted to them.

There’s no surprise secrets I believe.

It’s just many of the things I hadn’t needed to pay much attention to in quite awhile.

And honestly, when I did work full time, I didn’t pay much attention to all this then. I was like a fish in water, totally unaware of the currents all around me…

Food

Diversify your lunch.

Provide a variety of snacks for yourself.

I especially konk-out (run out of steam) mid-afternoon, 2ish, and have found certain fruit and other snacks to be a great pick me up.

Choose food with its sugar embedded in its fiber over a liquid alternative if you can.

Snacks for Lunch and all Day

Not that I’d eat all that at once, though at one time I might have!

Oh, the plant is optional, but is great visual food. Sheila reminded me, that decorative plant do feed us, with oxygen!

Eat alone sometimes. Join folks another time.

Take a small piece out into the sunlight and eat it outside.

Try different things. It’s ok to repeat something you really like as long as you like.

Food should be healthy, but also should be fun.

Movement

Move. Get up, sit down, stretch.

Use your other hand to work the computer mouse.

Stand on tip-toes at the copier. If your doctor says it’s ok, arch your back against your chair back, or rotate your neck and head gently.

You’re working hard, it’s natural to need to stretch!

Use the stairs if practical. Walk around the building.

Breathe, breathe, breathe.

Ten minutes of any kind of exercise is usually a doable minimum building block of time.

If someone looks at you funny because the first few steps you take after getting up off your chair are sluggish, jokingly tell them you’re getting old(er), but gonna keep moving.

People will understand. There are some nice things about getting old(er).

Expectations are more relaxed. Enjoyable. Doable.

Bathroom Breaks and Other Such Things

Seniors as a group are among the most dependable workers an employer can have. And we may seem slower (and are in some things ) but there’s good reasons for that, and good trade-offs from that.

In exchange, leeway usually needs to be made for us needing things more usual for our age.

Going to the bathroom. Needing more sips of water. More (good) snacks. Pacing.

When I have a new person watching over my work, I try to always let them know I’ll be taking frequent bathroom breaks. Don’t suffer for needing to do something that is natural.

I found this well put thought on a site page at Home Care Assistance via my google search above:

“Bathroom breaks are a must of seniors. Depending on the way in which you are traveling, allow a number of breaks. However, restricting the amount of fluid intake is not the answer to decreasing their number of bathroom breaks. Doing this can cause a urinary tract infection.” (emphasis mine)

As we age, our thirst sensors are not what they used to be. We should sip regularly.

Again, let people around you at work that need to know, know.

Transportation

If you haven’t driven today’s roads in awhile, be prepared for people who think they’re driving bumper cars, people who swear they have no problem texting (head down of course) and navigating a two ton vehicle beside you, and people think they’re leaving late is justification for you to know they need to get by, now.

Trains and buses can quickly become an alternative transportation choice under these circumstances!

Even here in Austin, which doesn’t even have an adequate freeway system (vs Houston, Dallas, etc), now has a pretty decent commuter train, and is developing something they call a MetroRapid system for 2014.

I hear of some folks carpooling successfully.

Anything that cuts the stress of driving in endless daily traffic is worth checking out.

I’ve taken the rail here in Austin a few times, and enjoy the time to read, look out the window, daydream, and let my body relax.

Try some things out, see what works.

ps – I gave up a long ago dream of riding a motorcycle or scooter to work.

Lack of Free Time

If you haven’t worked full time in awhile, the gutting of your free time, and your exhaustion after work, will shock you.

Be prepared to choose what you will have time to do, what means most for you to be still be able to do, and what you need to do.

Experiment for the answer.

It took me two and a half weeks to figure out what time to get up that allowed me to function at a full time job at the level I could be both proud of, and comfortable with.

Then another week to realize what time I needed to go to sleep to make all that happen from that end of the day.

Some things will have to be let go.

Most things you’ll be able to get back to when there’s more time.

And some things, don’t kid yourself, will forever drift away for another time…

This is really much harder than people younger would think it is for a senior. But a more restricted energy base to work from, and a longer recovery (sleep and rest) time needed, means being called at eight in the evening to go do a fun thing until ten or eleven that night, probably means either saying no, or suffering really badly for it the next day.

Tell them the truth. You’re getting old(er). And smile.

They’ll understand. Sorta.

Sleep

Cut yourself short here at your own probable intense discomfort.

Sleep is the secret weapon of babies and older folk.

Sleep is not an option. It’s a necessity.

Who knows, you might wake up in a yoga pose.

And with that I leave you for my own rest. Thank you much. Good night all.

***

Before I return to my full time temp job that resumes next week, I’ll be doing one more fitness slanted posts before also returning to my Paris Photo series.

I still have 4 1/2 weeks of photos detailing our recent stay in Paris.

But I wanted to finish this short three post set before my time is more constrained again.

Luckily I enjoy my full time temp work. And it’s seasonal. So like the trees and squirrels, I know I’ll get my time to spread my branches and scamper along tree tops soon enough again.

***

blessings everyone

namaste´- con dios – god be with you

101 Sports Poems – Original Poetry

***

***

INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

Paris in 5 1/2 Weeks : Photos # 8 – At the Eiffel Tower (Day 7, 2 of 2) (felipeadanlerma.com)
Oprah Discusses Joys of Getting Older + 5 Other Celebs Who Are Aging Gracefully (myhoustonmajic.com)
The Indie Spotlight : “The Old American Artist, a Love Story” (felipeadanlerma.com)
PhotoPoem: “Passages in Moments”

Tags: Aging, Aging Gracefully, Fitness, National Motivation & Inspiration Day, Senior Fitness, Seniors, Sleep, Ten Minute Exercises, Top Posts

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Aging Gracefully, Austin, Bio Updates, Felipe Adan Lerma, Fitness, Fitness Area, Seniors, Yoga-Adan

Aging Gracefully into 62, Part 1 – Back to Fitness

18 Apr

Nice Thing 'Bout Getting Old(er) - Articles, Reviews, Creativity

Click for Listing

Aging Gracefully into 62, Part 1 – Back to Fitness

About moving from Vermont back to Texas, getting ill, and beginning to recover. Yes, it’s a process.

Pictured to the left, “Nice Thing ‘Bout Getting Older”

Available FREE at most online retail outlets.

***

“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

***

Site Areas

Fitness ** Arts ** eBooks

***

Back to Fitness

Adan Getting Coffee, ill, January

Three Weeks Later, Getting Better

I hadn’t realized how badly I had slipped in my health until I saw the picture my wife took of me at a Starbucks near our place in Austin. Very different from the feeling I had of my health when we had first arrived in Paris (our detour via Vermont to Texas).

