WORKOUT

Important to work the body as well as the mind in this strange circumstance in which we find ourselves. We have been walking almost daily, up to a mile-and-a-half, two miles. Living in the hills, as we do, adds to the physical effort involved, and we enjoy both the neighboring streets and, far off, the vista of the still snow-capped San Bernardino Mountains. We also enjoy running into neighbors--some we know, some we are still getting to know--often with their dogs in tow, or towed along by their dogs. Almost everyone has at least a friendly wave, or stops to chat from the regulation six-foot distance.

This morning I chose a shorter walk--seven tenths of a mile, according to my iPhone--in anticipation of a half hour session with Charles, the friend I work out with at the gym in normal times. He guides me through a fairly rigorous program on Zoom--more rigorous than I can manage by myself--using a set of weights left over from younger years and unearthed from the back of a closet where they had long remained neglected. The sessions are a welcome respite from the days' other routines, and they do help me to maintain the physical strength I need to stay fit in older years.

The exercise is an important complement to meditation. It is, indeed, a kind of meditation in itself, because it requires full attention to both breath and body. I try to work out at least three times a week, in addition to the daily walks; but I have to confess that there are times when it's the last thing I want to do. The body proposes, instead, a nice day of rest. And sometimes I succumb. And sometimes not.