Independence, or "Oh, right, Nature!"

Happy Independence Day everyone. "Independence." It's an interesting thing. I often think of independence as an "alone" thing. "I'm independent, so I'm alone." But, really, in my life, independence has always happened in relation to something..."independence from" something, which involves not being alone at all.

I'm in a turning point place in my life right now. Finished my MFA, completed my first year at my dream job, am living with my partner...Made a notch in the stick, so to speak.

So I shaved my head yesterday.

Today, Barney and I hiked up Trinidad Head and I brought along a brown bag containing my hair. We took a short trek off the trail and found a cliff side where I threw my hair into the ocean and rocks below. I watched the wind take it. Unattached. Literally.

Then we hiked back home. Took a hot tub. And then Barney sprayed me with the garden hose.

It was a productive and energetic morning to say the least.

My goal for today was to do some yoga, so after the garden hose extravagnaza, I spread my towel out on the porch and began a basic vinyasa series I learned from my teacher Emily Trutt at Om Shala Yoga.

This is the bit where the "independence" theme comes back in. I think I said in an earlier comment on this blog that I have a hard time self-motivating. I find it extremely challenging to train on my own, which is why the bulk of my training this year has been in yoga and dance classes. Well, today, during my first solo yoga practice, I slowed down a bit, focused on my breath, and then began to see what was around me. I could feel the sun on my skin as I moved through my sun salutations. When I struck tree pose, the wind blew through the limbs of a nearby tree, shaking it to life. It was then that I realized, "Duh, Nicholette. You're not alone. Even if you wanted to be, it's just not going to happen." So there you have it. The trees, the wind, the sun, and I did some yoga together. The bees and the brush accompanied Barney and I on a hike along Trinidad Head.

So today, I celebrated my independence from thinking that self-motivation is a bust. Sure, I can self-motivate! And on the days when I struggle with that, I can simply step outside for a little boost.

Isn't nature like the first thing we study at Dell'Arte?