I'm one of those lucky ones whose body was constructed to be a 'natural athlete,' ONCE I FOUND MY STRIDE. I hated gym class until we got to what was then called track-and-field {and I did climb evrry tree worth climbing}. I'd literally found my stride.

You write about this frequently, so I'm only chiming in here. I am/was a longtime runner and martial artist. 3-6 miles a day, until I started spending six days a week in the dojo, and running took a back seat. As much as I would LIKE to practice that hard, now, after spending ten years re-building my body from a white stroke, {most people would never know} my body wants gentle exercise.

My point is that our bodies always know our stride. They always rise to the occasion if given the opportunity. This body has a new stride. A gentler one. And, as I've mentioned, I've started using weights again, thanks to your constant and insistent encouragement. :) Sometimes we need that. Not from self-judgment, but from the inner "Oh for goodness sakes, just do it!" place.

Thank you for this, Julia.