Yoga

I went to my first class at a local Yoga Studio last Saturday.

I got some coupons for Christmas (I asked for them), and I finally got around to going. I had done yoga informally for a long time, mostly using videos and books, but I had never been to an actual studio.

I loved it!

The session was called "Yoga Basics", so it assumed some experience, but was not too advanced. It was 75 minutes of continuous movement, and became very strenuous for me. I was sweating like crazy by the end of it, and I left feeling like I had both a good workout and a relaxing meditative session. I think it is the feeling of relaxed invigoration that makes yoga different from other forms of exercise.

It was a lot different from doing it on my own, as the instructor kept everyone focused and moving, with no rest. Noone was listening to their mp3 players during this class! I really enjoyed it, and my muscles still feel worked, but not strained.

I really think yoga has a great ability to keep you healthy, in many ways. Yoga has been practiced for thousands of years, and predates most surviving forms of medicine.

My only regret is that I did not pursue a more formal practice years ago.

Florida (again)

We just came back from our second Florida Vacation since Christmas. This time we spent 5 days at Siesta Key, in the Sarasota area.

We really enjoyed the soft white sand beach, a world class beach; very wide and spacious.

My daughter and I made some sand sculptures, a big lizard and a butterfly decorated with seashells. Lots of people walking by were very impressed, and my daughter was quite proud of making them with her Daddy. It was cool to see them still there after a couple of days.

We spent a lot of time on the beach, with rented beach chairs and umbrellas. I got sunburned.

We also spent 2 days at the Magic Kingdom in Disneyworld, a first for me and my daughter. It was a good experience, mostly because the weather was great and it was not as crowded as I expected. We saw the parade and the fireworks, and went on a bunch of rides. Surprisingly enough, my 6 year old girls' favorite ride was the Speedway, where you get to drive cars around a track. You cans teer but a metal rod keeps them on track. She loved it and wanted to go back several times.

Disney is really all about illusion. MK seems like a really big place, but we took the steam train around the perimeter it only lasted about 10 minutes, with 3 stops. The place is architected such that you cannot see very far between the different areas, so it is hard to get much perspective, but the train ride reveals that it is quite a bit smaller than you would think.

All in all a good trip, and a great break from work and the snow.