dream diary #103: the pillow-cabinet-pose puzzle

There are strange dreams that make you dig deep into your subconscious in vain. And then there are semi-strange dreams that simply mirror your mundane daytime preoccupations. This recent dream was a no-brainer. One of the Top Design Season 2 finalists, Preston Lee, already made a cameo in my dream a month ago (along with characters of a TV show I'm equally addicted to). These days, I cannot content myself watching TD reruns alone, I also watch the replays of the reruns, so I guess it's no surprise for one of the judges to play a starring role in another dream, now infused with excitement about going somewhere after a month's absence.

Here's how it went:

Margaret Russell, editor-in-chief of Elle Decor magazine was my yoga teacher. She was rather cross with the class because the students weren't working hard enough. After a stern talking-to, she shifted her mood to teach us a rather special pose. It involved a pillow and a cabinet, or more like... a box that's very similar to the one in Tori Amos' Little Earthquakes album cover. We're supposed to do an inversion inside the cabinet (box), pressing our bodies around the 4 sides of box, and propped by a pillow.

Margaret said, each individual's version of the pose is as unique as the individuals themselves, so she provided us with individual pillows and cabinets, that came with instructions. These instructions were supposed to be different for each person, which I thought Margaret deduced from her interactions with us. I was impressed and excited about what I will be learning, and a bit incredulous that someone world-renowned (though renowned in a different field altogether) taught at this center. I even whispered in a classmates' ear, "aren't we lucky we're being taught by the best?"

Soon, a lady from outside began to give us these props, calling each of our names. It's taking a while but I'm thinking, well, I shouldn't mind - this is as personalized as a class can get. In the midst of this, Margaret waved and called out to me by name, in Filipino, "don't leave yet!" which I'm not sure if (a)she thought I was getting impatient about the process (b)she meant not to leave the yoga center, because (in waking life) I was planning to take classes elsewhere (nearer to home) after my 1-year enrollment expires next month. In my mind, I know I'll still come to this center even just occasionally, having felt a sense of community here. And all the more reason to do so, with no less than Margaret Russell in the faculty.

My pillow and cabinet were one of the last ones to be distributed. I was puzzled to see that they were no different from my classmates', even down to the embroidered pillowcases. I absolutely adored the embroidery that resembled those on peasant blouses, but all I could think about was, "what in the world was the fuss about it being personalized all about?" I peeled off the a piece of paper from the pillow-wrappings, hoping that the essence really came from the instructions on how to do the pose, but there was nothing there except for a manual on how to put on the pillowcases.

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* Photos courtesy of Design*Sponge (Margaret Russell) and Wikipedia (Little Earthquakes).