Easy Does It

Yesterday afternoon I went to a Vinyasa class taught by my new favorite instructor, Susan.

She is so well-spoken so I usually try and remember one thing that she says to us during class.  During a difficult series of postures, you can sense the collective groan.  Susan said to us (more or less), "Can you just try to enjoy the journey?"  Once again, Susan is right.  When you go to the gym, or go outside for a run, or go to a yoga class, do you always go into it optimistically?  Or is it an activity that you just have to "get through" or "get over with?"  When I plan my workouts and when I do my workouts, I do them because I "need to," but also because I crave that adrenaline rush.  The truth is, I don't need/have to do anything.  I don't HAVE to wake up at 5:15 in the morning to get to a spin class.  I hope I can change my intention for my workouts and I would change it to this: You are healthy and injury-free and you GET to run/do yoga/swim/lift weights/spin.  You GET to build your strength/endurance/balance/speed.  ENJOY the time that you spend taking care of yourself! 

I think my constant need to do this or that physical activity goes along with my constant need to be productive.  There are some things about myself that I can change, but productivity is probably not one of them.  If I'm at home and watching tv, I'm up during every commercial break to put something away or pack my workout bag or clean something.  There is a new post on zenhabits that talks about busyness which really speaks to me.  It begins:

"If there is any one indication that life is best lived slowly, it’s that among all of the busyness, racing to fulfill tasks and rushing to complete goals, there is one race that nobody wants to finish first: the race of life itself."

I love the point they make when they say that in a constant state of productivity, when you're racing towards an invisible finish line, you will realize that that finish line will never come.

"And considering that take so many measures to prolong the length of our lives and increase the quality of them, wouldn’t it logically follow that we ought to slow down each and every day, and escape this senseless “race” mentality?"

So, maybe I need to stop trying to zip through a yoga series just so I can rest.  I need to stop looking at the clock in spin class and just keep riding.  The journey deserves to be enjoyed! Yes, I might feel some discomfort or fatigue, but I'm a strong woman - I can handle it!

Check out the Start Slow entry on zenhabits...it's very inspiring!