Month: October 2009

Ariel, The Fearless Man We passed an old fellow on our trail walk today hobbling along slowly, leaning on his aluminum cane, but seeming to enjoy every uncertain step he took. I mentioned to Jan, as we passed him and said hello, that he seemed to be really enjoying himself despite his age, handicap, and difficulty walking. Not everyone we encounter on the trail is out for pleasure and enjoyment. Maybe half of the people we do encounter are out for exercise and either whiz speedily by, hunched over their bicycle, or else are dripping sweat from running. Many a grim and determined look appearRead More →

Americans don’t bathe much. Oh, they stay plenty clean by showering and showering may even be a better way to get clean. A bath is not so much about getting clean but more about soaking and getting relaxed, maybe very relaxed, and that might be why Americans don’t bathe. Just today, in a conversation with a lady friend, she admitted that the last time she took a hot bath she couldn’t lift herself out of the tub she was so relaxed. It is a fearsome thing to get that relaxed, and many of us are in no shape, both in body and mind, to dareRead More →

I pulled this article out of my files today and reread it. Perhaps I thought about this article now because I have been seeing my wife, who is recovering from surgery, in her bathrobe lately. I must have copied this article out of a magazine a few decades ago because I really liked it and, if you read it, you will see why. It is right up my lazy man alley. I am having trouble finding the author, Barbara Holland, to ask her for permission to include this article on my web site. I think she is living in a cabin in the back woodsRead More →

Here is a quote from one of my favorite books, Breath, Sleep, The Heart and Life by Acharya. It suggests a relationship between our breathing and our mental state. The smooth, cool breathing he alludes to I take to be the diaphragmatic kind and the smile he refers to is not the kind you see on magazine covers or what people put on their face when they have their picture taken. It is called “the inner smile,” an indication that you are peaceful and pleased and you feel it in your body and face. Two Yardsticks of Breathing Catch yourself at any given moment andRead More →