I happened to be near our local Sur la Table a few weeks ago for a work-related errand. Of course, I stuck my head in on my way out. You know, “just to look.” Lo and behold, they were having their huge annual sale: Everything, including all of the Le Creuset Dutch ovens, was on sale. But, because I’m a girl with champagne taste and a beer budget, I set my sights on a lovely 3-quart Sur la Table house brand enameled cast iron Dutch oven:

At $49 – marked down from $79! – it’s much more my speed. The picture doesn’t do it justice, but the outside is a lovely deep red color. It also comes with an oven-safe knob on the lid, which surprisingly is not included with a (much pricier) Le Creuset. (As an aside, is it just me, or is it supremely stupid to put a non-oven-safe knob on a product that is meant to go in the oven?).

The inside is enameled, which is a must-have feature for me. I am neither brave enough nor patient enough to season and care for plain, un-enameled cast iron: I actually drive to my dad’s house to borrow his skillet anytime I make cornbread. I realize this is grounds for having my Southern card revoked, but so be it. The lid also has a bunch of little bumps on the underside. The saleslady said that it’s a “self-basting lid”: Condensation supposedly collects on the bumps, then drips back down into the food to keep it from drying out. I’m dubious, but whatever.

I was so excited to finally be the proud owner of my very own Dutch oven! I then realized I had a problem: I have no clue what to make with this thing, other than the usual chili, pot roast and various other sauces and soups. Happily, I wasn’t flummoxed for long, because Victoria told me about Elizabeth Yarnell’s Glorious One-Pot Meals:

Yarnell’s basic premise is that by layering whole grains, vegetables and proteins in a specific order, and adding the proper ratio of liquid, you can make an entire meal in a Dutch oven in less than an hour. Genius.

I have yet to test drive the cookbook, but I’ve already dog-eared a bunch of pages and look forward to trying several recipes. Yarnell also provides a blueprint for developing your own creations using her proper-layering-and-correct-liquid-ratio method. Regardless, I’m sure whatever I make will be healthier (though maybe not quite as tasty) than the bolognese I made to christen the kitchen’s newest denizen:

I am looking forward to a long, productive and delicious relationship with my new Dutch oven. So tell me: Do you have a Dutch oven? If so, how often do you use it, and what do you make?

Header image by djwtwo.

The quiet, dimly lit studio officially opened last week in a former storage room just past the security checkpoint at SFO’s Terminal 2.

Airport officials believe the 150-square-foot (14-square-meter) room with mirrored walls is the world’s first airport yoga studio, said spokesman Mike McCarron.

The room, open to all ticketed passengers, contains a few chairs and yoga mats but no instructors or televisions. No shoes, food, drinks or cell phones are allowed.

“Silence is appreciated,” says a sign spelling out “Yoga Room Etiquette.”

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Of course, it comes as little surprise that San Francisco, home to numerous celeb yoga teachers like Jason Crandell, would be the first city to do this.

I applaud SFO for trying to improve travelers’ flying experience, and can only hope that my own hometown airport – the world’s busiest – will follow suit.

The nation’s leading breast-cancer charity, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, is halting its partnerships with Planned Parenthood affiliates — creating a bitter rift, linked to the abortion debate, between two iconic organizations that have assisted millions of women.

The change will mean a cutoff of hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants, mainly for breast exams.

Planned Parenthood says the move results from Komen bowing to pressure from anti-abortion activists. Komen says the key reason is that Planned Parenthood is under investigation in Congress — a probe launched by a conservative Republican who was urged to act by anti-abortion groups.

Source: Associated Press

Komen – which is no stranger to controversy – has been facing pressure from many anti-choice groups lately. The organization also recently brought former Georgia GOP gubernatorial hopeful Karen Handel on board as their new VP of Public Policy. It then announced its decision to un-fund Planned Parenthood after implementing “newly adopted criteria barring grants to organizations that are under investigation by … federal authorities.” I find it hard to believe that the timing  of this decision was entirely coincidental with Handel’s arrival, especially given the fact that during her run for the Governor’s Mansion, she stumped for the elimination of state funding to any organization that provides abortion-related services (even though that funding, by law, would never directly fund abortions).

