Body Reconciliation #2: It's Good To Be Sore

“The day you don’t wake up sore is the day you realize a) you didn’t live life fully the day before, or b) you woke up dead.” – J. Duiven, Equestrian Dressage Trainer

This morning, once again, I shuffled to the bathroom to do the morning necessaries. I leaned two-elbows on either side of the sink and did a swift body scan: inner thighs, hips, some abs, rhomboids, quads feel chatty today, my hair hurts, too. Is that even possible? That was a good ride yesterday.

For almost as long as I can remember, I have awakened with some portion of my body feeling sore. By “sore” I don’t mean injured - rather, some muscle group that experienced exercise the day before was slightly strained – with little teensy tears causing mild inflammation. These tears will quickly mend - the body doing its own version of "amending" to make room for change.

Soreness offers a kinesthetic reflection – a kind of physical journal – for the previous day, telling me not only what I did- but how much I did of it, was it new? creative? a little risky? Weirdly, it also feels kind of good- and alive - very alive.