"I'm still here," said Piglet.

"Wisdom, Happiness, and Courage are not waiting somewhere out beyond sight at the end of a straight line; they're part of a continuous cycle that begins right here. They're not only the ending, but the beginning as well."-- Benjamin Hoff, The Tao of Pooh

Last night, we concluded "Season Two" of YogaQuest, with a special "yoga in the park" outing.  Despite an extraordinary number of caterpillars creeping about, on and around our mats, it was a great experience.  The weather was perfect for spending some time outdoors, and the camaraderie in the group after two "seasons" of questing is a genuine pleasure.

One thing this "season" brought me was a much better sense of balance.  I'd struggled with that during the first season, but have begun to see some definite improvements in that area.  Much of that can be attributed to the frequent use of Half-Moon as our "space" pose (we were traveling in Time and Space, in a blue box... hee hee).  The first time we did it, I didn't think I'd manage to stay balanced in that pose, but we've done it so many times now, I'm able to do it without wobbling around all over the place.  It's nice to have appreciable gains to report!

I've been very focused lately, and have been making great progress on several fronts.  My evening bike rides with Xena are part of my daily routine, and I've actually been enjoying them again (for a while there, it was a struggle just to get on the bike -- the seasonal allergies threw me for a loop, and I just wasn't feeling it).  Even on the days when I have yoga or Aikido, I still make room in my day for that bike ride, because I know I feel so much better on the days when I do.  My sleep is much more productive, and restful, and I wake up ready to kick ass all over the place.  I've also dropped about 10 pounds in the last couple of weeks, and I'm sure the uptick in consistency in my physical activity has a great deal to do with that.  Here's to keeping that going...

A revelation this week: I am having a lot of fun right now.  My life is pretty great.  I think as adults, we get so focused on work, and serious things, and relationships, and divorces, and contemplating our mortality, and paying bills, and wrestling with whatever else life throws at us, we forget how to PLAY.  We lose sight of the tremendous fun there is to be had in goofing around, laughing with friends, moving our bodies, making the most of the whole experience of being human.  Tuesday night, I blew off a lot of steam at my Aikido Bokken class, swinging my bokken and hearing that satisfying clunk of one wooden sword on another.  I remembered the tricky cuts that have tended to trip me up, and was able to execute them with only a couple of minor flubs.  When I got home from class (the last in this series, waah), I couldn't help but have one of those moments of intense joy and contentment as I realized, "Whoa!  This is my life!  And I like it!"  And it isn't because of anyone other than me -- I'm simply BEING, and finding that tremendously satisfying.  My happiness isn't contingent on anything or anyone.  It just is.  And that's pretty cool.

“I’m still here;” said Piglet.
“Oh – so you are.” “I enjoyed the stories.” “That’s good:”
“They helped me to – reflect on things.”
“Things?” Such as “Fear.”

“Well, I’m going out on a walk, to do some thinking. I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Right you are. Have a pleasant time.”--Benjamin Hoff, The Te of Piglet