befogged

Well, they were intended to be white, but… I can forgive lilies quite a bit really. Especially when they have rewarded my patience en masse and so prettily. I wonder if they’d mind having a chat with the irises for me…

As I mentioned earlier this month, I was keen to take up yoga again after never having established a really strong routine, so last weekend I went along to a first-thing-on-Saturday class and remembered all over again just how good a class can be when the teacher is good. It was a nice balance between the physical and the more spiritual aspects of yoga. I’ll definitely go again, although I didn’t yesterday morning as we were out for dinner with friends the previous night and while I was up well before the 8am start time I’m not sure inversions would have been a brilliant idea!

I have, though, found some excellent online resources which are making the doing-it-at-home thing more interesting. There are a few free video podcasts to be found, including a good one at YOGAmazing. It makes it much easier than using a book (you don’t have to pause to read or to turn the page) and there’s less likelihood of getting bored with a set dvd (I had a video that I did every day for a while, but once you’ve memorised everything the instructor says it does start to get a bit tedious!). There’s also a full length free daily class at Yoga Today, which looks very good but isn’t downloadable (although there is an archive).

I’m still keeping up with going to the gym a reasonable amount, so between the two I am really starting to notice a difference in myself. My energy is much higher (though that could also be partly due to no longer being in a working environment which drained me), my stamina is noticeably improved, my heartrate is measurably lower, my upper body strength and balance are at least a bit less rubbish than they were previously, and, well, I’m more contented (that could be contributed to by the job as well, of course!).

As for today… well, I managed some in-home yoga, although I think it would have been rather easier in an air conditioned gym! Today was hot! We did go for a nice pub lunch with my folks and his folks, which we should really do more often, though.

This sprang from a forum discussion related to pride in one’s country, but I reckon it’s worth repeating.

Most people, I think, feel that there is a difference between loving one’s country and being proud of said country.

I love my country. I love the rolling hills, the history (by ‘history’ I mean ‘fascinating historical heritage’, incidentally. Not ‘I just love everything this country has ever done at any point in its history’!), the ancient sites, the beautiful-yet-unassuming flora and fauna, I even love the weather, gods help me (and I say this on a miserably soggy day in what’s supposed to be the middle of summer)! I love the people, by and large. It’s home, and I am very grateful that it is my home.

I don’t have such love for my government and for its actions, and nor do I have pride in same. The government is paid, by myself and my countrypeople, to do a job to the best of their ability, and I will consider their performance, and therefore the actions of ‘This Country’ on the world stage, and judge accordingly with my vote. There’s a difference between ‘my country the home’ and ‘my country the political power’.

My new job is (from my perspective at least!) going swimmingly - I am just as busy, but I am much more relaxed and happier about it all, as are all of my new (old?) colleagues. Plus my calendar is no longer half filled with meetings before I’ve even started the week - we just, well, talk to each other. The joys of a smaller company!

Since, as anticipated, it’s proved such a good fresh start I decided it would make sense if I try to consider it a new start in various other ways, too.

So, after years of not managing to get my hands on a Round Tuit I have actually joined a gym. And have so far been going sufficiently often to make that as cost-effective as it would be to go to the local leisure centre.  Well, okay, jogging outdoors would be cheaper, but since I’ve spent my entire adult life completely failing to do any such thing and any sort of at-home exercise has only ever been sporadic at best I might as well be realistic and consider the financial cost to be far offset by the health benefits.

Once I build up my fitness to a vaguely respectable degree (this may take some time! I have already lost several of the comfort-eating pounds I put on in my previous position, but my starting point on the fitness scale was probably a bit woeful for a 30 year old woman), there’s a pool and loads of classes, too, so I am hoping to pick up yoga again. What is it they say? Six weeks to make a habit, one to break it? Well, I’ll cross my fingers that I’m halfway to making a new one!

Which is just as well, as the gym contains showers, and thanks to a bit of an incident whereby the part of our kitchen ceiling that’s just below our shower decided that it would really prefer to sit on the floor ours is currently out of action. We do have a separate bath, thankfully, and we’re on the case with getting it sorted but for the time being I am considering the inconvenience of only being able to have a shower if I go to the gym an extra incentive to fitness!