The Real Deal

With so much media attention and political chatter swirling around this issue, I thought it might be helpful to provide a few of the salient facts:

• The funding provided by Komen was never used to provide abortions. In fact, it was specifically earmarked for breast cancer screenings.
• A mere 3% of all services provided by Planned Parenthood are abortions (and an estimated 277,000 abortions are prevented each year through their provision of free and low-cost contraceptive services).
• Cancer screening and prevention constitute 16% of their services annually.
• Funding from Komen to Planned Parenthood covered 170,000 breast cancer screenings each year.
• 1 in 5 women have visited a Planned Parenthood facility in their lifetime.

Source: Planned Parenthood; FactCheck.org

The bottom line is that the vast majority of the services provided by Planned Parenthood are health and wellness screenings and contraceptive services for women who are low-income and/or un- or under-insured – services that save lives and prevent unintended pregnancies (thereby averting thousands of abortions).

The Silver Lining

The good news that has come from this controversy is that within the last 48 hours, Planned Parenthood has received $650,000 in donations – almost enough to replace the funding from Komen – so it can continue to provide life-saving screening services to those who couldn’t otherwise afford them.

I know many people (including my grandma) who are withdrawing their support from Komen, but are unsure where to redirect their contributions. Some are giving directly to Planned Parenthood, while others want to continue to support organizations dedicated to breast cancer research, prevention and/or treatment. If you fall into the latter category, here are some ways you can ensure your charitable contributions are as effective as possible.

After deciding during week 2 that I was tired of doing the same practices over and over, I seized the chance to experiment a bit more this week. When practicing at home, I selected whatever DVD sequence I felt like I wanted or needed to do at that time. I also took the opportunity to return to the studio and took a couple of live classes, which always challenge and inspire me. I even came to love pigeon pose, a huge milestone in the progression of my practice.

I confess, however, that I lacked consistency somewhat this week, and was faced with my own disappointment in myself when I skipped a couple days. I know that daily practice is best, but also realized that forcing myself to do it when I really don’t feel like it sometimes ends in frustration or dissatisfaction. Most importantly, even though I haven’t done it perfectly, I’ve developed a habit of making my yoga practice a more integral part of my routine, which I am certain will continue beyond these two 21-day challenges.

Today is also the last day of my vegetarian challenge, which I began when I started the second yoga challenge. I am proud to say I made it all the way through without caving, though it was hard at times. While I’m glad to know I can do it, I have learned that now is not the right time for me to try vegetarianism permanently. I don’t really feel confident enough to try to cook vegetarian and be able to consistently get enough protein into my diet. And even though it’s much more mainstream now, vegetarian options remain limited in most places. I’m pretty sure I drove several servers crazy when I was coming up with random combinations of menu items and ingredients because I was so sick of black bean burgers. These past three weeks, I think I have eaten a black bean burger in almost every way possible: As an actual burger, on a salad, in a wrap, in a burrito… I may revisit vegetarianism at some point, but for now, I’m eagerly plotting my return back into the meat-eating world tomorrow.

It’s been one of those weekends that I hate to see come to an end; it’s been unseasonably warm and sunny, and full of great things and exciting happenings for lots of people I love (including my brother getting his wings on Friday!). Friday evening I went to an amazing yoga class that focused on deep savasana, followed by coffee with a new friend. Today, my tennis partner and I won a great match, which was properly celebrated with beers at the “largest heated, enclosed outdoor patio” in town. And, before I sat down to write just now, I closed my door and took a couple of poses and let the wonderfulness of the weekend settle in. I can’t think of a better way to bring this challenge to an end. Namaste!

I have to admit, my enthusiasm for the challenge dropped off significantly this week. I suppose that’s mostly due to five straight weeks of doing some combination or sequence of the same 13 practices (I mentioned last week that I was a little ticked off about the online challenge consisting of the same practices as the DVD, just in a different order). I had been doing really well until the weekend, and then missed two days (Friday and Sunday)! I could have kicked myself.

To get back into the swing of things, I treated myself to a real, actual yoga class this evening at my favorite local studio. I was sore from playing tennis on Sunday, but once the class started, I forgot all about the achy muscles and creaky joints. Classes are generally longer than a DVD practice, but they move at a slightly slower pace. Poses are held for much longer, though, which makes me get past that point where it’s slightly uncomfortable. I’m always amazed at what my body can do – the postures it can hold, and the lengths of time for which it holds them – when I just give it the opportunity.

