[ Old Navy ] B A L A N C E
sports
and
c/o // Adidas sneakers
Life is all about B A L A N C E. At least that's what I'm realizing as your average struggling 20-something with 40396058 things on her plate. And I mean that both figuratively and literally because I love to eat...A LOT. And with an appetite like that, it's easy to forget to balance all that food intake with equal amounts of physical activity because nothing in life comes without a price, which in this case means working out. But I am not one for gyms--I've tried that plenty of times and still can't seem to acquaint myself to intimidating metal machines and a level of comfortability amongst consistent goers. I am also not one for running--I've also tried this plenty of times but for some reason, could never get into it. Thus, I needed to find new methods of physical balance if it wasn't going to be the obvious ones.
So I found solace in dancing and kickboxing. Both of which have been initially introduced as curious passions but have developed into more as a form of therapy and stress reliefs. And I've found that what I'm most comfortable with--as the dutifully multi-tasker that I am--are activities that serve more than its sole purpose, but also serve as mindful stimulators to apply to my everyday living. Dancing and kickboxing have brought greater substance and have provided tipping balance to several aspects of my life, other than the obvious health and physical benefits they're known for. Dance has given me an outlet of manifested creativity but also emotional therapy and ignited inspiration. It's become a method of self-expression through music and movement while sharing an art with friends I now call home. On the other hand, kickboxing has given me rooted relief. It's allowed me to channel my mental disturbances into a healthy form of physical strain, then leaving sanely stable with better-leveled confidence. I've learned that I take priority in the overall experience over the physical benefits. Of course, they are good workout alternatives to the gym, but I know that I don't have the "perfect" body and I know I'm not close to where I hope to be in terms of physical strength and appearance, but my reassurance in that is that I'm taking part in activities that bring expansive meaning to my everyday living and that is the real exercise I'm benefiting.
I'm grateful to be able to weave my life together eagerly, even if not seamlessly, and integrate all different aspects of my life without completely going insane. I can apply what I take away from dance towards work, social experiences, networking, and what I learn from kickboxing towards self-growth, therapy, discipline. And this is how your hustling 24-year-old maintains sanity and balance.
P.S. I'll be releasing more workout posts soon so stay tuned.
Photography by Thaya