personal trainer

with pup finally having such a long streak of great health, i have time to work on myself. in addition to my weekend hikes, I Have Begun Yoga.

through some health promotion at work, i won a free yoga mat, strap, block, elasto-thingy and a Video Tape. it must be left over from the nineties, but hey, it was free... so for the last week, i have come home from my cube, tended to her pupness, and plopped myself onto the rubberized mat. i have twisted my star, opened my big beautiful heart, and squoze the earth with my elbows.

pup has always had a habit of coming to me mid-meal, slobbery with kibble, and reported her pleasure with her meal by sharing a *bh-hhuuurkp* and a *blink*. she has continued during my yoga sessions. luckily rubber cleans easily.

by the time i reach the abdominal section, she has finished her meal, and thus begins her coaching. she seems to know that if she stands over me as i do cruches of various sorts, and sniffs my forehead with her face all sloshed forward, i will begin to giggle and therefore double my workout. and i think her contribution has upped my results. celebrity types never had it so good.

in other news, the snow continues, the temp is single-digit, and i have my christmas tree! my hike yesterday was gorgeous - cloudy, in the twenties so not too painful, and a beautiful light snow the whole time. i got a lead on some cheap used cross country ski equipment, so maybe after christmas i'll treat myself. if not, i'm happy just to hike, or maybe snowshoe. i do love just being outside - it clears my mind, helps me focus, gets me back to myself. isn't it odd how we can lose ourselves? is that from doing what we have to do rather than what we're born to do? what a beautiful world we'd have if everyone were doing exactly what they were born to do.

xxoo