Morning Glory

I’m developing a new habit. It’s an addiction of sorts. And believe me, I never thought I would fall prey to this kind of activity, but it is so refreshing and exhilarating that I find myself wondering how I stayed away from it for so long.

I’m exercising!

It’s not that I’ve never worked out before. In fact, I’ve been taking 30-minute walks on a daily basis since the spring. But now…now I’m getting up before the sun to head to a gym and do an hour of the unthinkable. I’m spinning. Let me explain. These spin classes are the most excruciating form of cardio that’s been dreamed up to date. This is all in my opinion of course.

To spin, you perch on the narrow and rigid seat of a stationery bicycle and, then you spin the wheel by peddling ferociously. The best part is increasing the tension of the wheel at intervals dictated by the instructor. Turning that wheel to the right makes it more and more difficult to push those pedals in smooth rotations. For fun, the instructor asks you to simultaneously stand and pedal or jump up and down while pedaling. It’s an adventure every time, these sixty minutes of sweat.

The most surprising part is how much I enjoy the burn. But more than that I think it’s the awareness of becoming fully awake in my body, mind and spirit before starting my day. It’s dark when I wake up and dark when I descend into the train station to make my trip to the gym. It’s cold and the world is barely turning. The greater population is yawning as I climb out of the station and head for the athletic club. There is never more than a handful of participants in the class, but we’re there waking up. Honoring our temples. And it feels precisely like worship when we dismount the bikes and get in a full body stretch. This is the way to start the day. My muscles are elated when I hit the showers and when I head back out toward the train, the sun salutes me and my heart smiles. I feel blessed. I am alive.