Time

Time is fickle, seemingly lopsided on the scales more often than not; it seems I always have too much or not enough. I rarely have the right amount of time for things. I suppose that’s just a matter of perspective and planning. We actually have all the time in the world for most things but rarely realize this until it’s too late. Procrastination destroys a lot of my time, which is a terrible; time is one of the most valuable things I possess.

It’s easy to ignore the time you’re given until its too late and in the face of failure say, “Oh! But I didn’t have enough time!” Obviously there are things out of our control, where we can earnestly blame the universe, but more often than not we have only ourselves to blame. I have much respect for those that live in the moment and make the most of time. To live wholly in the present and enjoy each and every moment as if it’s your last… this is incredibly hard to achieve but I think it’s something to strive for.

I may be exaggerating a bit; we do need to think of the future to make progress. We do need goals and things to strive for, long term pleasures, things above simple physical and mental pleasures. Some of the greatest satisfaction can come from years of effort and we need a bit of pain to make pleasure stand out all the brighter. One should try to enjoy the journey as much as possible without letting the destination consume you but also try not to forget the destination and risk losing your path while distracted by the scenery.

They aren’t kidding about the hot in Hot Yoga

I have slowly realized that many of my weaknesses and flaws with technique in kung fu can be traced to inflexibility in my calves. I often feel tightness in the back of my legs, from the knees down, while doing many exercises. A simple example is bending down to touch my toes, the pull in my calves is what limits me and I feel them staining more than anything. On my last hiking trip I felt weakness and stiffness in my calves and nowhere else. I believe this inflexibility is also responsible for the poor flexibility in my ankles when trying to pull my toes back or forward.

It took me much too long to realize this but at least I now have something I to work on so I can improve a range of problems I’ve been having. One of my self chosen goals for the UBBT was to work on improving the strength, flexibility and technique of my horse stance. To do that I’ll have to improve flexibility in my lower legs. I went to a hot yoga class tonight and learned some useful stretches. It was only the second time I’ve gone to a hot yoga class but I am going to try and go more often. It’s a fantastic workout and it’s perfect for improving flexibility, plus it’s a blast, in the o god this hurts, I’m going to pass out from the heat, kind of way. I find it hilarious that the bathing suit I wore and the towel I laid on were so completely saturated with sweat that they’d probably dry off if I tossed them into a swimming pool.

I’m going to develop a daily stretching routine focusing mainly on my legs and hips. I’m hoping this will help me improve a wide range of techniques.