Namaste

I used to be athletic. It’s true. But somewhere along my way, fitness and I just weren’t working out. We had to break up. I was cheating on it with fatty food and laziness. But every now and then fitness and I run into each other, we chat, and there’s chemistry just like old times…then laziness stops by, and its seduction is just too hard to resist.

I found myself last night putting off doing my yoga routine for no apparent reason. I was a little tired, a little hungry, and frankly listening to my Zune and filling out MySpace surveys sounded a lot more appealing than downward dog. So I made myself a light dinner (okay, I cheated, it was a frozen entrée and rice) and sat down to finish watching an episode of the Sopranos. About five minutes into the show and three bites into my meal, I felt guilty. Five days into the New Year and I’m already giving up? This is not a philosophy I want to live by.

So I put on my yoga pants, rolled out my mat, and kicked my cat out of the apartment. 10 minutes into the routine I noticed I was holding warrior two stronger than I had been in the past. I was even able to do the side plank pose unmodified! I was hit with a rush of adrenaline. I could feel my muscles working hard to support my body, my heart rate increasing, the calories burning, there may have even been a bead of precipitation forming along my hairline (I wouldn’t know, I don’t really sweat).

Afterward, I felt amazing. I was left with that natural high you can really only achieve by knowing you just kicked your own ass. Finally I have felt the benefits of exercise without the pain of sore muscles, the cost of gym memberships, or the embarrassment of being out of breath six steps into a jog. Yoga has brought me peace with fitness. Sorry laziness, it’s over between you and me.