Cocoon~

~~This is something I wrote last year. But, a friend of mine resently has taken up 'water workouts' So I thought I would share this encouragement with him. :c) For those of us who are "members of the 80's and better" club. Meaning, we remember the 80's, not just from what VH1 has on those cool countdown shows. The word Cocoon has a special meaning. It is the title of a movie. I remember not being that particularly impressed with it then. However, as of this Monday....my view has changed signifficantly. I have started a 'get my body in better working condition' program. I hesitate to call it a work out because I'm not sure that is the right expression for me. I know, I tend to really overthink things. Anyway, i began Monday with a trip to the physical therapy pool. At first I was thinking, hey no big deal, how challenging can this be. WRONG, my body not only doesn't float..it challenges the water. The lack of muscle tone I have developed over the past 8 months has gotten out of hand. When I began doing the "exercises" the instructor wanted me to do, it was as if my body were made of jello. And I was hopelessly trying to wrestle it into a mold that it clearly has forgotten how to hold. Now here comes the "cocoon" part. So, the place I go to is a rhab/exercise facilitly. So, there are people there of all ages and physical tempo. BUT, the pool seems to be some sort of hub for the over 60 crowd. Now, anyone who actually knows me well knows that I adore the 'seniors' and truley love them. That said, i was THE youngest person in the pool!! Not too big of a deal right?? WRONG again. i began to notice something really scary and alll together beautiful at the same time....... .....while I was wrestling with my body, the others seemed to dance with the water effortlessly. Now, i truley can swim...not too well, but I don't think I would drown. But, the moment I hit the water it was as if some hidden rip tied was trying to carry me down toward the unatural blue mosaic bottom. Toward the end of my "routine" the instructor told me the last thing I was to do was float. No big deal right....yeah, till she says, well,,,your actually gonnna keep your body straight up and down in the water as if your hanging. Oh sure lady,,no problem...let me just try to relax while that unseen force is drawing my feet down to the bottom. And lets not forget all my new friends gliding through the water like little synchronised swimmers...So as I hang there a funny thing happens. i begin to relax!!!! And the whole room turns into slow motion. I begin to feel weightless and calm. I focus on the woman 'floating' beside me. She is beautiful. When I saw her get into the pool she looked in pain, walked with a walker, not agile. But here she was smiling, relaxed,' hanging' in the water. Now what I learned that morning wasn't just about relaxing in the water. But, more about letting the water hold me up. Totally depending on it, and yet not yeilding to the pull of the bottom. WHEW, there is way more in my mind...but right now I feel a cramp coming on. So, embrace the water I say, and maybe you'll begin healing.~:*)~