Self-propelled activities...and their gift of "balance".

 Yesterday evening and the last sun on Erskine Point, Saltspring Island.

In the evening, as the sun is setting behind the forested coastal mountains of Vancouver Island, the sea is often very calm. Paddling is easy. The mind is free to wander, to ponder, to contemplate...to drift. Very little attention is required to propel the kayak forward. You find yourself on "autopilot". You can get a lot of thinking done.

Earlier, however, the winds were brisk and the ride bumpy. It was exhilarating. The mind needed to focus a little more on maintaining balance - the kayak does occasionally like to go its own way. As following waves build and the distances between crests increase, the little boat likes to surf...some attention is required. Ah, but the release of adrenaline feels good and enhances the necessary focus.

Calm or "bumpy", it's all good.

We do, after all, need balance in life. We need times to simply "chill", to freewheel, to let go. These are fallow times, opportunities to take a deep breath and feel the restorative powers available to a body at (relative) rest. We also, however, need experiences that test us, that build stamina and endurance...that sharpen focus. These times challenge us and make us stronger, and more flexible.

That's why I think self-propelled physical activities are just about the best medicine of all - just by their very nature, they give balance to our often chaotic and topsy-turvy lives. And balance nurtures harmony. Besides, self-propelled activities are health-enhancing. Hard to see the down side of any of that.

So, once again, here's to movement. :)

Duncan.