in it for life.

leslie — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:29:00 +0000

About a month ago, I was enjoying a woodsy walk with my mom, when she made a comment that has stuck with me ever since. [Parents seem to have this way of being natural fountains of wise words.] We were strolling through my hometown’s local trail, better known as “the valley,” a place that has been home to moments ranging from marathon training runs to wedding proposals. It is quiet and scenic, though that isn’t a difficult achievement in much of Connecticut.

My mother and I chatted under the trees, keeping up a brisk pace, warming ourselves with light, but still get-your-blood-flowing movement. Of course, I still have to smile when I walk without pain in my knees, and so, the topic came up in conversation. We mused about possible causes for the mostly reduced pain, and though we discussed the many remedies I tried, I kept coming back to one: yoga.

I bet that’s not a surprise. :)

As I commented that my muscles needed yoga’s stretch to keep the strain of tightness off my knees, as I mentioned that they needed the strength it builds to keep my kneecaps moving properly, as I mentioned that I needed something that made me feel awake, alive, humble, and powerful all at once, my mother said:

“So, I guess you’re in it for life.”

i think i’m into these colorful foods for life, too.

I’ve heard those words every day since she spoke them.

Without sounding too new-agey, I really feel that yoga has been they key factor in healing my injury. Last week, when I suddenly, as though it was completely natural, lifted up into an almost full wheel for the first time, I wondered, “When did this happen? Where did this strength come from?” It didn’t come from physical therapy, medical equipment, or the steroids my doctor failed to convince me to take. It came, quite simply, from a few hours a week on a mat.

I’ve realized when I don’t get enough yoga, my body can tell. It isn’t a feeling of want, the way I might desire the sweat of exercise [though that is always a nice craving, and one I feel often]. Instead, it is a necessity. For me, there is no walking without yoga. There is no climbing stairs. There is no running. There is no dancing. There is no movement. And as a city dweller, without movement, there is no life.

So, while I often say my future is uncertain, when it comes to yoga, I believe in my mother’s words. My body needs it; my mind wants it; and if I’ve come this far in six months, I can only imagine where I’ll be in six years. In it for life sounds perfect to me.

Is there an aspect of your lifestyle that you’re “in for life?” A form of exercise? A style of eating? A career? A relationship?

the whole plate. » knees

in it for life.