Maybe I’ve been away from live classes too long, or maybe my brain was tired, but it felt like something a little bit magical happened tonight. I don’t know if I can quite put it into words, but I’ll try: This particular studio is on the second floor of a building situated right in the middle of our little downtown area. Also, a massive fog descended earlier today, reducing visibility to virtually nothing. So, looking out the windows during class, all I could see was fog and the hazy glow of streetlights. I felt like I was tucked in a treehouse in the middle of the clouds.

As we got to the end of class, we took eka pada rajakapotasana (pigeon) as our final pose. While I’m usually not a fan of pigeon, at that particular moment it was the only thing I wanted to do. And when we got to the second side of the pose, I felt something release; I just let go and melted into the floor – hip, forehead, arms, everything. We stayed there for a good long while, and I felt so safe and content and at peace in pigeon, enveloped in my cozy little treehouse in the clouds. (Still no crying. Maybe it’ll happen one day.) I wish I could bottle that feeling and carry it around with me, because it was truly amazing.

My vegetarian experiment is still going well; no major meat cravings to speak of (though I’m a little tired of black bean burgers). On the yoga front, I’ve decided to forego doing the specific practices assigned to each day for the remainder of the challenge (that is, unless a certain one strikes me as particularly appealing). Instead, I’m going to broaden my horizons with more live classes, other DVDs and maybe even some of my own practices. I’m going to listen to my body and do what seems right in that moment. If I want to kick my own butt with an hour of Shiva Rea, I will do that. On the other hand, if I play tennis for two hours, I’ll probably just do a few gentle poses to work out my lower back and then take savasana. And that, I have come to learn, is perfectly okay.

You Asked, I Answered

I’ve tried to address the most common queries I receive, as broadly and accurately as possible. But, at the end of the day, this information is largely based on my own experience and the research I did when I was preparing to transfer; keep in mind that every school is different, as is every student’s transfer experience.

Can I transfer after first semester?

In a word, no.

Though the material taught during the first year is pretty standard, the structure of the academic year tends to vary across law schools. The school I attended my 1L year had year-long classes – we didn’t even receive an official grade until the end of the year. Some schools, on the other hand, will offer fewer classes each semester, but you’ll knock out the whole course in one term. So, allowing students to transfer after first semester of 1L is really not feasible.

Can I transfer after second year?

Again, generally not.

You pretty much have one shot to nail your transfer: between 1L and 2L. Now, many law schools will grant visiting student status to students who come in after the beginning of the second year. However, there are two things to note about this: 1) visiting status is usually granted based on extenuating circumstances (we had one student whose husband got transferred to the area, and we also received several visiting students who were impacted by Hurricane Katrina), and 2) your diploma will still come from your original school.

How difficult is it to transfer law schools?

This really depends. Many schools have an established transfer program and accept the same number of transfer students each year; others only accept transfers to account for attrition from the prior year. So, depending on where you apply, you may be competing for one of 20 spots, or one of two.

But, no matter where you apply, you’ll be competing with the best of the best. There’s no set rule, but it’s safe to say that you’ll have the best chance of getting in if you’re in the top 10% of your 1L class. Study hard!

What is the process for transferring law schools?

I’ve outlined the timeline I used when I transferred. Of course, your individual experience may vary – and please feel free to share it with me!

Does my LSAT score matter when applying to transfer?

Yes and no. You do have to submit your LSAT score (and therefore need to make sure that you have a current LSAC registration). Schools do look at it. However, it matters much, much less than it did when you initially applied to law school. Ostensibly, the LSAT is a predictor of your future performance in law school, but with a year of actual classroom experience behind you and the grades that accompany it, there’s less need for a prediction.

I was never a good standardized test taker (until, ironically, the MBE portion of the bar exam), so I had a supremely mediocre LSAT score relative to my academic abilities. However, I ranked 4th in my 1L class, so the predictive value of my LSAT score was relatively low. Conversely, if you have a high LSAT score but didn’t do well in your first year, there may be a perception that you didn’t do as well as you are able to, which could weigh against you.

Should I even transfer law schools?

Transferring law schools is a very personal decision, and the reasons vary widely. Before you actually do it, I recommend making a list of pros and cons – both for transferring in general, and for transferring to each school to which you are accepted – and ensure that your reasons are sound and defensible.

I address this question in much more depth in this post about whether to transfer.

More Questions? Ask Away!

