The Alembika Team We welcome Frances Becker to the #Alembikawomen family, here are her answers to our 5 questions…
What do you do for work?
I want to say I have never really “had” to work, but I did when my former husband and I owned a design store, selling a broad range of merchandise. We were doing all the buying, I, the displays and ads and selling. I had danced all my life and eventually taught ballet and other forms of dance. However, I have most recently, over the last thirty five years, been an in-depth Yoga practitioner and teacher, this including classical Eastern Indian Prayer Dance. That being teaching the many different kinds of Yogas that the path holds. I lived in Budapest Hungary for fifteen years, starting just after the Iron Curtain was lifted. Having the privilege to work with people just coming out of the extreme experience of being held in an ultimate restrictive destructive ideology. And that time included working with Holocaust Survivors at the central Jewish Community Center for ten years. It all was a profound gift, especially the last part, which was a privilege.
What do you do when you don’t know what to do?
This is seldom the situation for me. My life has so many facets and things for me to do. Sometimes it is just a matter of whether I feel like “doing” or not. However, feeling I don’t know what to do would either take me to working with one of my many Yogic practices, perhaps working with dreams or another reflective focus to write about or perhaps just sitting still and observing my mind and listening. And I just might iron, reducing the pile of napkins and pillow cases.
What would you do if you had the whole day for yourself?
That is a rather moot question for me, as I now have had, for a very long time, the whole day for myself. Speaking of my present life and time, I continue to do my Yogic practices as I have for years, which includes much written reflective work, Mantra, and the physical Hatha and others. I draw, paint, sew, play my harp or piano and will cook or bake on occasion now. I interact with friends in various ways. There is much more.
What do you love most about being a woman?
I have always been happy that I am a female / woman. Now, at this point along my path, I enjoy the balance of my female intuitiveness, creating self along with owning my own intelligence and power.
What is the one piece of clothing you cannot live without?
That question I have to answer with a statement, that my work is to be able to live without whatever is necessary. The Yogic path is very much about non attachment. And just stating that I cannot live without something, says a myriad of things to me. It can imply that I could not continue living my life without something. Speech is powerful. It would take me into reflecting what and why the attachment being so strong. How is my self image involved in it and who am I without it?
However, what comes to mind in answering this, is my black leotard long sleeve, scoop neck tops. Most days I have one on in some form and I wear them with my various pieces of Alembika clothing, which are all involved with black. I have drawers full of other colors, but the black is a staple in my wardrobe.
