Kayaking (and yoga)

I interrupt the promised food/diet post for this post on kayaking.  My boyfriend Bill and I decided to go kayaking today, despite the storm-threatening weather.  We just got kayaks (mine on loan) this past spring and it has turned into one of my favorite activities, mostly because of the absolute peace I feel on the water, but also because it is one of the few activities that he and I can do together.  For the most part, Bill is much more physically able than I am - he lifts heavier, runs faster, hikes longer, golfs (MUCH) better.

I am, however, pretty sure I could yoga-kick his butt.

This discrepancy in our physical abilities makes outdoor activities together somewhat difficult.  In our kayaks though, we are even.  This is due in large part to the fact  that my kayak is simply better, which allows me to paddle less and keep up with him...its like a built in handicap.  There is something really fulfilling about kayaking together across our local reservoir, stopping whenever we feel like it, taking whatever route sounds good, visiting whichever island looks inviting.  Today as we raced across the water trying to beat what we thought was a forming storm, the water splashing into my kayak and the wind blowing strong, I could not have been happier.

Then there is the peace of being on the water.  The absolute stillness that comes over me as I am gliding across the water.  Being out there is truly soothing and it allows my mind to wander and be calm in the same way yoga does - thoughts come and go, but nothing lingers long enough for me to dwell on it or try and solve it.  I love when the kayak is in a calm area and going strong - I particularly like paddling into the wind because it makes me feel like I am going faster, flying across the water.  But I also love when we stop and just float, chat a little.  These breaks are stolen moments that I rarely observe in every day life.  Each day we go and go and go and rarely stop to just be quiet together.  It is a fantastic peace.

* * *

On a somewhat unrelated note, as I prepare for a brief practice this afternoon, I am excited to share with you my new yoga journal!!

Whenever I start a new practice I set an intention.  Just one - peace, forgiveness, calm, focus, or whatever else I feel my soul is lacking at the moment.  I am interested in using this journal to write down what my intention is each day, to see if there is a pattern, to see what the result is.  I also plan on using this journal for my Sanskrit class - we actually have homework!  Since I am learning to not only say but write the Sanskrit alphabet, a fancy journal seems necessary... or at least better than the scraps of paper I used last class.