Fitness and well-being are journeys unto themselves. The pathways to self-care are as diverse as each traveler. Curiosity, motivation, energy and good, old-fashioned stick-to-itiveness are tools equally important as any physical attributes of strength, flexibility or genetic advantage.

One benefit of our months of dealing with a Pandemic seems to have been a renewed awareness of the need to take care of ourselves, especially in light of our need to connect with and care for others any way available. The internet is flooded with You Tube, Zoom, and subscription classes in everything from weight training to Yoga (and my personal obsession, Peloton!).

Here in Vermont we see many enjoying the outdoors.  In a recent post Governor Scott wrote:

“Fortunately, we all live in Vermont and it’s one of the most beautiful times 
of the year for us. So, I hope many of you can take some time this weekend,
get yourself a maple creemee, enjoy the foliage, visit a state park, climb
our beautiful mountains, whatever you can do to take care of yourselves
because your mental health is important as well.”

So, yes, one of the paths to mental and physical health is making the best use possible of outdoor activities. We are learning we do not need to participate in organized sports or events to do so. I read daily of individual and small group adventures on the Long Trail, Lake Champlain or a country road and applaud the efforts demonstrated – surely with good results.

There are online communities that offer guidance and dedicated programs as well as inboxes full of opportunities and advice. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach to fitness, there are certainly multiple approaches. Surely one will fit! Recently a young soccer player told me of her struggles to adjust to a new position on the field. I suggested that she take several mental “jerseys” to her practice and consider each to represent a position. When her coach tells her to go in to play center-mid, for example, she should pull that jersey on and go do it. This concept fit. Can you do something similar?

Note, too, that some find contemplative wanderings satisfying while others need a challenging hike or long cycling hours. More and more we recognize the need for multiple types of fitness – physical, mental, and spiritual. Once again approaching individual fitness from many roads is significantly important – cross training if you will.

Teaching a Yoga class a few days ago I suggested that our fall foliage is somewhat analogous of the times. We are living in chaos super charged with fear, sorrow, rage, uncertainty and angst. At times it is as if we are caught in a whirlwind of events over which we have no control and can only experience from a distance. At other times we are touched by the struggles of family, friends and our local communities.

Liken the chaos to the foliage – vividly colored leaves screaming their brilliance from their branches only to be caught by the wind and rain as they swirl and collide on their route back to the earth where they lie in what? – Peace? Submission? Death? Renewal?  Hmmm. Perhaps that is our experience too as pandemic, politics, economy, fear, courage and kindness scream, collide and ultimately find stillness in some sort of unity.

And what is the bottom line? Keep on keeping on? Attend to our self-care the best we can? Support our local businesses and communities? Put on our game jerseys and play our positions?

In any event, it is all a journey. Whether we are seeking fitness, or health, or financial stability, or peace – it is all a journey. May we see the beauty along the way, connect with each other (distanced, of course!) but always continuing the journey with curiosity, motivation, energy and good, old-fashioned stick-to-itiveness.