Yoga, Coffee, Blue skies and Blue bicyles

That's pretty much what my days consist of right now. Yoga, Coffee, Blue Skies and Bikes. I'm not complaining in the slightest. As I walked up and down North Beach this morning, I stopped to "smell the roses" and say Thank You to the Divine for where I am. Unemployment in a big city is quite easy. I've had so many free events to go to that I really can't go to all of them, and whether it's a lady who leaves her drink for me at the bar, or a cold meal that's brought out to me and the chef is so apologetic that he comps my meal before I can say that's not necessary, it really just goes to show that the majority of people are good and want to help. I honestly have been overwhelmed with the amount of support and love I have received even from total strangers who are wanting to extend a helpful hand as I've embarked on this journey. Leaving corporate America to figure out what I really want to do has been by far the best decision I have ever made. Funny enough, I was more scared to tell my mother that I had quit my job admidst the country's biggest economic crisis more than I was worried about paying my rent. Money makes itself up. It always does. You hussle and it works out. Temp work has been amazing and I'm plugging Premier Staffing right now because they have truly been a lifesaver for me on those weeks where I'm looking ahead going, "Now what am I supposed to do this week?"
Those mountains of North Georgia, Colorado, and California all speak the same language. The birds are taken care of and flowers are more beautiful than ever without ever worrying an ounce about calorie intake. And so, this is why I practice yoga. I have to or else my mind wonders down a path of negative, secular world thought of "no no no." Interestingly enough "No" is one of the first words that we as little people used to love to say. Inherently your brain goes to "No." But, I have found much comfort in "Yes" these days and not even to answer a question, but just to meditate on. Go ahead... try it... sit in a comfortable place, close your eyes, and just say, "Yes" to yourself and really you'll feel so relaxed. It's as if there's a faucet in my chest that turns on and water comes flowing out of my center throughout my entire body when I say Yes to myself. I say Yes to my thighs. I say Yes to my bank account. I say Yes to my zits. We forget divinity lies within each of us and we beat ourselves up everyday. It's exhausting. And thanks to little opportunities of positive action within ourselves and people, we can be brought back to this state of relaxation where your mind can be at peace and enjoy what's happening at that very moment. That is what yoga is... being present... bringing union to the mind and body, to the spirit and breath, to the yin and yang.
Speaking of the beautiful synchronicity of life...
Just the other day I got a phone call about signing up for Healthy San Francisco. Not an insurance plan, but an opportunity for those of us who live in the city to have some coverage for basic doctor, emergency room, surgery, etc. needs. Of course, I qualified and with no quarterly payment (not that it's a lot) thanks to my lack of a paycheck, and now if I happen to get hit on the beautiful Bianci that takes me around this city while I kick cars to let them know I'm there and literally find the streets themselves as deadly as drivers, I can rest safe to know that if my arm is twisted around my back in a non yoga position in the middle of the road I'll have somewhere to go that won't put me and my family into bankruptcy because the bill is so high.

And she's the most beautiful bike in the entire world, having taken me from the beauty of Chrissy Fields and Golden Gate Bridge into the depth of the city. Riding a bike is like being a kid all over again, only instead of racing to your friends house to watch a movie you're racing around a huge city, having to stay centered while a bus rears up behind you or a car honks its horn to startle you. The hills have killed me but my body has become accustomed to the suffocation that is a result of fighting gravity on multiple levels.
This is a city that was built on mountains... these are not hills.

Back to insurance, sorry family, but when you're uninsured these kinds of options are phenomenal. A public option or opening up Medicare is really in the best interest of those who are uninsured, and yes, perhaps we have chosen a different lifestyle, but I pay into medicare- so shouldn't I have the opportunity to use it if I need to? Many people do take it upon themselves to focus on preventative healthcare and yet there are no subsidies for my vitamins, exercise, organic vegetables, etc. Hell I can't even insure my bicycle which is the only thing I truly own that's worth anything. I haven't had my teeth cleaned in two years. I haven't worn the proper glasses in two years. And luckily I haven't been sick in a long time to have to go to a doctor, but if and when I do, it feels good to know someone out there doesn't feel that health coverage and employment have to be linked. Call me liberal, call me California, either way- I'm happy to have the safety net. Honestly, six months of almost being hit by cars or crashing due to the fact that buses are unreliable and I can't afford a car which leaves me with my own two feet and my bike, it can shake you up if you're uninsured.