Body and Mind

First, a disclaimer: I am not being paid to mention any brands or services, nor am I recommending or endorsing them for anyone.  I mention them because they are part of my journey here in Pittsburgh as I find ways to improve my body and mind.

Since the last post, I’ve been laser focused on continuing to make my body the strongest, fittest, and healthiest it has ever been. I’ve also had time for some fun, a very important part of staying motivated in our goals as well as enjoying life in general.

What’s old is new again, in that now I am back to wearing glasses. Not full time like in my childhood and early adulthood, with the glasses and contact lens combo when I was severely near-sighted. I am like many fellow middle-aged people past, present, and future who need prescription reading glasses. Now reading the prints in books and working on the computer are much less stressful on my eyeballs. For the past year and some change, I was wondering why my eyes felt so sore at the end of the day. It’s amazing what a pair of glasses will do!

To complement my efforts in the gym, I’ve added stretching via StretchLab in the Strip. This is not the solo, perhaps five minutes of stretching we do before and after a workout. This is where a Flexologist stretches your limbs to improve flexibility, mobility, and balance during either 25- or 50-minute sessions. I’ve had chronic neck/shoulder tension and lower back pain as long as I can remember, so for me, I’m sticking with the 50-minute sessions for now.

After my very first session, I could feel improved blood circulation in my legs. After only two sessions, I feel less “constricted” and more flexible in my morning stretches before I hit the gym. And oh my, I’ve got greater range of motion in my neck; I thought those were long gone days!

In addition to the gym and the stretches, I also maintain my body through regular 30-minute facials every two weeks at Clean Your Dirty Face, also in the Strip. I recently experienced my very first NanoSculpt because there was a coupon for it in a kit I bought and – oh wow – does my skin continue to feel smooth three days later!

On a side note, I think there needs to be some discount agreement between these two brands for their employees. The estheticians work their bodies hard to provide us with quality facials. On busy days, they can be doing up to 13 facials. That’s a long time of being hunched over in just one day. In turn, they can provide the Flexologists with healthy, glowing skin. Just a thought :)

On Saturday, May 31st, the Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books was held at the main Carnegie Library in Oakland. I registered to listen to a talk with Rachel Khong, the author of Real Americans. The premise of the story piqued my interest, so I bought the book in anticipation of her talk. It was like listening to a kindred spirit as she discussed growing up in the U.S. as an immigrant and her writing process. It was an additional motivator for me to keep blogging and to share my journey with you, with the hope that you think to yourself, “if she can do it, of course I can, too!”

What helps strengthen both my body and mind are the long walks I take to get around the city. They are in addition to my time in the gym. These walks, despite being sometimes hectic with the cornucopia of noises and people on the streets, have helped to keep me in a state of equanimity. I am grateful to be able to walk to Point State Park and enjoy nature there, as well as views of the city, when my mind needs a greater connection with flora.

My earlier decades were spent figuring out my mind, asking and answering questions around existence, purpose, and meaning. It was also a time of gaining deeper knowledge about how we humans think through our existence and the power we have to shape our lives. I certainly don’t have all the answers now; I’m sure I never will. I am, however, in a place of calm in my mind space, which has been a lifetime coming.

This third volume of my existence is focused on my physical body. It’s my intention that, for however long I am permitted to be on this planet, my physical form can meet all & every challenge and maintain my mind & spirit in a healthy container. This is a choice I make, a promise I make to myself. Only I can do the work; there’s no magic pill that will give me the body I need for my third and fourth volumes.

What is your journey when it comes to your body and mind agility? Where has your focus been in the past? What is your focus now? Who and what hold you accountable for your results?

(Having some mind-bending fun at the Museum of Illusion in Pittsburgh :)