what feels good

After a long day at the adult daycare center, and maybe more so on a really hot steamy evening, oh man, do I enjoy the deep freeze of my gym. Yes.

Not unlike most gyms, the space is brightly lit and open (3 story high exposed and partially painted concrete walls), with music which seems to flow on a river of pulsating rhythms effectively blending one song into the next. Being somewhat technologically delayed, I don't bother with an Ipod, but prefer to plug into HG-TV while killing time on the elliptical. When immersed in "Save My Bath" and "House Virgins" I am completely unaware of time passing. Every once in a while I will glance down and am usually shocked at the time/millage which has elapsed.I guess that's the point. Once I am satisfied and/or utterly bored with a re-run, I move into the sweaty smelly nautilus area where we wrap it up with a personal challenge to do so many sets of whatever. That's that. By the time I am done with my work out, I feel like crap. Cold. Exhausted. Hurting. Sticky. Smelly. Sweaty. Ready for a shower, food, and some sleep. Something huge is missing here. Something, but what is it?

Well, this week I discovered the joy of a hot dry sauna, and perhaps the next best thing to an actual date. NOTHING like drinking cool fresh water (or a smoothie?) while sitting alone in a hot dry sauna after a good workout. I highly recommend it. In contrast to the sensory overload and icebox chill of the gym, it's like walking back out into the dark steamy night... only MORE. What is it which makes the sauna so enjoyable?

The dark quiet small space seems to envelope your body as you take in the wooded mountain scent of cedar. The heat seems to penetrate and massage every aching muscle of your broken and tense body as you are transported to a place of recovery and serenity. The cool water rushing down your throat is like a refreshing mountain spring which revives and replenishes your dehydrating body. Maybe it's therapeutic because of it's ability to rid the body of toxins. I don't know yet, but it's really nice and now I understand why some people actually have these things built in their homes.

Time to get back to painting the shed. Gee, it's hot out.