Monthly Archives: December 2007

Happy New Year everyone! Here’s a link for a free track from Regina Spektor. (You’ll need iTunes to download it.)

My dear acquaintance, it’s so good to know you
For strength of your hand
That is loving and giving
And a happy new year
With love overflowing
With joy in our hearts
For the blessed new year

Raise your glass and we’ll have a cheer
For us all who are gathered here
And a happy new year to all that is living
To all that is gentle, kind, and forgiving
Raise your glass and we’ll have a cheer
My dear acquaintance, a happy new year

All of those who are hither and yonder
With love in our hearts
We grow fonder and fonder
Hail to those who we hold so dear
And hail to those who are gathered here

And a happy new year to all that is living
To all that is gentle, young, and forgiving
Raise your glass and we’ll have a cheer
My dear acquaintance, a happy new year
Happy new year!

I’m currently listening to a really interesting interview on Face the Nation: Science Friday about body mapping, and how your mind understands your body.

You can find out more about what they’re talking about here.

It’s pretty neat stuff. One of the things they have talked about is how imagining in your mind doing something physical – doing visualization – can increase the success of physical training. That isn’t anything new, but I guess it’s been proven through experimentation. I’ve experienced this myself in dancing and running. When I imagine myself completing a race or performing a move, it’s almost like practicing, and I always perform better. Visualization is actually really powerful as I’ve experienced it.

Another thing they mentioned which is also familiar to me is how people can be very physically agile at some things like skiing or ballet, but still be utterly clumsy in their day-to-day life. We apparently have lots of different ways to “map” our bodies and our movement and spatial understanding. Our sense of our bodies even extend beyond our actual skin into the clothes we wear – so our understanding of our bodies in a pair of skis or a leotard and tights could be completely different than when we have on our street shoes and clothes.

That’s just a little bit of it. Anyhow, it’s been a neat discussion.

In other news, starting tomorrow I will be off work until January 2nd! It’s very exciting to work in an office that closes down between Christmas and New Year’s. I still haven’t solidified all of my plans, but I’ll probably be staying in the Northeast.

Here’s my wish for the happiest of holidays to you all.