Exercise

After a few difficult weeks in my personal and work life, I decided that what I really need is a few kick butt weeks of sweat and movement. My dad always used to say that exercise would cure everything.  He would suggest exercise as a cure for things that didn't always make sense, and we would often create even more ridiculous scenarios that exercise could cure. I remember once feeling awful, with a bad cold, and not being very interested in my dad's suggestion that getting out and training would somehow make my headache and runny nose go awayy. Got a broken leg, "just bike it off", need a new job, "take a run instead."  As long as I was willing to break a sweat and discuss philosophy at the dinner table, life was good in the Bennett household(okay, my childhood was good anyway, no .  My dad has calmed down as he has gotten older, he believes in rest days and taking care of one's self as a way to health.  But he has a point about exercise as a cure all.  I have found over the last year especially, that movement is key to emotional and physical health.

When I have a stressful day, I go to yoga and it helps me feel refreshed and meditative. 
When I am stuffed up, I run and my body feels less congested.
When I am hurt, I run and pretend that I am running away from the person who hurt me and I feel a sense of catharsis as I go.
When I feel weak, I move my body into a pose, like a headstand, that I was previously unable to achieve and I feel strong.
When I feel old, I run as fast as I can, smile as I go, and I feel young again.
When my mind is racing, I go to yoga, and it stops racing for an hour and a hald.

Exercise is not a cure all. It can't give money to the poor, fix a broken leg or the flu, but if you have never worked out issues in your physical and emotional life through sweat, I urge you to give exercise a try.