Congrats to UConn on the big win. Here it is April and finally, March madness has it’s winner. It’s all about the boys of summer, now…I am looking forward to going to a Marlin game in a few weeks, with Mitch. Though I don’t really follow through the season, there is something about baseball that returns me to those youthful, carefree days. The sound of the crack of the bat, the voices of the announcers, the warmth in the air…the whole big picture is very peaceful.
I read a great article about container gardening this past weekend. Though, yes, I do have room to garden outdoors, I know many don’t. I also know that summer in Florida makes it way to hot to grow most things outdoors and I am considering doing a containerized patio garden. The article suggested using ANYTHING you might have around the house (like an old dresser drawer, a big bucket, a rubber wash tub, etc.) as the container. Or, one garden was simply potted veggies. They all looked great and not only take up little space, but can be moved. I loved the dresser drawer idea! Can probably find some drawers out and around on garbage day…just saying. Put a few holes in the bottom, fill with great soil and viola, a nicely containerized space to grow garden goodies. I do notice my outdoor garden literally starting to burn up, here when the days have reached close to 90. Tomatoes still seem to be doing OK, but not for much longer.
After a full day of work, I could not wait to jump (well, I don’t really jump, I walk) into the pool and swim, yesterday. Men’s Journal ran a great article last month about swimming smarter, instead of harder. The author made this great suggestion that really stuck with me. He suggested using the body to get more length out of each stroke by allowing the body to smoothly rotate a bit through the water with each stroke. In other words, when reaching with the left hand, the entire body rotates slightly to the right, all the way through the pelvis and then when reaching with the right hand, rotating to the left. One’s reach becomes inches longer, cutting down in the amount of strokes to go the same distance. To feel this, stand facing a wall and reach your left arm straight up. Then, allow your right pelvic bone to start to come off the wall as you start to pivot your entire body towards the right. See and feel how much higher you can reach with that left arm. If I have explained this correctly, it will be easy to feel the difference. Swimming like this not only cuts strokes off, but feels so much more graceful…and fish like! I actually start to feel like I am simply flowing WITH the water, not fighting against it. So much of our movement is dependent upon where our eyes look, which way our palms face and how our pelvis tips and rotates. My Pilates training taught me so much about exactly this. The human body is one incredible machine. I am in awe of it, every single day.
Today, I will end up doing a little bit of everything BUT swimming. I have been craving yoga lately, especially after an incredible article I read in Yoga Journal, last week. It was not the first time I read about prisoners benefiting from practicing yoga, and am always inspired after reading these stories. In this particular one, at the very end of the session, the instructor asks the participants, all hardcore prisoners, murders, rapists, some “lifers,” to try to get angry while keeping their muscles in the relaxed state they are in and they all agree, they just can’t. The participants, who originally wonder what “carrot” they might earn for agreeing to take the class, understand in the end, that yoga IS the carrot. There is not a one of us that can’t use more of that. Yoga, it’s peaceandfitness at it’s best!
Basketball, baseball, gardening, swimming, yoga…all carrots, literally and figuratively!
Again, thank you for a wonderful enlightening blog. I did want to “piggy-back” on what you mentioned about men and yoga. In one of my classes, a very “macho” student stated that he would not do yoga because it was “not manly.” Well…..as luck would have it, in the Sunday Sun Sentinel there was an article in Men’s Health stating that yoga was originally performed by men. There was even a photo of a man in the tree posture. When I brought the article to class, that particular student nodded his head and smiled. So…..the lesson to be learned is that “yes” real men can do yoga!! If only more magazine/newspaper advertisements and media would address that, I am sure more men would be interested.
Rita, I saw that article and definitely thought about our conversation! Also made you a copy of the yoga article I told you about. Did a lot of reading and watching about the back pain stuff…very, very interesting and it all makes sense to me! Love you
Bonni-
Loved reading this post. I could visualize flowing with the water as you described the swimming strokes. Makes me almost want to get in a pool…but I don’t have one, and I’m not crazy about swimming 🙂
Spring is in the air, baseball season has begun, basketball season is coming to a close and it’s time to spend more time outside in the garden, at the beach, in a park getting natural light (with sunscreen of course!), fresh air and exercise. Looking forward to changing my routine to incorporate a bit more yoga, tai chi and pilates! And who knows, maybe I’ll plant a container herb garden this spring!
Namaste~
Toi
Thanks for sharing. What a plesarue to read!