As I said, I’ve attempted to answer the questions that I’ve seen appear most often. However, if you have another question, please feel free to submit a comment below, and I’ll edit this post to include the answer. This resource is for you, so don’t hesitate to ask!

I’ve completed the first week of the online challenge, which seems like a good point to check in and reflect. Writing every day during the first challenge was a good exercise for me, but doing so again might prove repetitive. So, a weekly update seems more reasonable and palatable this time around.

The Good and The Bad

First, the bad: I was super excited for something new and different in my yoga routine, so it disappointed me greatly to find that this “new” 21-day challenge was simply the same practices from the DVD set, just arranged in a different order. Major bummer.

But, I have committed to doing it, so that’s what I’m doing. I have such little confidence in my ability to follow through on things these days, and am hyper-aware of my tendency to start something and not complete it. Because of that, I think I’ve maybe begun to tend to the other extreme, being doggedly determined to stick with various projects and commitments until their completion.

Another fairly major downside to the online challenge is that the videos are embedded in the browser using Flash, so they can’t be downloaded. This means that for people like me whose computer and yoga mat are on opposite ends of the house, it is difficult to make the logistics work. After lots of technical assistance, I plugged my laptop into the TV to play the video. That is, until I realized that I already have the whole thing on DVD (head, meet desk).

Now, the good: I have everything on DVD, so no more messing with plugging my laptop into the TV! Also, the practices are relatively short, which means that a) there’s no excuse not to do something each day, and b) I can easily supplement with other DVDs in my collection.

By the end of this challenge, I will have more or less done a daily practice for 42 straight days (and since December 28th, I’ve only missed one day!). While searching for my header graphic, I stumbled on this blog, where I read the following comment:

My teacher… says it is better to practice 10 minutes each day during the week than one day a week for 70 minutes. The habit of practice is important and tends to grow into longer practice sessions without much effort.

It’s true: I find that frequently, I do more than the day’s prescribed sequence, just because I want to. I know that I need to add more variety (cardio, strength) to my fitness routine, but I’m pleased that I have at least achieved some sort of consistency. It’s the little things.

An Extra Challenge: A Meat Hiatus

I also added eating vegetarian as a component of this 21-day challenge. So far, so good. I find it pretty easy to eat meat-free, and with the single exception of some amazing looking sushi last night, I have not been tempted to veer off course. (I resigned myself to veggie tempura and the avacado, cucumber and asparagus roll, while vowing to return on January 30th).

For me, the most challenging parts of eating vegetarian are 1) finding enough protein, and 2) avoiding carbs. I’m so used to getting my protein through meat that I sometimes forget that I have to actively find alternate sources. And, because I really shouldn’t be eating many carbs anyway, it’s doubly hard to resist the urge to replace meat with extra bread, pasta, etc.

Accentuate the Positive

Since I have been doing yoga daily, I have noticed a substantial decrease in the number of negative thoughts I have. It’s striking, really. I’m even mostly over the fact that there are zero new practices in this 21-day challenge. I was, however, highly annoyed to be woken up this morning on my holiday off by my neighbor’s tree-cutting and chipping activities. I’m not sure why that couldn’t wait until tomorrow. In any case, I’m grateful to have the day to myself so that I can do things like write, with this helpful little gremlin sitting in my lap:

In the next week, I plan to maintain the consistency of my practice and increase the intensity. I’m also hoping the sun will decide to shine so I can get out on the tennis court at least once without freezing. At least spring is (hopefully!) right around the corner!

So tell me, How are you doing with your 2012 fitness goals so far? What has worked, and what hasn’t?

Victoria’s Picks

Victoria – who blogs over at Mommy Marginalia – and I met through a women lawyers’ networking group and became fast friends. Like, instantly. We bonded over our love of yarncrafting, good books and great beer. Every Christmas, we give each other a used book; it’s a fun challenge to hunt for great deals on books.

The Forgotten Garden, by Kate Morton: It’s The Secret Garden all grown up with a delicious mystery spanning three generations.

Super Natural Every Day: Well-loved Recipes from My Natural Foods Kitchen, by Heidi Swanson: Equal parts eye candy and intellect candy – beautiful, easy, healthy recipes compiled in such a way that you want to sit down and read the whole book.

Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson: The story of the most influential event of the late 19th century that you’ve (probably) never heard of.  Some will love the American Jack the Ripper angle; others will be amazed at the scale and transience Chicago World’s Fair – and how many important figures it touched.

