Swing

Today was a long wide swing.

The chasm I crossed from where I was last night to where I am tonight is staggering.  Last night I was really struggling, and that carried over into my yoga class this morning.  I had no energy, and I felt like my only victory was just showing up and doing it.  Mind you, I still count that as a victory, but I struggled through the entire class just the same.

After class I came home and slept another four hours.  Again, I had vivid dreams, which seems to be a pattern when I crash for several hours after a morning class of yoga.

After I woke up I had a huge lunch, only having had a very light breakfast.  It turns out I wouldn't have dinner either, but I'll get to that.

From waking up at noon until my class at 4:30, I could feel my energy building.  Afternoon yoga went really well.  I still had my focus on my core, and in just these few short days my back pain is almost entirely gone.  After I got out of yoga I felt great, drove to Tigard, and proceeded to dance for the next two and a half hours.

You might recall from my first post in this blog last Saturday, My First Thought, that I'd gone out dancing the night before.  Friday Night Fusion is something I try to go to every week.  It is an amazingly good time hosted by Robert Evans and Julia Box at The Ballroom Dance Company in Tigard, every Friday night from 7 to midnight.  They have a fundamentals lesson from 7 to 7:30, then an hour dance lesson from 7:30 to 8:30, and then open dancing until midnight, all for just $5, which includes a spread of snacks every week as well.  I don't know anywhere else you can get a lesson, 5 hours of dancing, and food for just five dollars.

Robert in the hat and striped socks, Julia in the blue dress.

Robert and Julia really are wonderful, they make everyone feel welcome, and they make learning to dance a lot of fun.  I get plenty of hugs and smiles every time I go.  I could have danced until midnight, if I wasn't trying to be responsible and get my blog post done and get some sleep before yoga in the morning, I felt that good.

Tonight was a lesson in East Coast Swing, triple steps and all.  Each week the lesson is in a different form of dance, and the concept of the group is to fuze different styles together, which is beautiful fun.

Last week, which I touched on only very briefly, was a lesson in zipper dancing, which I had never even heard of.  It is a form of co-lead dancing, and honestly made me feel like a kid.  It was wonderful.

I had my lunch a little after noon, which was the last time I really ate today.  I went straight from class to dancing, skipping dinner.  At dance I had a few big chunks of pineapple and a handful of strawberries, and I had plenty of energy.  I'm sure it is a combination of the paleo diet and the yoga, but ordinarily I would have crashed hard without having an evening meal.

One of the things that I have loved about doing this challenge is that I still have the energy to be excited about, and do things.  The rate at which I recover day in and day out is phenomenal.  I'm thankful to have made it this far in my challenge, and that my body is continuing to adapt to the rigor I have been subjecting it to.  The human body is an amazing thing.

Namaste.