But more seriously, I remember thinking, though I was 62, it was the first time I had actually felt the way I had imagined being old might be if I didn’t take care of myself. Scary.

Besides fatigue from seemingly endless problems with our move (furnishings, our car, securing a location, cable, getting new phones, long plane rides ) being away from Central Texas allergies for nearly three years left me unprepared, with convenient memory loss, for the impact of sniffing this much pollen every day.

As this article says, “Austin is usually rated in the top 5 worst places for allergies…Austin is unique in having 3 distinct pollen seasons.”

I started with my (from childhood growing up in Houston) trademark “enhanced” congestion, developed the not too frequent sinus infection, followed by a rarer upper respiratory infection.

I was sick. Missed Paris. But worse -

Hadn’t exercised regularly as accustomed in Vermont, where I taught 3-5 senior fitness classes a week through the Burlington Y, since we had left Vermont.

As you can see, from the right side picture, three weeks after getting immediate expert doctor’s care, I was better. Not good. But at least functional.

My wife Sheila had also gotten very ill, and together we forced ourselves to begin where we had begun. With ten minute and partial sets from our go-to fitness DVDs from years before: Stronger Seniors and Denise Austin. Sheila has also been able to get regular SilverSneakers classes at a nearby Gold’s Gym.

***

Getting Back to October Levels

Adan on Trampoline, Krause Springs, March

About a month ago, I finally was able to, for a short quick photo, climb onto a trampoline and pretend to be able to stay in it. Luckily I had help getting off before I flipped 180 degrees.

This was some beautiful grounds at Krause Springs out by Spicewood.

Our youngest girl was expecting her first child, and we’d gone out there with her in-laws and husband for some great bar-b-q.

I actually think, here in mid April, I’m in “fairly” good shape, but not at my preferred bantam weight senior class level.

But I’m not “too” worried. I have a secret.

Sheila and I had trained and became fitness instructor certified (about nine months of study) and we had learned a lot!

One extremely important item, among a very many, was that once we (people in general) learn something physically, a memory is created in our systems. Like riding a bicycle after a long period.

In other words, the return back to fitness, is shorter and on a known road compared to before.

***

Keeping the Engine at Least on Idle

This is very important. Yeah. I know. What isn’t?

But keeping the engine of interest in one’s life, well, alive, is paramount.

If you are unable to exercise for a long period, very ill, in a long recovery, or any of the myriad things we get to experience in life, find those pockets of interest that will keep you curious and wanting to do more.

Don’t be embarrassed about whatever it is.

Love of grandkids. TV shows. Reading. Painting.

And hey, daydreaming is, as they say, vastly underrated!

For me, it was continuing to work on my new fiction work set in Paris where we had just traveled from.

And coming up with the idea of a long term blog post series of Paris Photos.

Then, as I gradually recovered my strength and my health, being able to visit and be with more of family again.

Luckily for me Sheila and I partnered the effort.

***

The After-Snack I Found I Need

As we very slowly began exercising more regularly, one of the most surprising things I had learned when we became certified via AFAA, was the body’s need for fuel to rebuild, especially the first 30 minutes after a workout.

I found this to be a good Google search starting point for when to eat after exercise.

***

Ten Minutes:

My Own Most Important Fitness Reminder Tip at this Time

Of all the tips and necessary information and pointers and reminders, this was the most important for me, and, as Sheila and I taught our senior classes, for most of our class participants.

Why?

Because ten minutes is not just a convenient time frame for mini workouts on DVDs, it’s a building block of time for our bodies.

One ten minute block of time is good. Three of them, continuous or distributed through a day, is even better.

Plus, it is a short enough stretch of time it can be fit into almost anybody’s day.

And the more conscientiously and with awareness that ten minutes is practiced, the more effective it is.

And, it is a short enough time that if one is really having trouble getting going, where just moving is an exertion, and believe me, I’ve been there! then getting to where one can do ten minutes of continuous movement is a fantastic goal! Don’t let anyone tell you different! Unless you want to.

There’s many things that are actually kinda nice about getting old(er) and one is that you can pace and enjoy being active, without needing to feel you are competing for a marathon or such.

***

Weights, Cardio, Yoga – Which First / When

SilverSneakers has a really comprehensive training program for its seniors classes instructors, and Sheila and I were fortunate to have gone to three of them.

Because each component, strength, cardio, and flexibility, are so important and so intertwined, one lending to the other in terms of enhancement, when people favor one over the other, which is natural, there tends to be excited discussions as to which is most important.

Basically, in my opinion, whichever you are least developed in, you should concentrate on until you feel you’ve reached a point of balance. Your doctor or medical adviser or trainer would be a good place to start. Your sense of well-being would be a good place to keep in mind.

What surprised me, because I favor both flexibility and cardio (especially dance) over strength training, is that, as per SilverSneakers, if one is totally de-conditioned, often for any number of valid or life stressing reasons, then regaining and maintaining the strength to move, is most important.

With sufficient strength, one can move more safely and more enjoyably. With sufficient strength, stretches can be enjoyed and enhanced because the opposite muscle system in our body can stabilize us so we can stretch, so we can line dance and do some foxy shuffle moves.

And you can begin with a goal of ten minutes increments.

***

New Website Name, Same Guy

For those folks who have seen my fitness articles in the past, I have changed my website’s name from Yoga-Adan to my full name, Felipe Adan Lerma.

I’ve always envisioned my site as an integrative effort on my part about the main things that interest me: the arts, fitness, yoga, family; and naming my site after myself seemed to the right thing to do.

***

I’ll be doing two more fitness slanted posts before returning to my Paris Photo series.

I too, I know too well have to maintain the balance that is me.

***

blessings everyone

namaste´- con dios – god be with you

Author of “101 Sports Poems”

***

“Aging Gracefully” – Original Inspirational Poetry

***

Other “Aging Gracefully” Related Links

Aging Gracefully into Mother’s Day – Original Poetry by Felipe Adan Lerma

Himalayan Institute : “Aging Gracefully” : An Article for All Ages – Review

Press Release – “Nice Thing ‘Bout Getting Old(er)” – Articles, Reviews, & Creativity in Aging

Aging Gracefully into 62, Part 1 – Back to Fitness

Aging Gracefully into 62, Part 2 – Returning to Work as a Senior

Aging Gracefully into 62, Part 3 – Breathing, the Nano Stretch with Mucho Effect (in progress)

***

INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

Follow this link : https://safeandwell.communityos.org/cms/index.php

The Indie Spotlight : “The Children”
Aging Gracefully into Mother’s Day – Original Poetry by Felipe Adan Lerma (felipeadanlerma.com)
If Moms Were… – Original Poetry by Felipe Adan Lerma (felipeadanlerma.com)

Tags: Aging Gracefully, Denise Austin, Fitness, Muscle Memory, National Senior Health & Fitness Day, Popular Posts, Senior Fitness, Seniors, SilverSneakers, Stronger Seniors, Ten Minute Exercises

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Categories Aging Gracefully, Austin, Bio Updates, Felipe Adan Lerma, Fitness, Fitness Area, Popular Posts, Seniors, Yoga-Adan

Austin Texas : PhotoPoem # 5 – Birds in the Bath

16 Apr

Click for Full Size

Paris : Fiction and Images, a New Series of Each

Pictured Left : New – Slumming in Paris, Part One, Arthur & Gricinda.

