^ yoga atop stanage edge in the peak district

i used to be under the impression that athletics, physical activity, exercise – whatever you want to call it – meant team sports. it meant knowing the rules to baseball and caring which team won. it meant soccer cleats and tennis rackets. i was a theatre kid, they were the jocks. but in the past few years, athletics have become an essential part of my life. it just took me a while to find the right kind. my three practices are in rock climbing, yoga, and running. i interpret them all as sports that challenge personal boundaries. each requires small steps to improvement with steady extension of individual limitations. each is a mental exercise as well as a physical one, and each allows me to spend more time in nature. each is about breathing and focus, and practice. ★