Week 1 Physics: Introduction
for my bio I am copying what is posted from Week 1 Bio :)
Hello, nice to meet you, I'm Alex!
"Short bio"
I'm a second year student at ACCHS, I'm 29 years old and live in Oakland. I was born in Ohio but I grew up in Placerville, California. It's a nice mountain town that was very boring for me as a teenager, but now I really appreciate the fresh air when I visit!
Choosing to study acupuncture feels like a long, circuitous story, so I'm not gonna go there! But basically, a lot of things coalesced and it made a lot of sense to me! I knew I wanted to help people and that I wanted to choose a field that I could potentially study for life! Chinese Medicine is so deep and there's many directions one can go, so I feel like I've made the right choice in that regard.
I studied anthropology at SF State where I met my husband. After graduating from there in 2013 I moved to Russia for two years - to Siberia! That was one of the best experiences of my life and I really hope to go back soon, and now some of my best friends are from there :)
Interests - well right now I don't have a lot of time for hobbies and what not, but when I do: music, concerts!, cooking, food in general (really, I love to eat), baking!, reading sometimes, watching period dramas while drinking tea, playing volleyball!, tarot, etc.
Response to this week's class:
This quote by Albert Einstein: "most of the fundamental ideas of science are essentially simple, and may, as a rule, be expressed in a language comprehensible to everyone" is very encouraging to me. It means that I could possible understand some of these complicated theories in Physics which I already assume are too "beyond" me. For example, our professor's definition of gravity as, "a distortion of space/time by a large, heavy ball" -- that's a definition of gravity I can grasp!
I liked hearing about the ways in which time felt fast or slow to everyone and there was a lot of similarities in experiences of that such as time feeling fast when in a urban environment. I was also really intrigued about Larry's comment on the aura we emit and how that energetic field is smaller in an urban environment versus perhaps the country. I had just spent the last two days in a pretty rural environment visiting family and I really did feel much slower there compared to Oakland. I view containing our field as a real skill, one I'm trying to learn more and more. I remember first moving to SF/Oakland six years ago and easily feeling vulnerable. In the city vs. the country I can feel myself close up a little and even "harden" (I don't know how to explain it very well!). There's a push and pull between opening up in order to empathize and have a genuine connection to people and closing off in order to protect my own boundaries and just be safe! So I find that city life presents a different experience of time and energy in fact.
Other thoughts... I had a hard time following all concepts. I really enjoyed people's questions and comments. I'm looking forward to potentially being able to explain these concepts to a 14 year old! that's how it needs to be explained to me :),
Have a great week!, Alex
Hello, nice to meet you, I'm Alex!
"Short bio"
I'm a second year student at ACCHS, I'm 29 years old and live in Oakland. I was born in Ohio but I grew up in Placerville, California. It's a nice mountain town that was very boring for me as a teenager, but now I really appreciate the fresh air when I visit!
Choosing to study acupuncture feels like a long, circuitous story, so I'm not gonna go there! But basically, a lot of things coalesced and it made a lot of sense to me! I knew I wanted to help people and that I wanted to choose a field that I could potentially study for life! Chinese Medicine is so deep and there's many directions one can go, so I feel like I've made the right choice in that regard.
I studied anthropology at SF State where I met my husband. After graduating from there in 2013 I moved to Russia for two years - to Siberia! That was one of the best experiences of my life and I really hope to go back soon, and now some of my best friends are from there :)
Interests - well right now I don't have a lot of time for hobbies and what not, but when I do: music, concerts!, cooking, food in general (really, I love to eat), baking!, reading sometimes, watching period dramas while drinking tea, playing volleyball!, tarot, etc.
Response to this week's class:
This quote by Albert Einstein: "most of the fundamental ideas of science are essentially simple, and may, as a rule, be expressed in a language comprehensible to everyone" is very encouraging to me. It means that I could possible understand some of these complicated theories in Physics which I already assume are too "beyond" me. For example, our professor's definition of gravity as, "a distortion of space/time by a large, heavy ball" -- that's a definition of gravity I can grasp!
I liked hearing about the ways in which time felt fast or slow to everyone and there was a lot of similarities in experiences of that such as time feeling fast when in a urban environment. I was also really intrigued about Larry's comment on the aura we emit and how that energetic field is smaller in an urban environment versus perhaps the country. I had just spent the last two days in a pretty rural environment visiting family and I really did feel much slower there compared to Oakland. I view containing our field as a real skill, one I'm trying to learn more and more. I remember first moving to SF/Oakland six years ago and easily feeling vulnerable. In the city vs. the country I can feel myself close up a little and even "harden" (I don't know how to explain it very well!). There's a push and pull between opening up in order to empathize and have a genuine connection to people and closing off in order to protect my own boundaries and just be safe! So I find that city life presents a different experience of time and energy in fact.
Other thoughts... I had a hard time following all concepts. I really enjoyed people's questions and comments. I'm looking forward to potentially being able to explain these concepts to a 14 year old! that's how it needs to be explained to me :),
Have a great week!, Alex
Hi Alex,
ReplyDeleteI resonate with you in the need to have physics explained to me as one would explain the concepts to a 14 year old! I have worked with youth for over a decade, and teenagers are one of my favorite age groups to work with. I have always felt when I have been able to teach youth different concepts of biology and natural medicine in an engaging and empowering way, then I have succeeded as a teacher! The young folks I have worked with have helped me to measure how well I myself can understand a concept and make it accessible to others. I also loved Albert Einsteins quote along this vein, and feel hopeful as well that this class can help all of us understand physics concepts in clear ways that may have otherwise felt intangible. I look forward to taking this class with you!
- Elokin
Hi Elokin!
DeleteThat's very cool! I used to work with some teens as well, teaching English. They were SO fun and funny :) if it weren't for those guys I wouldn't know what something like past present continuous tense was probably!
It sounds like you were a very successful teacher :)
Hi Alex,
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing in your post. I have also experienced the difference in the perception of time living in the urban versus rural environment. I recall moments when living in the country that I realized I had forgotten about time completely; I believe those are moments of liberation.
Now that I am back in the urban space, I also toy with the balance that you mentioned of staying open to connection with other people while protecting myself from injury or energy drain. There is so much stimulus in the city! It feels like time can speed up infinitely in the city and sweep you off your feet if you don't put on the brakes. I have felt my aura shrink in the urban environment over time, as Larry mentioned in class. After four years living in a big city for college, I moved to the country. With each passing day I felt my spirit growing stronger. I felt as though I was becoming myself again, like a force had activated within me that drew back the pieces of myself that had been scattered all over the city. I was becoming whole again.
This time I want to be more conscious of what is happening to me in the urban environment and employ strategies to stay strong and move slow. I was inspired walking away from the first day of classes last week. I really enjoyed the relaxed and open energy of our teacher and classmates. I feel that our school can act as an anchor of calm. I also want to make time to regularly visit quieter spaces, whether it be venturing out to rural natural areas or simply visiting the sanctuaries that exist within the the urban sprawl such as gardens, parks and peaceful gatherings.
I also enjoyed the questions and comments of our classmates. I am looking forward to connecting and learning from you all!
-Amy
Hi Amy :)
DeleteI also want to make time to connect with nature more. If you have favorite spots please share :) Sometimes I go to Tilden park, also, the Mountain View Cemetery in Piedmont is so lovely. I don't really go often enough.
That's pretty cool that you have this previous experience to look back on, on living in an urban environment and how being in the country helped to rebuild it :)
Our school certainly has its own flow. We had some great herbs classes where we meditated at the beginning of each class, every week! I really wouldn't mind if we had this for every class at our school :))