A fun novella. A young couple with a little time before their two children and the children’s four young cousins all arrive to join them in Paris (Parts Two & Three).

The images in this series of posts of Paris photos, are a record of the visual experience that provides part of the inspiration for my series of Paris based family novels.

***

“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

***

Site Areas

Fitness ** Arts ** eBooks

***

Austin Texas : PhotoPoem # 5

Birds in the Bath

Linked to dVersePoets Open Link Night # 92 Hosted by Claudia

With a prayer that good, from all peoples, will continue to battle the insanity of needless violence on our planet.

American Red Cross Safe & Well Site

From this site:

“After a disaster, letting your family and friends know that you are safe and well can bring your loved ones great peace of mind. This website is designed to help make that communication easier.”

Birds in Austin by Palmer Auditorium (cropped)

Birds in the Bath

Winter rains

Spring rains

Rains in Paris and in Austin

The same rains wet with earth made

to moisture.

The birds don’t care.

The water is the same, all good to them.

It doesn’t matter the season or the place.

And the people passing smiling by them

in Paris and in Austin

are like them.

They don’t care either.

The birds are all the same, all good to them.

Rinsing off the muddy differences

mad men try to make

on our Earth.

***

Birds in Austin by Palmer Auditorium

Image

I very recently, in my Paris Photo series, posted some images of birds bathing in a puddle by the Eiffel Tower, and kept thinking and feeling the similarity to birds just about everywhere I’ve been blessed to go on this Earth.

And though not that many places, enough to feel that particular connection.

Then I remembered I had taken some pictures of birds bathing just a few weeks earlier here in Austin, and couldn’t resist posting a poem for it, and showing the photos.

This was taken just a walk down from our apartment, in a green area between Palmer Events Center and Lady Bird Lake. Palmer is a reconstructed use of an old auditorium where Sheila and I did almost all our Austin art and craft shows when we were personalizing and selling our poetry to the public back in the 90s.

If you get a chance take a look at the Paris birds bathing by the Eiffel Tower.

namaste´- con dios – god be with you

***

Adan in Stowe, Autumn

*** INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

Paris in 5 1/2 Weeks : Photos # 8 – At the Eiffel Tower (Day 7, 2 of 2) (felipeadanlerma.com)
Header # 15 – Early Spring Austin Texas (Photography, PhotoPoem) (felipeadanlerma.com)
Happy Baby Pose (Ananda Balasana) – Original Yoga Poetry (felipeadanlerma.com)

Tags: Austin Texas, Birds, dVersePoets OpenLinkNight, Felipe Adan Lerma, Nature, Photopoems

Comments 10 Comments
Categories Arts, Arts Area, Austin, Birds, dVersepoets, Felipe Adan Lerma, Humor, inspirational poetry, Photo-Poem, photography, poetry

Header # 15 – Early Spring Austin Texas (Photography, PhotoPoem)

17 Mar

***

Header # 15 – Early Spring Austin Texas

Image & Commentary.

***

Pictured, “PhotoPoems, Book One“

Seven volumes of Vermont photos, each with a short original inspirational verse.

***

“a beginner’s view: the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

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Header # 15 – Early Spring Austin Texas

Photography Header

Category : Header Art

Early Spring Header Austin Texas

With record heat starting to flirt with the stats on a regular basis spring, which had begun to spring, has leaped out in full bloom

these were tiny little sprouts along a corner of the backyard and have now officially taken over!

which is fine with us, we like them

happy spring everyone!

adan

***

namaste´- con dios – god be with you

Adan at Thompson Park Bridge Vermont

*** INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

Header # 14 – Birds in a Tree, Winter Austin (Photography, PhotoPoem) (felipeadanlerma.com)
Austin Texas : PhotoPoem # 3 : “Distant Goals” (felipeadanlerma.com)
Header # 12 – Mid Autumn, Vermont 2012 (Photography, PhotoPoem) (felipeadanlerma.com)
Paris in 5 1/2 Weeks : Fiction and Images, a New Series of Each (felipeadanlerma.com)
Austin Texas : PhotoPoem # 1 : “New Years Eve 2012, New Years Day 2013″ (felipeadanlerma.com)
The Indie Spotlight : “The Children” (yoga-adan.com)

Tags: Blog Header, early spring florals, National Photography Month, Nature, photo header

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Arts, Arts Area, Austin, Felipe Adan Lerma, header art, photography, Texas

Paris in 5 1/2 Weeks : Fiction and Images, a New Series of Each

11 Mar

Click for Full Size

Paris : Fiction and Images, a New Series of Each

Pictured Left : New – Slumming in Paris, Part One, Arthur & Gricinda.

A fun novella. A young couple with a little time before their two children and the children’s four young cousins all arrive to join them in Paris (Parts Two & Three).

***

“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

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Paris : Fiction and Images, a New Series of Each

Slumming in Paris Part One, Arthur & Gricinda
© Felipe Adan Lerma all art work, photography & design

Categories : Paris, Paris Photos, Paris PhotoPoems

Intro

on december 10th of last year (2012), I wrote the following at the end of a paris photopoem post :

Paris, We’re Leaving, Sorta

how can i say goodbye to paris?

though i don’t know and can’t say when and if i will be back, it will forever pull me to come back to this beautiful city

thus the post’s title, until i see you again au revoir!

best wishes - meilleurs vœux!

adan

well, i can’t say i’m back in paris but i can say i can no longer resist focusing on it

i haven’t been very successful ignoring the city of light anyway

so i’m back with a new paris series for the blog

i think you’ll like it

Paris in 5 1/2 Weeks

refers to how long sheila and i were in paris

this new envisioned project, detailed more below, is gonna take a bit longer to set out

Paris Photos

each week, once, twice, or more, i will begin posting the first of a collection of hundreds of photos taken in paris

i will soon have to be spending a large amount of time doing some other chores, so i have no real idea how much time i’ll have, but my goal is to post at least once, and hopefully twice a week, with about five photos, say something about the images, our time in paris then, and hopefully a link or two for more info

the images will be presented in the order they were taken

that means motifs will appear, location shots will re-appear, and often a range of day and night shots will be shown, but over time, 5 1/2 weeks thus the title of this series

