WALK LIKE AN EGYP......

A couple of weeks ago I came across an event for Breast Cancer research. Avon is hosting a walking marathon (26.3 miles + 13.1 miles) to raise funds for cancer research. One walk in each state. Houston will be hosting it for Texas, in April.

I know, there are fundraisers and charity events going on pretty much every weekend in one place or another. And the larger the city, the more frequent the events. For this one, however, I chose to throw my name into the pot. My first reason, as shallow as it was, brought me the motivation I sorely needed to get off my keester and move. Sure, I move daily through my yoga practices and classes, but as anybody knows, holding Virabadrasana II for 3 minutes does not give the same benefits as walking 10 miles in the morning. So my initial motivation actually had very little if nothing to do with curing cancer and more to do with body image - internally and externally.

After I got to sharing the info with my friends and family I came to fully acknowledge the fact that the people developing cancer need as much help as they can get. There's no guarantee that before I die, I won't have already lost a family member to the ravages of cancer or cancer related illnesses. If there is something I can do to help prevent that, by golly I'm going to do it.

This thought process brings me to this morning. Steeped in my "walking" training. Irene, a fellow cool chic and one I hope to call friend someday, joined me for the first time. We haven't talked much, but this morning offered us a chance to get to know one another better. Come to find out, our scheduled morning walk was getting rained out (more like drizzled out) and we were both feeling bad for the other for not creating a better situation. HA. As if we had some ability to control the weather and the mind-set of the other. It was one of the sweetest gestures thrown my way and I dearly appreciated it. So on that note, we took a walk in the rain. 4 miles, 1 hour. Neither of us had any decent rain gear to speak of, but the rain was warm and soft, as if it was already June.

Even though I walk nearly everyday getting ready for this event, Irene and I had been planning this Wednesday walk for a week. And wouldn't you know it, the very second we stopped stretching and stepped onto the pavement, it started to rain. Right there on our parade. All we could do was invoke our yoginis from within and roll with the punches. Be present, be flexible.

Rather than fight the drizzle and rain, complain about the unfortunate circumstances, we invited it and embraced the time we had to share with one another. Plus, it sure did make tea time more enjoyable afterwards; green tea and mint spiked with honey, mmmmm :)