The Iron is the best antidepressant I have ever found. There is no better way to fight weakness than with strength. Once the mind and body have been awakened to their true potential, it's impossible to turn back.-- Henry Rollins "Iron and the Soul"
After the positive responses to my last blog I struggled with the notion of continuing it once I returned to the United States. I didn't really feel at the time that I could build on my thoughts from Thailand in a meaningful enough and enjoyable way. After many months of deliberation I have decided to use this blog to continue my writing. I hold no notions that this will be a daily or even weekly thing, on the contrary I will use this as an outlet to try and allow those who do not see me very often or at all to get a glimpse of my life, philosophy, trials and triumphs. Hopefully I will entertain and provoke thought. I will accept comment both here and on facebook, but please just remember that words have power. Now on to the show.
The quote that opened this entry is from a vanity fair article written by the amazing Henry Rollins. Henry is one of the few people I would call my hero. I don't have the time now to expand on my thoughts about Mr. Rollins, I will save that for another day. The reason I decided to use that quote is the subject of the first post on this new blog. Is that I had a moment of pure mindfulness in the gym today. If you read my old blog, a link is on my facebook page, you will know my history with the concept of mindfulness and how I have applied it to my life. The rest of this entry will be devoted to today's events and my take on them but please go read my old blog to really understand what I am speaking about.
Today was a rust from start to finish. I woke up late. I got to work late. I returned from lunch late. When I left work I realized I forgot my gym bags at home and had to return to get them. This made me switch my strength training to 7pm instead of 4:30 and that is where we begin.
When I arrived at Spectrum fitness to work out with Coach Gayle Hatch and my trainers I found everyone was gone but Ryan, my usual trainer, and Mike, who was helping some other people. Knowing the gym was closing in less than 50 minutes we broke down my workout into my 3 core lifts for the day. What they were is not important, but on the final lift I think I experienced enlightenment.
After the day I had, and the pain that was wreaking havoc on my body from the BJJ earlier and the current task of defying gravity's pull on the iron, I stumbled into a moment of pure mindfulness and zen. Being so late the employees had already turned off the t.v. and all but a few of the other patrons had left, I was completely alone in the Olympic lifting area as the coaches were trying to close up for the night. At that moment for those 5 reps the world narrowed to me and the barbell. Time seem to grind to a halt as I put a fresh layer of chalk on my hands. I could see the individual flecks of white in the air as I walked back to my platform and readied myself. My feet firmly planed into my shoes I could feel every bit of the knurling of the bar in my palms and my eyes only saw the blank wall in front of me. As I lifted the weight from the my world narrowed and all that existed was me, the bar and the distance it needed to cover. For about 20 seconds the whole world dropped out of existence to me, I was alone in the universe with that barbell. When my set was finished I dropped the weight and walked away. I had to sit for a moment after due to the world rushing back to my senses. I know for that brief period of time I was completely mindful, and it was wonderful.
