AZ, with her wily ways, has gotten me exercising again. It's proving to be beneficial all around. Setting aside the physical benefits, one of the greatest benefits has been the mental checkout/checkin one gets to do - on a machine or in the pool I find myself falling into old quasi-zen practices of breath counting or stroke counting, concentrating on the body and its reactions to its own movements ("why does my left arm not extend as smoothly on the backstroke as my right?"). After a session, I find that I've opened some new mental space that can get constricted over the course of the day.

I've developed a morning exercise of sorts as well, also courtesy of AZ. Each morning I get a copy of e-verse radio in my inbox. It includes a couple quotes, a poem, and some lighthearted lists. It's a perfect five minute read while sipping coffee and clearing your head practice - the mental check-in is the anti-zen, but the mental refreshment is welcome. Recommended.

Posted by esinclai at February 14, 2006 09:50 PM |