This morning I woke up with incredibly sore abdominal muscles. I never even broke a sweat yesterday during yoga but I must have gotten one hell of a workout because I am feeling it today. So I had to change my original plans of hiking a new trail to something a little less active.
With a craving for sushi, I decided to check out Ichima in Pasadena. I usually see a packed parking lot every time I drive past it on my way to Ralph’s but I have never stopped in to check it out.
When I walked in, there was no one there to greet me and no menus to look at. I was just planning on ordering take-out and I am very glad that I checked out the menu online because I was never offered one inside. Someone finally came over to assist me and when I said I wanted take-out, they simply asked me what I wanted. Not knowing the complete menu, I just went with staples like the teriyaki chicken, miso soup and a sushi roll. They instantly corrected my order, “Oh, you want Bento box combo.” I had no idea what that meant but sure. He said it included the chicken, rice, salad, miso soup and sushi. Perfect. I waited for about 10-15 minutes and I was on my way. Overall, it was pretty good. The sushi was OK but I still think that Sushi Dan is the best sushi in town.
After Ichima, it was off to the Shambhala Meditation Center of Los Angeles. On Thursday nights at 7:30pm, they offer Intro talks free to the public. Since I enjoyed the meditation session and video on New Year’s Eve, I thought it would be a good idea to check out the scheduled talk about the healthy mind, healthy body and healthy community. The speaker, Jon Ransohoff, is a senior student who spoke more about meditation, contemplation and the need for a healthy community. There were many people who were first timers at the Meditation Center and a few others who were there for the second time, like me. Jon began with an introduction to the Shambhala meditation techniques. I had learned the techniques on my first visit but was happy for the review and to hear another instructor’s perspective. He then lead us into contemplation meditation, a first for me. Then we partnered up to discuss our contemplation, practicing healthy communication and active listening skills. Aside from meditation, Jon mentioned that being an honest communicator and active listener can create better relationships with the other members of our community, our friends, our family and our partners/spouses/significant others.
All in all, it was an interesting and “enlightening” evening. Now I am just going to do some stretches and take a hot bath to soothe my sore muscles.