Paris Fiction

at the same time, i am releasing my newest fiction, “Slumming in Paris, Part One, Arthur & Gricinda”

i’ll have more information about this as the photo series moves along (it’s gonna take awhile!)

right now i can say it’s a novella, approx 20,000 words, and is available for $2.99

and fun to read

of course the description page (plus the forward visible in the book’s preview at each site) on amazon, barnes & noble, itunes, kobo, and smashwords will say a lot more (as each becomes available)

***

Sneak Peak

Night Life in Paris
Click for Larger Image

to be fair and honest, this is our only “night life” photo, we were usually too sleepy to go out past a certain time

but there’ll be lots more night photos of places we did get to!

take care everyone

***

Austin Texas : PhotoPoem # 3 : “Distant Goals”

6 Feb

Bird in a Budding Tree – Photography © Felipe Adan Lerma

Austin Texas PhotoPoems Series, #3 :

“Distant Goals”

Photopoem and Commentary.

***

“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…” ***

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Austin Texas : PhotoPoem # 3 :

“Distant Goals”

Bird in a Budding Tree – Photography © Felipe Adan Lerma

***

“Distant Goals”

i spied the tiny bird high atop a twig branch pregnant with april buds in february

second hand

my wife had to finger-point it to me several times

before I differentiated it from the same-brown colors of left-over leaves from fall

though, i need to add, i could hear its insistent chirp-call, like a favorite song on a jukebox

played too loud

for the speakers, or listeners

i guess, seeing the plump brown buds all around itself, it too, like me, sensed that spring and leaves, and other birds, would soon be thick among fresh light green leaves with textures so fragile a wind might tear them

at least now i know why I sometimes sound like the speakers inside my head are

also

too loud

the once distant goal of a new spring in my life

is very near

linked to dVersePoets OpenLinkNight Week 82 -

hosted by grace, aka heaven, hosting, as she says in her prompt, “for today’s sharing of our words, whether in final ‘perfect’ form or a work-in-progress…”

Getting Back to Healthy – Yes, It’s a Process

speaking of work in progress, last posting, i said this below :

going from teaching 2 to 5 fitness classes per week, through to the end of oct last year, then traveling to stowe, paris, houston, and back here in austin, even with doing daily walks, and intermittent chair based exercise sets, plus getting sick! has left sheila and myself at a point where, resuming a more daily chair based routine, and including weights, elastic bands, etc, has been a reminder how much the body needs to be worked to stay in fluid enjoyable order

my next post, barring the usual unknowns, is to do a fitness review -

as much for sheila and myself as anyone interested

stay healthy and happy everyone!

adan

well, i haven’t given up, and am taking my time with it, as it is an important post for, with pics showing how i had deteriorated due to illness and lack of physical activity i had been used to for, well, decades

the good news, as i have said in classes for ages, ie, the few years i’ve taught classes , the path back to fitness, once one has regained or stayed fit, is much much quicker than the initial work

memory, both body and mental memory play huge parts in that, but i think, when those body and mental memories are keyed, the emotional memories of being more fit, doing movement that is enjoyable and healthy, is even more powerful

so, hopefully, again, soon i’ll have my new fitness post, my first in a very long time

this time with the extra layer of experience of falling out of fitness, ever so slowly , over several months, and (beginning) to come back

stay well everyone, take care!

adan

New Website Name : Felipe Adan Lerma

oh, though i’m not ready yet (time constraints and other commitments) i’ll do a post relatively soon on my site’s url name change to my full name

all links from yoga-adan will still work (or should!)

so more on this in time also

adan

***

Each Vol 1 of These Four Series FREE

at Participating Outlets

Click Image for Listings

***

Adan Lerma blessings everyone

namaste´- con dios – god be with you

***

***

***

*** INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

linked to dVersePoets OpenLinkNight Week 80 -

The Indie Spotlight : “The Children”
New Short Story Set in Austin: “The Children (Shorts) The Concert”
Header # 14 – Birds in a Tree, Winter Austin (Photography, PhotoPoem)
PhotoPoem: “Passages in Moments” (felipeadanlerma.com)
Austin Texas : PhotoPoem # 2 : “Birds in a Winter Tree” (felipeadanlerma.com)
Paris : PhotoPoem # 5 : “The Tuileries” With Photo-Essay (felipeadanlerma.com)

Tags: Austin Texas, Birds, Health, perspective of age, Photography, Photopoems, winter trees

Comments 4 Comments
Categories Arts Area, Austin, Austin PhotoPoems, Birds, dVersepoets, Felipe Adan Lerma, Fitness Area, Photo-Poem, photography, poetry

Austin Texas : PhotoPoem # 2 : “Birds in a Winter Tree”

22 Jan

Birds in Winter Tree
Photography © Felipe Adan Lerma

Austin Texas PhotoPoems Series, #2 :

“Birds in a Winter Tree”

Photopoem and Commentary.

***

“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…” ***

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Austin Texas : PhotoPoem # 2 :

“Birds in a Winter Tree”

Birds in Winter Tree
Photography © Felipe Adan Lerma

***

“A New Winter in an Old Winter Haunt”

the black raven-winged bird, still plump

from the past seasons’ fullness

nipped at the winter twigs

remembering

knobs and nubs and where

a favored berry

once grew

the other birds nearby, not nearly

as plump, not nearly as

knowing

of where treasures of thrown trash -

barely eaten burgers, a few

fries

were hidden, but easily found

nipped at every change of light on each branch

the old bird chuckled and cawed quietly

if they ask, he thought, i’ll tell them

if not, they’ll find their own

that’s what he did

though he

nearly starved that one winter

until the walking creatures opened a new

taco stand nearby -

yes, he thought, nature provides….

hosted by stalwart, brian miller who reminds us, “Inspiration is all around us, just waiting to be noticed” and gives a snapshot of his past few days with his family as examples, a nice read in itself

Getting Back to Healthy – Yes, It’s a Process

my next post, barring the usual unknowns, is to do a fitness review -

as much for sheila and myself as anyone interested

stay healthy and happy everyone!

adan

***

Each Vol 1 of These Four Series FREE

at Participating Outlets

Click Image for Listings

***

Adan Lerma blessings everyone

namaste´- con dios – god be with you

***

***

***

*** INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

Tags: Austin Texas, Birds, perspective of age, Photography, Photopoems, winter trees

Comments 12 Comments
Categories Arts Area, Austin, Austin PhotoPoems, Birds, dVersepoets, Felipe Adan Lerma, Photo-Poem, photography, poetry

New Short Story Set in Austin: “The Children (Shorts) The Concert”

20 Jan

The Children (Shorts) The Concert

New Short Story Set in Austin, Texas: “The Children (Shorts) The Concert”

Available for only 99¢

Prequel short story to the novel, “The Children.”

