I woke up this morning five - count them five - pounds lighter than yesterday. Spinning kicks your ass. But I also woke up pretty happy where I am. Its been a long journey. And very gradual. Ultimately, Im down 40 pounds, but that came over a decade (and the last pounds have been the hardest). Aside from being down 40 pounds, my balance, flexibility, strength, and coordination have improved significantly (the last still needs the most work; I still have massive bouts of klutziosis). I no longer have constant and excruciating pain and tension in my neck and shoulders. If Im not at my fitness goals, Im near. I have the 30-inch waist I resolved to have... if I suck my gut in. But if 31 is my limit, Im not complaining. My physical and mental health are back after giving them over for years to lack of exercise, binge eating and drinking, and sleepless nights studying and doing desk work. Know I dont plan on doing that again (at least unless theres a true and unavoidable emergency for a client). The loan I took out against my body and mind to achieve academic and career successes (and to be honest, some pure physical laziness) has been extraordinarily expensive to repay. This is one of the dark realities of the intellectual-industrial complex. They may pay it lip service, but at the end of the day your physical and mental health are not their highest priorities. You have to make time and manage them against the demands of desk work. Its not easy and they require not only dedication and good time management. You also have to negotiate and push back for space against some people that expect them to come out of time you just dont have if you do everything that they ask. Fortunately, I have had people I have been able to negotiate with and I am grateful to and for them. This afternoon Im grateful for the restoration of my physical health and mental balance. Im particularly grateful for the inspiration and assistance by Emily Buck, Carolina Castro, Grant Mattos, Lisa Elena Patino, Dalton Grant, Ezmeralda Stavroff, Joe Komar, Matthew Hill, Angela Granziera, and the rest of the Modo Yoga LA crew, and Lloyd Jowers as well as my workout buddy Gustavo and roommates who also double as workout buddies and fitness inspirations TJ Allen, April Davidson, and Lila Lucchetti. Thanks to my former missionary companion Kelly Ditto who first got me into fitness on the mission. And I have to give props to my still-young and getting younger parents Dana Dalebout Bowen and William Bowen for still being in condition to tear it up on the ski hill, and even having improved significantly after standard retirement age. Youre all the best! Couldnt have done it without you. Theres still work to do in this dimension of life as in others, but I will class myself as healthy for my age and thats a major victory in and of itself. Onward.
Posted on: Fri, 06 Jun 2014 20:56:09 +0000