Day 2:- Tuesday 9th June 2020
Before I arrived at Summer Camp for Adults today. I prepared my pack lunch. Had a wholesome omelette and met ‘Doris’ (not her real name!) for our morning walk in Park Hill. I meet her at our rendezvous location by the Water Tower. Naturally I am 20 minutes early… why? I have no idea other than I hate being late for things…. I can hear my good old friend Zoe laughing at me as she knows that I arrive 20-30 minutes early to Summer Camp!
It’s amazing how green and still the trees are today.
Doris also has a habit of arriving early too. You can notice her from a distance by her sashay into the park and the dark sunglasses. We walk through the park talking about what is going on in the world…. It tends to be the same topics of social isolation, the weather, Covid-19, politics and now that she is moving house. Doris is not sure if she is doing the right thing. She has lived in her house for over 30 years and is wondering if moving is the right thing to do at 94! I love listening to Doris’s stories…… I have no idea if they are all true but nonetheless they are very interesting. She talks about her Play Reading groups that she used to host and many of her friends that are no longer around. Doris is a great character… sometimes she is a bit like Victor Mildrew but she is ever so kind. She hand me an envelope and inside she has printed a photo of ‘our park’ as a memento of our walks together and what the park looks like in the autumn. We spend about a hour in the park walking and talking…. OK… not all of it is walking as we often sit on the bench to chat as it makes it easier for Doris to hear.
I head of home to collect my Summer Camp kit and head off to the Club.
The club has done really well to adapt to keeping everyone safe and active during these difficult times. There are hand sanitisers at the reception desk and wonderful staff to greet you as you arrive. They check that you are OK and know where you are going. There are signs and markings throughout the club reminding you to keep your distance and arrows so that you go through a one-way system to make it safer for everyone.
First session for today is Yoga in the Spa Garden Retreat. I can’t remember what type of yoga it was but it’s the one where you stay in the stretch for a longer period of time and you just melt into the pose and they would target my connective tissues. Today’s instructor was Regi. She was really nice but to be fair all of the instructors have been great so far. They have all been helpful as I am a ‘newbie’. There is only one other person in today’s class…. it seems to be I have found the world’s best secret for classes and no-one else knows. It is great as you get so many tips and pointers as to how you need to move which I probably wouldn’t get if I was started these classes in the big studio. I tried hard to remember what I had done in today’s class but I guessed it really worked as I was right here in the moment of the class drawing my breath and not thinking about anything else. Even though the club is quiet and you are outside the birdsong soon disappears as I can hear myself….. breathe in 1…. 2…..3….4….5….6…. and out 1…..2….3…..4…. I can’t remember if this is the right way around but initially I was thinking oh no…. I have already filled out my lungs now what…. I am only on 3 and I have more breath that I am supposed to take go….. Relax remember what Regi has said just focus on your breath. Such a simple task but it was so difficult to initiate at first.
I have no idea how many poses we undertook throughout the 45 minute session but Regi explained why we were carrying them out. At first, I thought I had no hope as she mentioned something about all my joints would dry up by a certain age… Oh great …..I am well over that age so what chance have I got now.
Mind you….. I can’t remember what pose I was in but several of them were great as I felt tight in certain areas and felt as though there was a blockage somewhere in my body and before I knew it I had this warm-fussy feeling as though blood was circulating around my body with ease. Maybe my joints are so dry after all and there is hope for me yet.
During the class, at some point I was a seal, a butterfly, banana (yes that is right a banana… I always thought yoga was based on animal names… so everyday is a school day!)a melting heart and one of my favourite poses the Child’s pose as this is a resting pose… although sometimes this hurts one of my dodgy knees every now and again.
I am not 100% sure if I may have had a little nap during the class or whether I was 100% in the moment. I noticed a change in my breathing and it was as though I was snoring and it woke me up….. Please tell me this wasn’t the case… I am not sure which is potentially worst falling asleep in Yoga or nearly being sick in BootCamp!
The last dong of the session was disappointing as I could have stayed lying down for the rest of the day but all good things have to come to an end.
Next Session:- Yoga Pilates Fusion.
Double whamming yoga and pilates mixed into one session. Again there are only two people in my class.
So… what have I discovered about myself in this class…. if I drift off into my own little dream world… I have no balance whatsoever…. especially when I am supposed to be a tree that grows! I have more balance on my last operated leg than my old dodgy knee. My tree on one side was not as still as the trees in the park this morning but it’s OK I tell myself….. trees can sway in the wind… and boy oh boy am I swaying…. Focus on one spot… pull in your belly button into your spine. Honestly, I am trying…. you would never think so. You would have thought that a lumberjack was trying to chop down my tree at one point and I was busy fighting him off. Take a deep breath in and compose yourself… You can do this… oh yes… it is soooooo much easier when you find a focal point. No swaying…. yeah I am a tree and I have grown to be still.
I can already feel the benefits of Summer Camp. My thigh muscles are becoming more tone, I have increased flexibility in my ankles and my abs are starting to behave like abs!!
Tennis:- booo solo practice.
Unfortunately I didn’t get to play tennis today as my opponent landed a new contract and had to have a 5pm telephone conference. Great news for him but never mind…. Quick google on YouTube to find some serve drills. I head out to the courts. I can’t believe how empty they are. The General Manager is on one court playing and the rest of them are empty. People keep saying when they go to book them they are already all taken but this cannot be the case as when I look it clearly shows there are loads of empty courts. Never mind as I am making the most of it. I don’t last long on court as it isn’t quite the same as having solo practice at squash… at least in squash the ball comes back to you but not in tennis…. at least I get more steps in as I have to change ends regularly to collect some more balls…. Note to my future self…. bring more balls with you the next time!!
Hurrah for Amazon.
Yeah my Epsom Bath Salts have arrived….. see you later I am going for a long soak and planning the rest of Summer Camp for this week and next week.
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