Sunday, June 29, 2008
I slept in until 10:00 a.m. It was really warm in my room, despite the mega fan I had on all night. It’s crazy that there are very few places in the northwest with air conditioning. And it does get flippin hot here in the valley.
When I got out of bed, I put a load of laundry in, using cold water. I started sorting through some of my winter clothes, trying to figure out what I should keep, toss or give to Goodwill. Shortly into my work, I realized this was a much bigger job than I had anticipated. I took a break and went downstairs to grab a bite. I had half of the gluten-free focaccia. It was the perfect texture – almost like pizza crust. I was so psyched. I couldn’t believe it was gluten-free. It had halved grape tomatoes, red onion, mushrooms and herbs in the center with olive oil brushed across the top. I also had a small glass of lite orange juice and a few fresh strawberries – it is strawberry season! And I just love this season of abundance - so many great fruits and vegetables from local farms to enjoy!
After I got some decent sustenance, I hung a couple of pictures that I had been undecided about and finally decide to just put them up. I was satisfied.
I then finished my laundry and continued working on my project upstairs. It was really, really hot. I needed a break, so I put on my yoga gear, grabbed my mat, put some cucumber slices in my water bottle and filled it up, then headed up to Mt. Tabor to the Yoga Union studio. It is by no means convenient. But I love the energy of this place. It’s never over crowded like Yoga Pearl. There are bamboo floors, which I really prefer over the carpeted floor at Yoga Pearl. And it’s always a good crowd with more good energy. Today, at 3:30, was the Hot Flow class, a blend of their “hot” yoga class and their Vinyassa class. The temperature was up. A very bubbly twenty-something guy checked me in. He was the instructor for the class.
It was another intense workout. Ninety minutes of holding poses your body shouldn’t be able to contort into and I was sweating like crazy. I kept focusing on my breath, trying to keep myself in the moment, in each pose. When the class ended I felt incredibly energized. Everyone was very congenial after class, some people lingered to talk to a couple staff and I just liked the communal essence of this place.
I am happy that yoga is helping me to relax, energize, detox and sculpt my body. I can see a difference after the two classes I’ve gone to in the past week. I can’t believe I had been away from it for so long. What was I thinking?
By the time I got home it was raining. I took a shower to rinse off from the rigorous yoga workout. I washed my hair and rejuvenated from the Origins Salt Suds body wash.
By the time I got out, I could hear thunder rolling, which made my cat very nervous. I couldn’t recall experiencing a thunderstorm since I moved out here. I was pretty pumped. I love thunderstorms, which makes me think of home back east. There was lightening, too. For a few fuzzy moments I thought we might lose power, but not the case. The heavy rains eventually moved in and out and the thunder and lightening subsided. I felt some nostalgia for my former Virginia summers.
I finished the small focaccia with a salad and a glass of sweet-tart organic cran-lemonade. I lit some candles, in honor of thunderstorms past, and some “moss” incense. I sipped on more cucumber water and breathed in smooth and effortlessly. I got caught up on some writing while I watched some of the swimming Olympic trials and jumped up with excitement when Michael Phelps and Katie Hoff each broke a world record. I became nostalgic for the many years I swam competitively. I loved the 100 and 200 meter individual medley (comprised of, and in this order, butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and free style); the 50 and 100 meter butterfly; and the 50 and 100 meter breaststroke. I also loved swimming the individual medley relay, to which my sister and I swam on a relay team (I swam butterfly and she swam breaststroke), and not only did we win, we broke a pool record. I believe our record is still unbroken. Ah, the swim team days!
My project upstairs was nearly complete. I was done for the evening. I had all the windows open as the thunderstorms moved eastward and cool breezes circulated through my townhouse. It was refreshing! Finally, I could cool down.