***

“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

***

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New Short Story Set in Austin:

“The Children (Shorts) The Concert”

The Children (Shorts) The Concert

***

First Prequel in “The Children” series

this is an extra fun thing i’ve come across to do, write short stories to go with my novels

the key for me at this time is to tie in the stories to existing or upcoming novels

since most of my new fictional work features the extended family first introduced in my novel, “the children,” it felt right to do some short stories that presented background of interest about the characters

“the children” itself is a series of novels, with a second novel nearly 2/3′s written, and a third in the outline stage

“the children (shorts)” will be a series of short stories with the same cast of young characters

this first short, “the concert” is set in austin, and is a fun quick read

i hope you’ll try it and enjoy

***

Traveling, Paris, Austin, Vermont, Galveston, Houston and Interactions

one of my main concerns, on returning to austin, after a year and a half both in galveston, then in vermont, followed by over a month in paris, was what, if anything, would be new to me coming back to austin

certainly the only thing that’s changed about the heat and traffic, is they’ve intensified ;-)

what is new though, is having a comparative base

where as i’ve always had somewhat of a true distinction, between growing up in houston, and living in galveston and austin a nearly 18 years each, they were still texas, still hot most the year, and still places i had seen change and grow as i myself got older

ie, they were familiar and similar, even if with very distinct differences i could differentiate, write about, and do different imagery about

but now, with a nice amount of time in vermont, and a lingering touch of time in paris, i have real comparisons within me

it will be interesting, both in my writing and my image work, to see how i position the more endearing aspects of all these locations

this short story, “the concert” lets me bring some of the early excitement of being in austin to light, via the young eyes of the characters in this short

adan

***

Location Urls for “The Children (Shorts) The Concert”

in progress : itunes, google books

***

Each Vol 1 of These Four Series FREE

at Participating Outlets

Click Image for Listings

***

Adan Lerma blessings everyone

namaste´- con dios – god be with you

***

***

***

*** INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

Tags: Austin Texas, Children, E-book, Family Fiction, Music, Short story

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Arts Area, Austin, eBook Area, Felipe Adan Lerma, Fiction, Fiction, music, Paris, Short Story, YA Fiction

Header # 14 – Birds in a Tree, Winter Austin (Photography, PhotoPoem)

12 Jan

***

Header # 14 – Birds in a Tree, Winter Austin

Image & Commentary.

***

Pictured, “PhotoPoems, Book One“

Seven volumes of Vermont photos, each with a short original inspirational verse.

***

“a beginner’s view: the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

Site Areas

Fitness ** Arts ** eBooks

***

Header # 14 – Birds in a Tree, Winter Austin

Photography Header

typically, when i post about a new header, i also post the original image

this time, because i plan to use the full image in a photopoem, i’ll skip that til then

also, yes i did have another header recently, that i didn’t do a header post on, my happy new year from austin 2013 header, but it was a quick momentary upload just to have something for new years and arriving in austin

close to where we’re staying in austin, near the area of barton springs rd and south first, tons of birds hang out, on the wires, around the temporary food courts serviced by food trucks (something austin has done really well developing i think), and of course in trees

this shot is almost on riverside drive, between the long center for the performing arts, and lady bird (town) lake

but one can spot these critters flitting around almost everywhere people hand out and might drop food

we’re still very much struggling, recovering from i guess, a very bad bug strain that our tired systems coping with the onslaught of forgotten allergies finally succumbed to -

so stay healthy everyone, i wish us all the best!

adan

***

Each Vol 1 of These Four Series FREE

at Participating Outlets

Click Image for Listings

***

Adan Lerma blessings everyone

namaste´- con dios – god be with you

***

***

***

eBook Page – All Available Titles - Plus my Author Pages at various ebook outlets.

*** INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

The Indie Spotlight : “The Children”
“My Poetry” – Original Poems by Felipe Adan Lerma (yoga-adan.com)
Austin Texas : PhotoPoem # 1 : “New Years Eve 2012, New Years Day 2013″ (yoga-adan.com)
Header # 13 – Paris, Notre Dame Quai (Photography, PhotoPoem) (yoga-adan.com)

Tags: Felipe Adan Lerma, Nature, Notre Dame, Notre Dame Quai, Paris, Photography, Photopoems, travel

Comments 4 Comments
Categories Arts Area, Austin, Bio Updates, Birds, Felipe Adan Lerma, header art, photography, Texas, Yoga-Adan

Austin Texas : PhotoPoem # 1 : “New Years Eve 2012, New Years Day 2013″

1 Jan

Austin Texas PhotoPoems Series, #1 ”New Years Eve 2012, New Years Day 2013″

Pictured Left : New – Box Sets page on this site.

Variety of original topics : Poetry, Fiction, and Images.

***

“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

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Austin Texas : PhotoPoem # 1 :

“New Years Eve 2012, New Years Day 2013″

Small Trail in the Big City
© Felipe Adan Lerma

***

“Finding the New in the Old Homestead”

we left texas two years ago, the

flat coastal plain around galveston

the rough and rolly hills and

byways in austin -

ventured

out

onto the mountains and snows of

vermont

then left there also

to the

wonders of paris -

what could we possibly find new in austin texas?

that is our challenge, and we gladly

accept it

bridge walks reminding us of tiny

cobblestone streets in paris

and tucked away paths

in the woods

of vermont

friends, old and young

2000 and 8000 miles away

so much like friends

now

2 and 8 blocks

away

the differences and connections

more than the newest

place to eat

are bringing us our new year

linked to dVersePoets OpenLinkNight Week 77 – happy new year!! – hosted by dear Claudia

Austin, We’ve Back!

a quick post to say we’re back in the U.S.A.!

still waiting to move into a set place, have our vermont things sent to us, and hopefully next week have our internet etc set up

i picked this image cause it reminded me of my paris post about small streets, big treats -

this is the pedestrian walk that runs along an extremely busy river crossing bridge in austin (among many), the First Street Bridge -

and this is about an hour and a half before the new year’s fireworks

we went back to our room shortly after this shot and watched the display from our room at an extended stay, but we got a nice first-night-out walk, and re-acquaintance with austin

hopefully, my mid jan, i’ll be up and running, have our furniture and things, and begin to settle down

best wishes ya’ll

and the best of new years!

adan

***

Each Vol 1 of These Four Series FREE

at Participating Outlets

Click Image for Listings

***

Adan Lerma blessings everyone

namaste´- con dios – god be with you

***

***

***

*** INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

Tags: architecture, Austin Texas, New Year's Eve, Photography, Photopoems, travel

Comments 12 Comments
Categories Arts Area, Austin, Austin PhotoPoems, Felipe Adan Lerma, Photo-Poem, photography, poetry

Texas to Vermont – Finishing Up, On to Paris, then Back to Texas

5 Nov

Variety of original topics : Poetry, Fiction, and Images.

