It’s ironic. My last post, a million years ago, was how I could not stop doing yoga, once I started a practice.
And then, I stopped! Ha! And then, stopped blogging because since I stopped practicing regularly I couldn’t really talk about THAT. Well I could, but I felt sort of ashamed. But nonetheless, I am [...]

So, what does courage tempered by wisdom look like? How is it different from the kind of courage that prompts our friends to say “You’re so brave!” when what they’re really thinking is “You’re so out of your mind!” Yoga set me on a path of awareness and self-discovery. As I’ve walked along this path, I’ve learned the value of doing things that make me uncomfortable. When I am uncomfortable, and I push myself to be in the moment and experience the discomfort rather than run away from the uncomfortable experience, I grow. And I learn a little something about myself.

I took my first yoga class in college.
It was the only class the pre-hubby and I could find that we could take together.
Bowling? Nope. Bad time.
Golf? Nope. Already filled.
So, off to yoga we went.
He was a trooper and did his best. However, I….. was hooked.

Everyone has a story about how they fell in love with running. Here’s mine. It’s long, just like a good training run on a Saturday morning… I usually don’t make New Year’s Resolutions, passing them off as trite, meaningless promises we make to ourselves but easily forget about when the hangover wears off and we’re faced with the reality of life again. “I’ll go the gym everyday, eat healthy and try to be a more positive person at work. And I’ll volunteer for Big Brothers/Big Sisters.” The first two weeks, we hit the gym every day, eat according to the Food Pyramid and grumble less at work. We call Big Brothers/Big Sisters for a brochure. By week four, we go to the gym twice a week, eat whatever we want to on the weekends

After completing a half marathon I was posed the question by my good friend Elaine, “Why would anyone run that far if they weren’t being chased?” I have since pondered that question and some days haven’t been able to come up with a good answer. However, after careful consideration, a few things have come to the forefront of my mind.

I was never an athlete. Not in elementary school. Not in middle school, and certainly not in high school where I actually earned my only “D”—in gym class. And when I say “earned,” I mean earned. I mean, you really have to work hard to get a “D” in gym. It’s not like any idiot can do it. I fondly recall skipping out on gym to do fun stuff like drive with my other hip friends to McDonald’s in my little fluorescent orange austin america to flip french fries on the hood and watch the birds gobble them up -

That is a really good question. Actually, I don’t even like to run….at least most of the time. Sometimes I feel like my body is in a big fight. My lungs, heart, or legs often cry out in protest and beg me to stop while in the process. So why do it then? For the simple fact that there are those days when running feels easy and effortless. Then I know why I run. I run because I can. And since I can I should.