I know, I know ….this line is cliché (for those of us old enough to remember) ….the line coming from Master Po to the Grasshopper in the first, “made for TV” Kung Fu, the series movie……

I train in the morning. I am up at 5:30AM and in my back yard by 6 (after I have had my coffee). The key point here is “in my back yard”. A lot of us work out in-doors these days. In a Dojo or Kwoon….but, society being what it is, not many of us work out outside. I work out almost 100% outside. And after my workout, during my cool down period, my back yard is a whole different world than it normally is.

What do we achieve with our daily workouts? Yes we get better and stronger. We gain a greater understanding of what we are trying to do and our confidence grows in the fact that everyday we work towards a goal. But what else do we get?

When I finish my workout (this time of year in northern California), I feel the chill of fall coming. I smell the faintest hint if rain. I hear the sounds of the geese starting to fly south for the winter. I gain a higher sense of awareness. But …what a treat these sensations are …things not normally noticed in the everyday life we live today. This is a bi-product of a good workout. A priceless treasure that we do not normally realize is there.

So…… the next time, after your workout, during your cool down period (go out side) and ….just listen. Just feel. Just smell. Pretend you are a blind man and see what your other senses tell you. What do you smell? What do you feel. What do you hear?