***

“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

***

“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

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Texas to Vermont - Finishing Up, On to Paris, then Back to Texas

***

the variations are our breathing into our words the nuances of our life

Assumptions

Little River Along Mountain Road in Stowe Area

in the almost year and a half my wife and i have been in vermont, being able to visit and be near her family, where she was born and grew up, all the way to graduating from the university of vermont, we have wavered between leaving immediately , staying longer, and leaving as planned, around this time, but not sure exactly to where we would go next

in that time, our assumptions of what we’ve wanted / needed / should do, have also changed and fluxed, morphed and grown, tweaked and clarified

we finally settled on going back to texas, at least for the holidays, then finally doing a life long dream plan of staying in paris for a month or more, and enjoying that fantasy on at least on a more leisurely level

with news that our youngest girl was expecting her first child, we flipped those plans to going to paris first, then texas, ready to greet the newest grandchild

at this time, that plan seems to be holding

below, then, is an update on my texas to vermont series of posts, possibly my last one, with a wrap-up and expectations regarding fitness and the arts

***

On to Paris

Sheila Taking Tourists’ Pictures in Paris, circa 2002

first, once we reach our new exit-from-vermont flight date, due to hurricane sandy, we’re off to paris as originally planned

i have to say though, our week-long delay here at the sun & ski inn has put us into what so far has been the best place to recover from the work we went through leaving our apartment (cleaning and packing etc, seems much tougher the older we get ) – the image above is the view from our sliding doors at the back of our unit

we’ve had secure for paris what promises to be a nice way to spend an extended time of about five weeks during the non-tourist season – more on that once we’re there

we’ll of course have pictures, and i’ll start a new photopoem series, much like the ones i have for vermont and the birds in galveston, something i look fwd to doing at least weekly

Seine & Eiffel Tower, circa 2002 - © Felipe Adan Lerma

***

Back to Texas

Sheila by Hike & Bike Austin Texas ’05

before the christmas holidays we’ll be headed back to texas for a year or more, or good, who knows

it’ll have been the longest i’ve been away from my home state, and three years since we’ve lived in austin (with our 1 1/2 year stay in galveston)

burlington, many people who live here have told me, is the miniature northern version of austin, with its culture, energy, music, good eats, hills, and nearby water -

flip the longish summers in austin with the equal length longish winters in burlington, grace away the over one and a half million population difference, and yes, i’d have to agree, incredibly and often, pleasantly true

Under Lamar Street Bridge, 4th of July '05

***

Photo Poems

it appears i’ll mostly be posting photopoems for the near term -

they combine the visual and written arts, and for me are fun things to do

besides numerous stand-alone photopoems, many written for prompts from dVersePoets, I currently have two series, though the latter, the bird series, are really photos with captions – they were my pre-runner to my current photopoem format

the other set, the vermont photopoem series, is a more fully developed idea of what i like to do for now – it lets me present an image (which i have fun choosing and working up) and a short verse (that i enjoy tying to what the image compels from me)

once in paris, i fully hope to start a new thread, the paris photopoems series

i do want to mention that, besides prompts from dVersePoets, the first impetus to think of combining my own image and verse in its current form, came from a photopoem by jomul, who has an interesting site i’d recommend browsing

***

Fitness Classes

Adan + 40 Lbs with Sheila on Bike Path, Austin Texas ’05 :
Did I Mention I Didn’t Get Fit (again) Until 2008?

i’d often wondered how i could better motivate my fellow seniors in the classes sheila and i teach, that they too could improve from what ever fitness level they were at, if they wished -

i should have had and shown them this picture maybe still will

and this post certainly can

i even was wearing my 100 club exercise t-shirt!! it’s hilarious!

and more so ’cause the way to fitness is NOT just exercise (attentive movement), NOT just diet (sensible eating), but breathing, consistency, persistence, habit – did i mention i had a good partner? yeah, that too

but to my senior classes here in vermont, those through the The Y, both the early morning aerobics jazzing line-dancing ladies, but also the chair based gonna do it afternoon seniors – my deepest sincerest thank you !!!

sheila and i will see what we see once we’re back in texas, fitness class teaching wise, but we’ll always miss these great folks

Adan by Little River, Stowe Vermont 2012
With My Hands Where My Belly Used to Go To

***

Last Word – Won’t Be Able to Respond to Comments for a Bit

i’m posting this the day before we leave our temporary lodging because i’ll likely not have internet to respond easily for 2-3 days, depending on where i can get wifi in paris

but i will get back to everyone, so take care, blessings

namaste – con dios – god be with you

***

The Old American Artist, a Love Story

15 Aug

***

Pictured Left, “The Old American Artist, a Love Story” – First of Series

A romance and an artist’s story, how could it not be a love story?

Also now being priced at FREE at participating outlets. Please see link above.

***

Pictured Right, Second in series, “Rosetta” now available!

***

“a beginner’s view: the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

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The Old American Artist, a Love Story

Available FREE at Participating Outlets

Listings : Rosetta

Listings : The Old American Artist, a Love Story

***

Adan Lerma blessings everyone

namaste´- con dios – god be with you

***

***

***

My Ad – But It’s For Free Stuff

Each Vol 1 of These Four Series FREE

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Kind Words of Constructive Reviews are HUGELY Appreciated

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INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

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Meeting the Bar: Impressionistic writing (dversepoets.com)
dVerse Poets Pub : Open Link Night, One Year Anniversary Week, Monet’s Garden in Giverny (yoga-adan.com)
The Indie Spotlight : “The Old American Artist, a Love Story”
dVersepoets dVerse Poetics–Sculpting a Poem, “The Shape of Gratitude”
My First Interview! Poetry & Writing – With Neelthemuse (yoga-adan.com)
I’m a WHAT Kind of Writer! Romance? – Part 3 (yoga-adan.com)

Tags: A Love Story, Aging, Art Novel, Artist, Felipe Adan Lerma, Free Book, Impressionism, Life Cycle, Romance novel, Seniors, The Old American Artist

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Categories Arts, Arts Area, eBook Area, Felipe Adan Lerma, Fiction, Fitness, Free Book, paintings, Romance, Seniors, Teaching, Texas, Texas to Vermont, Vermont

I’m a WHAT Kind of Writer! Romance? – Part 1

4 Jul

***

Pictured : “2 Stories, a Poem, & a Sampler (fiction)” and “The Old American Artist, a Love Story.”