Half the Sky, by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn: If you think feminism has run its useful course, think again.

Under the Chinaberry Tree, by Ann Ruethling: Parents and non-parents alike will enjoy these timeless children’s book recommendations (who doesn’t love to curl up with a picture book from their childhood once in awhile!).

Heather’s Picks

Heather – who blogs about strategic volunteering – is the CEO of the metro Atlanta affiliate of a national non-profit that serves girls and teenagers. She’s also just an all-around kick-ass person. When she sent her book list, she said, “I love that you think I have time to read!” Of course I do, Heather – I’m not sure there’s anything you can’t do!

The Help, by Kathryn Stockett

Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, by Chip Heath and Dan Heath

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel H. Pink

Saturday, by Ian McEwan

Shopgirl, by Steve Martin: He is BRILLIANT!

Shannon’s Picks

Shannon is the current Junior League President and a recovering attorney. She and I borrow books from one another like some people trade clothes, and I give her 100% credit for introducing me to the joys of audiobooks. We have whiled away many an afternoon together over coffee, swapping book recommendations.

Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline: I don’t usually like science fiction in any format, but this book grabbed me and held me from the first page, and I’m absolutely astounded at the amount of research and knowledge of 1980′s pop culture, music, movies, and video games that went into writing it.  The story is fantastic, the writing is fast-paced, and if you’re a child of the ’80s, this book is a trip down memory lane with something for everyone.

The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern: This book is a beautifully-written, visually (in your imagination) stunning love story of dueling magicians in a nature vs. nurture – raw talent vs. rigorous practice – life or death competition, set against the backdrop of a most unusual traveling circus.

Moonwalking with Einstein, by Michael Foer: My non-fiction selection for the year.  A fascinating study of how and why the ways that we are taught to memorize information have changed over time, together with an intriguing look into the author’s participation in the U.S. Memory Championship.

The Twelfth Enchantment, by David Liss: A somewhat surreal, highly entertaining mystery.  If you’ve read and enjoyed The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes or The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry, you’ll enjoy this book.

Under the Poppy, by Kathe Koja: I bought this book for its cover (I do that sometimes), and the story turned out to be absorbing: espionage, murder, redemption, enduring love, and lots of marionette puppets, set in a rather unique brothel in the 1870s.  The characters are desperate, flawed, and entirely sympathetic, and once I got past the inconsistent punctuation (apparently based on the character narrating at the time) and the sometimes whiplash-inducing change in narrators, I realized that I couldn’t put it down.

Lila’s Picks

Lila is my grandma, an avid reader and overall just a cool lady. When I was little, my favorite thing to do when visiting her was to go to the local bookstore, where she would treat my brother and me to a new book. She currently lives just outside Memphis, but I’m super excited that she will be relocating about ten minutes from my house this spring!

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, by Jamie Ford: A young Chinese man and Japanese girl have been friends for years. WW2 arrives and she and her family are sent to an internment camp. There is great animosity between these two countries. Both families are Americans but the feud continues. A fascinating story you won’t soon forget.

Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand, by Helen Simonson: The story of a retired British officer in a small town and the lady who is from another culture and owns the shop where he gets his newspaper every day. Delightful and very thought provoking.

The Accidental Mother (followed by the sequel, The Accidental Family), by Rowan Coleman: A young career woman suddenly has two little girls orphaned (sort of) by the death of her best friend. Their dad, divorced from their mother, is somewhere but has been gone a long time. You will be entranced by the little one who refuses to take off the Angel wings made by her mother.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows: It’s WW2 and the British island has been occupied by German troops. An intriguing story with an intriguing cast who depict the many ways the human spirit lives on – no matter what !!

Home to Big Stone Gap, followed by Big Stone Gap and Big Cherry Holler, a trilogy by Adriana Trigiani: What a delight to discover this marvelous writer. A small town in the South holds some unforgettable people and their “doings.” She has written other books, all terrific.

Also, ANYTHING that is written by Robyn Sisman is a great read.

She adds, “Erin, I know that last author was one too many but we just can’t NOT mention Robyn.” That’s okay; I think I can give you a pass… but just this once (wink, wink). 

