SueBear Sews And Flows

I'd like to start a new occasional series called Monday Meditation. The goal is a short little reflection on how meditation has affected various areas of my life. I'd like to start with strained family relationships. There are portions of my family that experienced a rift a number of years ago. Slowly, those relationships have been healing.  For my part, I was kind of stuck in the middle and didn't really have the coping skills to deal with all the parties involved.  Since I started meditating in 2017, my perception of those relationships has changed. Because meditation gives me tools to help guide my thoughts and gentleness towards my thoughts, those same tools have helped me both become more understanding of my family and establish better boundaries.  I notice I'm better able to interact with these family members with patience and empathy. These relationships still have room for lots of positive growth, but I know I'll be ready for those changes

Some yoga stretching after I taught my dance cardio class today. Many thanks to my awesome student who kindly took my picture.

Time for another round up! I've brought together some props that can extend our practice into restorative and limited mobility yoga. Just click on the picture to head to the Amazon link. Chair Yoga is for everyone, including folk for whom floor work is not an option. A sturdy chair can help facilitate a deeper practice without the stress on the knees and wrists that the floor can sometimes create. Any sturdy chair that will not scoot across the floor would be a great choice. I like this option because of the extra cushioning provided as well as the ability to fold it away. A cushion-less version may give extra stability to wrists when doing forward fold.  Blanket Blankets can really provide the extra coziness during a restorative practice or savasana that can bring truly deep relaxation. The blanket on the left is what I have personal experience with in a restorative class I attend. I use it as a blanket, as an extra cushion under my head or hips, and roll it

This February, my husband and I introduced some friends of ours to their first fan convention. We all tried PensaCon held in Pensacola for the first time. My husband and I had only ever attended DragonCon in Atlanta which reached over 85,000 attendees last year. So, this was our first experience with a small/medium sized convention- medium than small since the organizers expected 35,000 attendees at this year's PensaCon. Since we'd never been, we decided to forgo a full costume. Instead, I "bounded," which is an outfit that subtly suggests a character without being too "costume-y." I love Doctor Who and I've been so excited for the 13th doctor. While I found the latest season to be somewhat disappointing, Jodi Whittacker is a fantastic doctor and I love her outfit. I used the Cashmerette Concord Tee as my pattern and fabric from Zenith and Quasar . I started with a size 28 and added 4 inches to the length and graded 3 inches out in the hips. I

Occasionally, I peruse Society6 and I thought I'd do a little round up of some of my favorite inclusive yoga art. I've linked to each of the artists' Society6 homepage. These prints are all available on a number of items including framed prints, mugs, bags, etc. Not a sponsored post, just hope you enjoy! _moewsje_ on Society6 has such whimsical black and white line drawings.  I love jesmyne's graphic style. Huebucket's illustrations made me literally laugh out loud. Especially the pug inhaling and exhaling. The otter demonstration might have to come home with me.

Isn't it always the way? It's spring break this week and, of course, I've come down with a cold. Or maybe a sinus infection. Or just a bad case of hay fever? Stuff has started to bloom here in Alabama so...ya know...snot. My plans for the week involved sewing, sewing, and sewing. There may be a little more curling up on the couch than anticipated. I can barely breathe upright much less bent over my cutting table. Cashmerette Cedar Dolman Top This past week, I spent some time exploring the Cashmerette Cedar Dolman Top . Ultimately, it was a wadder. I just don't think dolman sleeves are for me. Certainly not with the jewel neckline. I found it unflattering for my body type but the pattern itself went together quite easily. It's such a cute top and I was hoping to sew it up in some lovely linen from Fabricmart for the summer. I used a cotton/silk mix I bought at a local shop that went out of business as a hopeful wearable muslin but no joy. I have plans t

New strap for a stretchier pike. (link below) I got the 10 ft. length. 

I won't start by saying life lately has been crazy. Because honestly, some part of my life swings out to the hinterland just as soon as I manage to corral this little bit over here. Suffice to say, my life is in a perpetual state of "wait, what?" I am someone that sets a high value on nights in. I prefer to watch down our DVR with my husband over heading out to a social event. Clearly, I am an introvert. I have begun to recognize how valuable the time I spend with friends is for my mental health. If I've had a chat or seen one of them for lunch, I always reflect that I had a good week. I'm building this all up to say I've spend a lot of time recently in the company of others and, like a slightly ill-fitting shirt, I've been uncomfortable and tired of the adjusting. And my attitude and tone of voice to those I most care about has not been gentle. I'm feeling overwhelmed for both uplifting and distressing reasons and I haven't felt I

From Left: myself, Traci (my trainer) Welcome to Part 3. I'll just dive in with the biggest drawback of the weekend for me- sitting on the floor. My understanding is this is the standard for most yoga trainings and retreats. Quite frankly, it's not good for anybody who has mobility issues and back issues. At the end of the first day, I had significant back pain and nerve pain down my legs. I asked the facility who was hosting to provide some folding chairs for the second day (which they happily provided). I wound up being the only one who used a chair. I find the assumption that the participants will sit on the floor for 9-11 hours per day to be exclusive rather than inclusive. If yoga training programs would like to encourage a wider variety of body types and abilities, offering more than the floor as a place to sit would be a good place to start. Having that offer come from the teacher legitimizes the option whereas it's intimidating to insist on something nobody