Happy Halloween to all. It's been a little while since my last blog... I have been wanting to write about this interesting topic for a while and I finally found the time. Doing it in the dark or the light. So, this time I am not talking about sex. That would be an interesting free writing piece though. And the analysis would tell a lot more about me.
This is about exercising. Another fun and sweaty activity.
My exercise activities include jogging, spinning, yoga and Bikram hot yoga, and all of these are done in different lighting situations. And I think there must be a reason for each...And now I believe that we do many things in different lighting due to how we want to feel during the event.
For yoga, the lights are usually off or quite dim. I go to yoga to stretch, to build strength, and to relax by putting all my thoughts aside. The lights help me to get to a place where I still feel present in the moment yet allow myself to escape the everyday happenings that usually hold me back. When I go to yoga, I want to feel alive yet calm, and with the lights turned down, it helps my body to become a flowing entity one with peace yet thoughtful and alive.
For spinning, the lights are off and I couldn't figure out why. I needed to know where my peddles were, I needed to balance myself when we were jumping (and I thought the lights would help me?), I needed to see my instructor and mimic her moves since I can't hear her because of the loud music, and I needed to see my peers and see what they were doing. However after a lot of thought, I don't need the lights on. I actually prefer the darkness for this exercise. The darkness helps me to get to a place of self-imagination. Did I just make this phrase up? I place myself somewhere with a goal, a destination may it be or an attainable sustainable goal. I ride the course to get there and only concentrate on the work that is being used (that I am doing) to get there. I do not worry about competition, the way I might appear to someone looking in, nor the "leader" in front of the room.I do not worry, I just do it.
For Bikram Yoga, the lights, fluorescent lights, are turned on to the max! When I first entered in the room the lights were lower and then in walked the instructor who turned those bad boys on full force. I couldn't figure out why he did this. Then I finished the class. The lights, the extreme heat, not normal occurrences. But if you think about it, when we are in times of struggle and confusion, conditions and our senses are heightened, and in the end we stress out and panic. I think with Bikram and it's intensity of light, I might, emphasizing might, be able to calm down during a scenario and think about my actions better than I would if I had never taken hot yoga.
So do I prefer it with the lights on or off? I always have my light dimmer if I can't decide.
