Two Years In The Making

I still remember why I got into this, all because I've never been a sporty person in my entire life. One day as I hit my thirties I decided I cannot just vegetate and let the pounds pile up. I picked up a racket from Toby's and has not looked back. To say that I enjoy it is an understatement, because I do it at least 4 hours a week. Badminton made me want to improve; even if progress was slow, I always try to get better.

I have only played with Mike less than twenty times, as he is a good player and plays with a regular group in QC called DropZone, but I enjoy his competitive spirit. He gets frustrated at times,with me, or with himself, but I'd rather play with someone who wants to win. Aside from this and having the same circle of friends (his friends actually just adopted me), we actually have one more thing in common, we play to maintain our eating habits. Tsk tsk. We regretfully agree that we will try to lose weight in order to have more endurance and power.




Thanks Mike for the 1st runner up moment. Let's go for gold next time!

Badminton class 2

My wrist and lower arm are still sore from just the forehand lessons taken from badminton class 1,and im back again today for a second serving. At P550 per class (court fee/personel trainer), it is expensive for me, but i said i want to make sports a priority this year so i do it anyway. The first lesson focused on the proper grip, form, and one on one practice on hitting the shuttlecocks across the net. For today's class, Godo makes me hit the cocks with more snap and follow-through. I began to see the difference between the hits with an outstretched arm,loose grip, snap and followthrough. If i were more relaxed, i could actually hear the snap coming out of, gasp, my racket and i wonder if it was partly due to my new Prince in Pink racket or my newfound proper form and technique. I figured its a combination of all. My problem is really my arm,most often its not stretched and too uptight. I learned to change it this session. Godo then begins to hit me with forehand and backhand throws, and i keep pausing after 20; i'm sweating from all over, including my singit and inner thighs,catching my breath and sipping water. I hit them all and Godo is pleased. I'm so looking forward to the next one., but i've to work on my endurance. ....i find interesting allies on badminton this week. A 50 year old bachelor who texts like a starstruck teenager with the me, u, grammar and spelling, telling me where to buy my stuff and get the best rates, a 23 yr old potential badminton buddy from the office, a colleague who asked me to help in a fundraising tournament for her friend's kidney tranplant,an ex, sister,brother and friends. Life goes on after all. Indeed.

Badminton

I hook up with F, and he connects me with an instructor for my badminton session next sunday. My sister and i will have our session next week. The cost:P300 per head for 2 hours, plus court rental. F reminds me i have to get the proper shoes. Damage:P2,500 minimum, a yonex will cost P4,990. What the heck, i am making health a priority, so i will try this new sports. My sister asks jokingly if we can rent the shoes,similar to bowling. I'm thinking along the same line-it is going to be a commitment to be buying those shoes. I'm not ready to commit.

Yoga Talk Today, Road Trip Tomorrow

My 7-day yoga trial session ends today. As usual, my entire body yells in pain while my mind screams torture. I do not understand why I do this except it makes me blot out everything for 90 minutes, and I sweat horribly, smudging my vision and smearing the laminated floor. I try to concentrate on my breathing as I hear the frantic beating of my heart after each posture, straining my body to levels I've never done before, putting all my weight in one foot while lifting the other leg up in the air while I squeeze all air out of my abdomen and chest.

At the end of the session, Tessa Prieto- Valdez chats me up, telling me not to use the freight elevator, while I compliment her on her still colorful, yet normal clothing. She laughs and tells me she sometimes wears rhinestones just so she can have something to focus on in class. She's very friendly, and tells me to enjoy my sunday while she heads out to the entrance, and I take the exit door.

I walk out the door feeling lighter and in spite the fact that I am alone and I do things on my own, I didn't feel lonely today. Because today I ran errands, then exercised, went to church, and saw my aunt and uncle who visited me at home, making an effort to make me happy, in spite their troubles.
Because last Friday I was with the company of great friends, friends who will keep me company. There are more events, movie nights, beer or wine nights to look forward to.
Because Saturday was spent delighting my niece and nephew, playing in the park, and yet seeing more friends at the Salcedo market for lunch. There will be many more Saturday mornings as wonderful as these.
Because I have a work which I look forward to- no fears!

Because there are many great days ahead. Time alone is a self-discovery. A path to growth.

I am taking a roadtrip to Batangas one of these weekends, taking the western Batangas road from Nasugbu to Agoncillo. I will do this alone, I can cry if I want to, laugh at myself and sing as loud as I want to along with the music I'll play on the cd player. Time heals. Travel is a therapy.

Where the road leads to, no one knows. Life, like they say, is an adventure.

And oh yes, I'm taking the 30-day yoga challenge.

Bikram Yoga

Driving with an open itinerary, I decided to enjoy this Sunday outside with some plans and then none. There were the errands- the bills to pay and the haircut, which were done last week-now the waxing, facials and some office work were in the to-do list today. I needed to take on something difficult, just to take my mind off of things. I did several social interactions the past month, albeit with some difficulty. I still preferred the safety and familiarity of the company of really good friends.

With only half the day gone, and only an address in hand, I find myself driving to my favorite playground, Makati, to look for the Bikram Yoga place in Salcedo (www.bikramyogamanila.com). With a good 30 minutes ahead, I lay my mat at the farthest end of the room (beginner’s place) and wait as Hilary, our yoga teacher sits me down to give an introduction to yoga. With breathing position done, she informs me I will be in a heated room (38 to 48 degrees Celsius) and can’t take water breaks in between postures (ashtana) and I am to expect straight breathing exercises in the first 25 minutes of the program.

With this, I enter the room, composed mostly of women in their 20s, 30s and 40s, and only with 2 guys- a foreigner wearing only a swimming trunk and a man probably around my age. We were 33 attendees in all, and I am the only beginner in the class.
Within 5 minutes I am sweating like a pig. We all were. Putting my weight on my left foot, then all on my right while stretching, reaching for the ceiling, lengthening my spine, bending my back, tucking in all my ten fingers under the heel, angling my left toe to touch my right knee, twisting and pushing all the air out of my body, all I could think of was I can do this, this is hard, but I’ve never sweated this much in an hour of exercise.

Hilary was checking my position and breathing and calls out to the class how to point our toes up while immediately moving from a laying position to doing 2 sit ups. I say to myself I want to do this but an hour and a half seemed so long, and tiring. Before I knew it, Hilary tells the entire class I made it, and we are left with only the breathing exercises. The entire class claps their hand in support. What the heck, maybe I might consider the 30-day challenge if only to block out the sad, pitiful, depressing thoughts that slip in and out of my days and nights.


I can do this.
Little by little, I can let go.
Then maybe one day it will not hurt as much.
Maybe next week I will take a long drive somewhere.
Maybe one day I will not torture myself with questions.
Maybe one day when I look back those years were wonderful memories that meant something not just to me.
Maybe one day I will stop thinking.
Maybe one day I will live, and love again.