Cooped Up? Get Uncooped.

This picture is of my mother enjoying a sauna at our cabin on Lake Vermillion. A sweaty sauna followed by a plunge in the icy lake is one of the ways I've found to get uncooped. See, I've always been more of a cerebral person than a physical one. I don't have a lot of kinesthetic intelligence. I am more in touch with my sense of logic than my sense of feeling. Suffice it to say, this disconnect has caused its share of problems.

Luckily, I've discovered some ways to "come down from my head" (as I call it). An intense yoga session is guaranteed to do the trick. Moving through the poses and concentrating on my breathing connects me to my body in a way that I don't normally experience. A long bike ride can also do wonders when I need to connect to my body. I like to bike alone most of the time, with the sound of my breathing and the clicking of the gears shifting guiding the medition. When my cranky knees allow me to run, I am able to disconnect from my overactive head by running (a very slow) three miles. I actually have my best runs without music. I think this is because the music only distracts me from the true task at hand--listening to my body.