Erin’s Picks

Looking back at the list I keep on Goodreads.com, I had a hard time choosing my top five this year. Unlike last year, when I had trouble keeping my list to only five books, this year I struggled to find five that truly stood out. I read some very good books, don’t get me wrong, but I feel like this year’s list isn’t as rock solid as last year’s. In any case, I’m in the middle of several excellent books that I didn’t finish in 2011, but hope to be able to put on my list for 2012!

The Secret History, by Donna Tartt: A fantastic book about a college student who gets drawn into a mysterious and prestigious group of Greek scholars at a small New England liberal arts college. As he gets drawn further into their world, he learns about a secret that they all struggle to keep, and that slowly tears them apart. The beautiful language makes this book a pleasure to read. It’s easy to see how it has influenced many others since, like Tana French’s The Likeness and Marisha Pessl’s Special Topics in Calamity Physics (which was one of my picks last year).

Freakonomics, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner: I know I’m late to the party on this one, but this is a fascinating read that demystifies many real-life riddles and shows that, at the end of the day, economics simply revolves around the fact that people are motivated by incentives. It offers a new and eye-opening perspective on the world. I also read SuperFreakonomics and enjoyed it as well, though not as much as the original.

The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon: With a story that begins in the secret Cemetery of Forgotten Books, this is a book for book lovers. Young Daniel Sempere is initiated to the Cemetery by his father, where he chooses a book that he will protect for the rest of his life. When he sets out to find other books by the same author, he finds someone has been systematically destroying them. A gothic novel in the classic sense, the city of Barcelona, with its dark spires and shadowy alleys, is just as much a character as any of the humans.

Call Me Ted, by Ted Turner: Love him or hate him, pretty much everyone agrees that Ted Turner is a visionary. (I, for one, happen to fall into the “love him” camp). This book is a fascinating look into his life, his passions and how he became an innovative entrepreneur. What I love about it is that you can really hear The Mouth of the South as he tells his incredible story – this is no ordinary autobiography.

The House of Silk, by Anthony Horowitz: For the first time, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s estate has authorized a Sherlock Holmes story written by someone else. However, if I had picked this book up without knowing who wrote it, I would have sworn that Conan Doyle himself authored it. Though the nefarious scheme revealed toward the end has a decidedly modern twist, this is a fantastically written book sure to satisfy even the staunchest of the Holmes purists out there. It’s still in hardcover, though, so you might have to be patient (or check your local library) if you don’t have an e-reader.

Charlsie’s Picks

Charlsie and I went to law school together – she graduated a year before I did – and we then clerked together in Augusta after law school. She has great taste in books and even though we don’t get to see each other nearly often enough, she’s one of my favorite people. I am looking forward to visiting her soon in her newly adopted home city, Charleston (appropos, no?). 

A Song of Ice and Fire Saga, by George R. R. Martin: First off, I read all of George R.R. Martin’s saga – A Song of Ice and Fire – or at least – all the books that have been published so far. I started watching the Game of Thrones on HBO, but the story moved so slowly (as usual with HBO shows), that I had to start reading the books. I was enthralled. It is a fantastically told story, that will probably disappoint in the end, but each chapter is written from the view of a different character and Martin is deft at switching voice and tone to perfectly fit the different characters. That is 5 books, so I would be done, but I won’t do that.

Great House, by Nicole Krauss: An excellent novel made up of short stories concerning the different owners of the same fantastic writing desk that was stolen by the Nazis from it’s rightful owners during WWII. The writing is rather heavy and complex, but rich and enjoyable; meaty – with plenty to chew on long after you’ve finished reading.

The Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson: The story of the infamous serial killer during the World’s Fair in Chicago. I don’t normally like non-fiction, but this was a strong exception.

Both Ways is the Only Way I Want It, by Maile Meloy: A collection of short stories that focused on a the themes of May-December romances, parent child connections, lawyers and the law, infidelity, and the Rocky mountains. I love short stories, and this collection is beautifully done.

So, I’ve got one more –

Swamplandia, by Karen Russell: This was a novel I read because I enjoyed the review in the NYT – it is the story of a family who own an alligator theme park off the coast of west Florida on a island. There are elements of the fantastical, and some of the characters border on pathetic, but the story is laced with a history of Florida and the Everglades that I was not as familiar with as I would have thought. While reading it, I heard the hum of the mosquitos in the deep swamp and felt the pressure of the humidity in my ears.