An Anthology of two fiction stories and a love poem, from 1981, plus a four chapter sampler from my first new fiction in over thirty years, “The Old American Artist, a Love Story.” – FREE at participating outlets.

plus…

A romance and an artist’s story, how could it not be a love story?

We all love a story that shows how a loving pair, meeting obstacles in life, overcome that challenge, and resolve to love each other. But what happens during the “lived happily ever after” part? What are the details, what might the process be, achieving and living that post-crisis life?

This arc, from boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy regains girl, morphs, in this first of three books, in the trilogy Triptych, into that fuller story of life, and love.

***

“a beginner’s view: the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

Note: Not sure what happened, but this post disappeared from my site, so I am reposting. It was originally posted on July 02, 2012. Thanks ya’ll.

Site Areas

Fitness ** Arts ** eBooks

I’m a WHAT Kind of Writer! Romance?

***

It’s Been Awhile

Sheila’s Knee Replacement

goodness it’s been awhile since i’ve posted to my blog, shame on me, but only a little bit

many know i’ve been helping my wife with her recovery from full knee replacement surgery

my blog motto includes the phrase, “it’s a process…” and if anything, it applies just as much if not more to rebuilding a major weight-bearing mobile joint such as the knee!

but the process is continuing, and sheila is making remarkable, if painful, progress -

more of her challenge comes from pulling back enough to get enough recovery so she can continue without getting so tired and pained…

but as anyone who’s gotten back in shape or done a physical recovery like sheila is doing, determining when to push and when to rest, is a tricky twangy jittery kind of line that changes each day and more often each part of the day

so all in all, huge recognition to her for her very determined work and progress

Teaching

in addition, i’ve been fortunate enough to be called to sub for quite a few other senior classes with the Y plus my two regular seniors classes

teaching up to 3x my normal load of classes i’ve gotten the opportunity to meet new people and practice my own frequent suggestion that it’s best to warm up slowly and fully

i’ve gotten good opportunities to demo over-load fatigue, and how to ease into a routine so that, by a third of the way through, the muscles and movement are much smoother and enjoyable

eBooks

lastly, in-between, in moments, i’ve continued to create ebooks from my previous material -

plus create new material, including my first fiction in over thirty years!

this week i will post more on that latter development

***

Romance Writer? Me?!?!

Genres

first, i should address the title of this post, “I’m WHAT Kind of Writer! Romance?”

what brought that up to begin with is, in searching for which possible genres to categorize my new fiction work (novellas) with at online booksellers, i came across discussions of what qualifies as a “romance” – at least in terms of being a genre

those discussions led me to the association Romance Writers of America, located in my hometown of houston, texas

Romance Writers of America

Two basic elements comprise every romance novel: a central love story and an emotionally-satisfying and optimistic ending.

i thought over my past and current work, and except for places-specific and occupation-specific poetry, almost all my stories and much of my poetry, fit that description

poetry examples include “heart beats” written nearly 20 years ago and posted at the beginning of my blogging early last year, to “racing in exile on father’s day” written just a couple of weeks ago

do these poems have a central love story? yes, i think so

do these poems have an emotionally-satisfying and optimistic ending? ditto

and in storage, in houston of all places are several novels i wrote in the late 70s and early 80s, all somewhat or totally to do with a love interest relationship, though i’d have to re-read them to see if they had “an optimistic ending”

New Work & Old, “2 Stories, a Poem, & a Sampler (fiction)” – FREE at Participating Outlets

now i’ve come full circle back to those early fiction roots, compiling a new ebook, “2 shorts, a poem, & a sampler (fiction)” that shows two short stories, one of which i would very much consider a romance

my poetry example, in the same book above, is also a romance i believe, though i certainly didn’t think of it as such “way back then”

and included in the new ebook is a four chapter sampling from my new novella, which itself is the first of three novels of a series entitled, Triptych

***

First New Fiction in Over 30 Years!

“The Old American Artist, a Love Story”

New Novella, Cross Genre? Romance and Art

thus my newest fiction in quite awhile, “the old american artist, a love story” qualifies, i believe, at the very least, as a dual- or cross-genre romance

the short portion of my product description for this new work reads :

Short Blurb

A romance and an artist’s story, how could it not be a love story?

We all love a story that shows how a loving pair, meeting obstacles in life, overcome that challenge, and resolve to love each other. But what happens during the “lived happily ever after” part? What are the details, what might the process be, achieving and living that post-crisis life?

This arc, from boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy regains girl, morphs, in this first of three books, in the trilogy Triptych, into that fuller story of life, and love.

there’s much more of course, to the story, thus the “cross” or “dual” romance notation

new posts coming this week will detail this further, including with samples

***

This Week

beginning with today’s post, i will be uploading a small posting each day (or so), beginning with a bit more about the anthology book, “2 shorts, a poem, & a sampler (fiction)” -

then i’ll proceed by posting one of the four sample chapters each day, as a post, with short commentary, with more information about the novella and it’s planned arc as part of a trilogy

so with that, i wish all of us, myself and my wife included all the best

namaste – con dios – god be with you

***

Each Vol 1 of These Four Series FREE

at Participating Outlets

Click Image for Listings

***

I’m a WHAT Kind of Writer! Romance? – Part 3

4 Jul

***

Pictured, “The Old American Artist, a Love Story”

A romance and an artist’s story, how could it not be a love story?

This arc, from boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy regains girl, morphs, in this first of three books, in the trilogy Triptych, into that fuller story of life, and love.

***

“a beginner’s view: the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

Site Areas

Fitness ** Arts ** eBooks

I’m a WHAT Kind of Writer! Romance? – Part 3

Happy Fourth of July!

Celebration

my wife has still not been cleared to go out beyond the house yet since her knee replacement, but we watched the upper reaches of the fireworks above the trees west of us toward the lake where it’s safest to play with fire, it was nice

it’s been a month now, and she was able to walk out using her cane, quite an accomplishment

and for me, i’ve today released my first fiction since about 1981, also quite a feat

below is my first of four running chapter samples from my new novella

The Old American Artist, a Love Story

“The Old American Artist, a Love Story” is, as my wife said on finishing reading it a few days ago, exceptionally satisfying, especially how it ends

sure, she’s on my side, but she’s tough, remember?

my previous two posts talk a little more about this new work, and i’ll have more to say in the following three chapter samples later this week

for now, i’ll leave with the beginning of my book description on the various online stores it’s available on :

Short Blurb

A romance and an artist’s story, how could it not be a love story?

This arc, from boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy regains girl, morphs, in this first of three books, in the trilogy Triptych, into that fuller story of life, and love.

