8/31/15: Rainy Day Refuge

Yes, the poor-quality picture was intentional.

Steady, unfriendly rainfall forced me inside, and, not feeling too outside-yoga to begin with, I decided
to do it right there in that dark, grotto-like living room. Hence the dingy picture; it was just that kind of day.

There, in the early-morning non-light, I did my thing. To my surprise, I liked this non-glamorous setting. Still and almost totally silent, it was very womb-like, as to be quite compatible with my unsociable mood. I yoga'd in my underwear, to an audience of no one. Rain dripped. Time crept silently past. Were there a death-bed fly to buzz, I could've heard it.

If Poe had done yoga, this would be his kind of session.

8/30: Yep, the Marsh is Still There

I'm back at the beach, so of course I had to yoga on the back deck, alongside the marsh.

I just had to check and be sure it was still there, honest.

And ... it is.

8/29: Another Econolodge

I repeat: I swear I'm not seeking out Econolodges (or secretly being sponsored by them).

Once more, I was on the road (back to the car for the time being, so no Kalki to retire in) and, despite my best-laid plans, I tired unexpectedly and, thus, needed an impromptu place to stay. Next exit, I'm stopping, I decided -- and, as it so happened, the next exit presented only a single hotel, another Econolodge. It would make my third EL in a row, this time in a sleepy little South Carolina town that I'd never heard of prior to stopping off there in need of a roof over my head.

In the end, my entire stay would prove a repeat of its predecessors: rather pleasant, both my room and my yoga. When hunting out my yoga-spot, I saw it at once: at the lot's far corner, between two picturesque trees of a species I couldn't identify (ever notice how many folks seem to be plant-life experts? I'm not one of them). Free from the allergies that had plagued me up north, I did my yoga in the company of a burgeoning sun, a tranquil meadow, and the pair of unidentified trees. With my eyes closed, I'd never have thought myself in a small strip of grass in between a highway-side hotel and a busy Waffle House.

Afterward, I rolled up my mat with a gentle, contented smile, feeling ready to finish my interrupted drive. How strange it is, the places that nourish us.

8/28: To the Gym

Today marked my first time doing yoga in a gym.

Make no mistake: I'm no stranger to gyms. I've held a regular presence in some gym or another literally since I was a young child (my father, a lifetime fitness buff, instilled a gym-ethic in me from the get-go). Just, for whatever reason, I've never done my yoga in a gym, despite it being the location of choice for many yogis. Me, I like my yoga outdoors, with sun and nature and wide-open spaces. Why'd I resort to the gym today? Simple: fall allergies. It's the one thing that can see my yoga relocated indoors (that, or a hard rain).

That said, I found yoga in a gym to be satisfying, if mundane. I performed it in the facility's designated stretching/kettle bell/ball-workout area (another first for me, setting foot in this space). I was quasi-delighted to find a complimentary mat, already set out, which proved somewhat more comfortable than my own. As a cute footnote, the sun shone through the nearby window, gracing me with sumptuous light (if not the vitamin D-producing goodness filtered by the glass).

Once done, I felt oddly matured, as if I'd lost some sort of virginity.

8/27: Back to the Office Park

Remember that unexpectedly nice office park I stayed at sometime ago? Well, I went back.

After the success of my last stayover, and with my having another doctor's appointment there, I decided to try my luck again. And, well, my luck held out, because this stay was as quiet, shady, cool, and uneventful as the last, with an equally satisfying yoga session to boot. Such a blessing, this. Really, I could've paid top dollar for a hotel room and not gotten half the quiet and peace at this little white-collar enclave.

So, in the unlikely event that the park's owners are reading this: thanks, guys! I really love the place (and I made sure to leave it like I found it; I would've picked up litter, had there been litter to pick up).

8/26: Back to Wal-Mart

A triumphant return to "roughing it"-style yoga, in a Wal-Mart parking lot.

This time, I was in the back of the property, by the store's loading docks, where I'd slept to the incessant "beep-beep-beep" of the cargo loader's zipping about, then backing up, then repeating. Not much else to say about this one. Once again, my yoga was successful, and no one killed me (or tried, that I know of at least). I patronized the store a couple times, and it was certainly a Wal-Mart. Unlike that one store, no souped-up cars raced in the parking lot (they must've been at Target down the street).

Thanks, Wal-Mart! You are my friend, no matter what folks say about you (or how much you sell to us from China).

8/25: The Yard

Yep, more yoga in the family yard, for want of a more invigorating place. You'd think I live there, still.

Last yard-yoga for a while, I promise. Kalki and I are hitting the road this afternoon.