New Year, New List

Hopefully something in the lists above grabs your interest and gets added to your reading list for this year (I know my stack of unread books just got much larger!). I would be remiss if I didn’t give many, many thanks to my wonderful friends and family who graciously provided me with your thoughtful recommendations – your contributions really make this project fun, interesting and rewarding. Of course, I’ll be making the rounds again at the end of this year to get your top five from 2012. That is, unless the Mayans were right. Until then, Happy New Year, and Happy Reading!

P.S. For those who haven’t yet submitted a list, it’s not too late: Either respond in the comments below, or send me an e-mail, and I’ll add you above!

The Good

I like so many aspects of this challenge – both the concept and the DVD collection itself – that I have a hard time narrowing them down to a few points:

• Quality. Yoga Journal used its name recognition and presumably healthy budget to get a strong battery of instructors like Jason Crandell and Elise Lorimer for the challenge. Each one has a noticeably different style and perspective, but are all adept at cuing and sequencing. The production is also good, with clear audio and a set that is free from distractions.
• Pacing. Not just the pacing of each individual practice (which is more up to the instructor, anyway), but rather the overall pacing and progression from one day to the next. Each day’s practice thoughtfully progresses towards the week’s challenge pose so that once you get to Day 5 of each week, you are prepared to tackle the challenge pose practice.
• Accessibility. This challenge presumes some knowledge of yoga, so it’s not for total beginners. However, the practices are very doable for an advanced beginner. The instructors also do a good job of providing variations of most of the poses to suit different ability levels, so intermediate yogis can find more of a challenge if they want one.
• Realistic. This challenge is less of a sprint and more of a marathon. Not every practice leaves you sweating and tired; if that were the case, many people might not make it past the first few days (e.g., P90X). Moreover, the length of the practices, which vary from 15 to 45 minutes, makes it easy to fit the challenge into your schedule. Though I’d love to have 90 minutes every single day, the fact is I don’t; but most people likely can find at least 20-30 minutes.
• Value. In the three-ish weeks it took me to complete the challenge, the price on Amazon dropped over $5. Still, the $32 I paid was well worth the 300 minutes of yoga I got.

The Not-So-Good

I don’t like nitpicking on what is overall a great idea and product. However, a couple things stood out to me that could be improved, should YJ release another DVD collection:

• Variety. I know I just discussed the great value the set provides. There are 13 practices total, so several of them repeat. It is kind of neat to be able to measure your progress on a particular practice from one week to the next. However, I do wish there had been a bit more variety in the practices. For instance, I understand having the third day of each week focus on core strengthening; however, it would be great to have three progressive core sequences that add difficulty each week. I, for one, would pay more for greater variety, but I might not be in the majority there.
• Intensity. Perhaps I’m being obtuse, but a couple of practices left me feeling like I was lacking something. In fact, I combined Days 6 and 7 of each week, and sometimes followed my daily practice with another short practice from Shiva Rea’s Daily Energy. I understand that the point is not to feel utterly spent at the end of each practice (see “Realistic,” above). But, I just felt that some days didn’t rise up to the level of intensity that I wanted or expected. I would love to see a more advanced level challenge; who knows, perhaps the good folks at Yoga Journal already have one in the works.

What Did I Learn?

I got tremendous benefits from this challenge, and not just physical ones. Practicing yoga each day and blogging about it was a great way to manage the stress of the holidays and start the new year off on a high note. I have taken so much from this experience that I hope to parlay into wonderful things for 2012 and beyond:

• Strength. I feel stronger, mentally and physically, after completing the challenge. As each week progressed, the Day 1 flow practice seemed less difficult and exhausting. I didn’t dread those chaturangas quite as much. I also gained some mental fortitude: Even on days when I didn’t feel like rolling out the mat, I did it anyway. Every time, I felt better afterward. I had been questioning the strength of my willpower lately, and this helped to reinforce that I really can do anything when I just resolve to do it.
• Prioritizing. Along those same lines, if something is important to me, I will make it a priority, as I did with both practicing and writing over the course of the challenge. I still tend to one extreme or another in most aspects of my life, so I often prioritize some things to the detriment of others. I wish I could say I learned balance from this challenge, but I still struggle mightily with it.
• Accountability. A tip frequently doled out to those setting goals is to tell everyone you know about it. For this challenge, I set a goal of not only doing the practices, but also blogging about them. For all I know, there are only two or three people who have been reading my nonsense. However, by putting it out there on the Internet and posting on Facebook, I felt a greater sense of accountability to follow through, which contributed to my success.
• Acceptance. As a life-long perfectionist with OCD tendencies, I tend to be pretty hard on myself. This challenge taught me not only to be aware of my limitations, but to accept them and where I am right now. I listened to my body when I was sick, and tried not to beat myself up for not fitting yoga into my insane schedule the couple days around Christmas. And it was beyond frustrating to fail at urdhva dhanurasana, especially when I know that I can do it (and have done it before!). But I took a step back and tried to be kinder to myself: Every day is different, and some days certain poses or practices are just not meant to happen. Ahimsa begins with not harming yourself, mentally or physically.
• Writing. I enjoy writing – it’s a great creative outlet that lets me flex my mental muscle. I have not made enough time for it in recent months, but the 21-day challenge spurred me to write more. While I won’t hold myself to writing every single day from here on, doing so for the duration of the challenge allowed me to rediscover how much I like it. I also learned that the more I write, the more I enjoy it, and that the best topics are those that excite and interest me. Most importantly, I realized that my writing doesn’t have to (and never will) be perfect before I hit the “publish” button.
• Consistency. Last but not least, I realized the tremendous benefit of consistency, both in practicing yoga and in writing. The more often I do both of those things, the more I enjoy them. Practicing yoga regularly makes me a much more tolerable person to be around, and I feel stronger and calmer. Writing frequently gives me a sense of accomplishment and provides a great outlet. I also find that when I write often, I get more ideas for topics, and it just snowballs. It’s a pretty cool feeling.

Overall, I had a great experience doing the 21-Day Challenge. I learned new approaches to poses that had previously eluded me, and came to enjoy the benefits of having a regular yoga practice. In fact; I have already started Yoga Journal’s new online 21-Day Challenge and hope to integrate a consistent practice going forward. The daily challenge – both yoga and writing – became something I actively looked forward to rather than just another thing I had to check off my list before going to bed. Most importantly, though unexpectedly, I learned so much about myself: My abilities, limitations, strengths, weaknesses and opportunities for growth. I certainly got my $32 worth, and so, so much more. Namaste!

We’re already to the end of the 21-day challenge! Need to catch up? Make sure you start at the beginning!

It’s been a gloomy sort of weekend, with lots of fog and rain. But, that certainly beats a year ago, when we were preparing to get snowed in for a week. I feel like I have fallen behind on a lot of things, but was determined not to fall behind on my schedule to complete the 21-day challenge. So, I was happy to wrap up a long and busy weekend with some yoga.

Day 20 – like Days 6 and 13 – was a 30-minute tension-release practice. This week, the practice focused on side bends – something I don’t generally pay a whole lot of attention to. This practice was also led by Jason Crandell, so of course I enjoyed it tremendously (which is not to say that the other instructors aren’t good; there’s one I don’t like, Jason Crandell is my favorite, and the others fall somewhere in between). It was challenging, but very doable and provided the opportunity for varying degrees of intensity. The sequence included some really great poses like parivritta janu sirsasana, which I love, even if I can’t grab my big toe or get my head all the way to my knee. There were also some really great variations on trikonasana and parsvakonasana that allowed me to get full side stretches all the way from my fingers to my toes. I’ve never done Bikram so I can’t make any judgments about it, but I personally enjoy variety in my practice (Bikram devotees, feel free to convince me otherwise!).

After the side-bending practice, I went ahead and did Day 21’s week-ending evening practice as I have the last two weeks. I’m not sure my feelings about it have changed substantially, though I did appreciate it a little more after such a long weekend. FatDog found it relaxing as well; by the end he was curled up on his bed, snoring away. (I wish I’d had my phone with me to take a picture, because it was really priceless). And with that, the 21-day challenge came to a quiet and peaceful close.

I’ve been pondering my next steps and challenges. I’ll be posting a full recap of this challenge in the next couple of days to reflect on what I learned and how I feel. Yoga Journal’s 2012 online 21-day challenge starts tomorrow, and I have signed up to do it. I will likely not blog about it everyday, but will probably post a weekly recap. As I mentioned the other day, I’m considering adding the extra challenge of eating vegetarian during this next 21 days.

Thanks to all of you who have shared in this journey with me by reading along and providing encouragement and accountability. I look forward to sharing new challenges as the year progresses. In the meantime, Namaste.