Tomorrow i’ll speak a little more about the book

thank you much

Sample, Chapter One

(1st of four, one presented each day)

***

Arturo, the “American Arturo” as some villagers affectionately called him, could feel the scratch of his beard, even being just a week old. Maybe now, in my sixties, he thought, my days are like weeks now. One running to the other. Is this what timelessness was? he wondered. He hoped not.

Squinting his eyes to shut out his thoughts, he followed the dusty curling rolling road that trailed into the distance from what his children called his “escape.”

This part of the upper Mediterranean, reminded him of the weather in Austin. Blended with Galveston. Hot. Humid. But not as crowded. Not as hot. Arturo was glad he had taken a break from the bustle of Texas. And the cold of Vermont.

Here, these stretches of sandy beaches barely crawled with a few children, families of the many fishermen living nearby. Yet a half hour winding walk, up along the dusty road, a small artist town, split between the Italians, French, and Spaniards, opened as a unique playground and portal to the world’s world of art. It would be good, thought Arturo, to see how to bring the children and grandchildren to such a place.

Squinting into the distance, to where the road spun off a path to his house, Arturo shrugged off thoughts of art and families. The small loping moped in the distance said the mailman, always early in the morning, had passed by, and his thoughts were on seeing if the red flag was up on his mail box. It was not.

Relaxing his eyes into the distance, and imagining her arrival, his eyes smiled at the thought of Rosetta.

“Half Irish, half French,” she had told him, when she had finally agreed to have lunch with him.

“Rosetta,” Arturo had repeated, and she had laughed throwing out her sound, tilting back her head, as if drinking her own enjoyment.

“What’s so funny?” he grinned, curious.

“You, Arturo, you are a funny boy.”

Grinning wider, “Boy?” he replied. “I have children and will be thirty soon.”

“But Arturo, you’re only a boy, barely nearly thirty.”

At least that’s what she had told him. Only a boy? he thought again. But he could tell she liked the idea, or something about it, and he liked her, so it suit him fine.

He took a small breath into the awkward pause.

“So you have children too?” he asked, assuming he was on safe, gender friendly ground.

But she had looked away with a moment’s glance at him, gone from their lunch and in her own private thoughts. When she returned to look at him, she said simply, “No. Not with me,” and laid her napkin down.

Thinking back for a moment, Arturo remembered feeling it best not to answer with words right then, or say that his own children were with their mother. His heart was too intrigued with the woman sitting before him, swelling his creative mind with ideas and impulses he only barely felt, like the first rays of the sun which a large cloud has just begun to expose.

He would not intrude he had decided. Not yet.

He let his thick-lashed eyes soften and round, the same way he let himself into the life of one of his paintings. Especially those he began to feel connected to.

Colors and textures.

Shapes that softly glow.

A wholeness in one glance.

Rosetta.

No letter had come. But also no call.

She would be home for his show that night then.

###

Currently Available Outlets

Amazon

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Smashwords

My Books Page Listing with Updates

happy fourth of july! to everyone, and what it means and can mean for any one of us

namaste – con dios – god be with you

***

Each Vol 1 of These Four Series FREE

at Participating Outlets

Click Image for Listings

***

Life & Love, It’s For the Birds In a Good Way – In Pictures # 15

1 Jun

vermont photopoem series

Variety of original topics : Poetry, Fiction, and Images.

***

“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

***

Site Areas

Fitness ** Arts ** eBooks

Please note: the “It’s for the Birds in a Good Way” series had been placed in “private” status during a re-do of my site, and are now again posted with updated information.

life and love, it’s for the birds, in a good way – in pictures

# 15

Facebook

***

it’s been said, a picture is worth a thousand words

well, i’m not gonna try that

but here’s a series of pictures, one or two at a time, popping up here and there, now and then, each captioned and capturing a few moments of life and love, for the birds anyways, but in a good way

set on a patch of preserve somewhere on galveston island, along the protective seawall, or anywhere on galveston i’m fortunate enough to spot and place their image in digital memory, we’ll just say we’re all glad this is a place they call home…

***

So Long Galveston, It Was a Good One

***

bird picture series

namaste – con dios – god be with you

INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

Tags: Bird, Galveston Texas, National Photography Month

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories Arts Area, Birds, Felipe Adan Lerma, Galveston, photography

Life & Love, It’s For the Birds In a Good Way – In Pictures # 14

26 May

vermont photopoem series

Variety of original topics : Poetry, Fiction, and Images.

***

“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

***

Site Areas

Fitness ** Arts ** eBooks

Please note: the “It’s for the Birds in a Good Way” series had been placed in “private” status during a re-do of my site, and are now again posted with updated information.

life and love, it’s for the birds, in a good way – in pictures

# 14

Facebook

***

it’s been said, a picture is worth a thousand words

well, i’m not gonna try that ;-)

sheila and i are in our last week on galveston island

and we feel like we’re cruising, just cruising right now, waiting for our new place to arrive, though, of course, we’ll be the one’s arriving

opportunities, exist, all the time, all around us, but we can’t and aren’t always aware of them…

we think they arrive, and maybe, in some ways, they do -

but if we ourselves aren’t prepared to see them -

even if we’re just cruising…they

will not arrive

***

Just Cruising, Original Photography by Adan Lerma

***

so many people gave us opportunities in our stay in galveston this past year plus -

some i’m sure we missed, but as many as we could, we tried to see them…

the people we met and grew to know, were our moments -

our opportunities, and we thank each one -

on the mainland, and on the island

thank you

***

bird picture series

namaste – con dios – god be with you

INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS

Tags: Bird, Galveston Photo, Galveston Texas

Comments Leave a Comment
Categories art, Arts, Arts Area, Birds, Felipe Adan Lerma, Galveston, photography, Yoga-Adan

Life & Love, It’s For the Birds In a Good Way – In Pictures # 13

20 May

vermont photopoem series

Variety of original topics : Poetry, Fiction, and Images.

***

“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”

***

Site Areas

Fitness ** Arts ** eBooks

Please note: the “It’s for the Birds in a Good Way” series had been placed in “private” status during a re-do of my site, and are now again posted with updated information.

life and love, it’s for the birds, in a good way – in pictures

# 13

Facebook

***

it’s been said, a picture is worth a thousand words

well, i’m not gonna try that ;-)

sometimes, even a walk on the beach, or a run-through a familiar yoga pose, can bring us to an uncertain edge

nature, by the sea, and within our sea of self, is unpredictable -

except that she’s always there

***

A Walk Along the Beach, Original Photography by Adan Lerma

***

it seems we can grow comfortable strolling down the side of forces stronger than ourselves -

absorbing, sharing in the power of the moving spray of sea -

with awareness, we can remain near the source…

walking gingerly, along the edges….

***

bird picture series

namaste – con dios – god be with you

INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS