Fall Break, Miami and Jungshin

"Cut, cut, cut!" yelled the instructor. "I want to see some strength behind those power cuts. Now drop your swords and give me 30 jumping jacks!"
All 10 of us placed our wooden sword replicas down between the healthy blades of grass and jumped. We were practicing the art of Jungshin, a modern mix between Eastern martial arts and Western exercise, where one focuses on the connection between man and weapon, and on building muscles you never thought you had, or at least, had never used before.
This was a new class offered at my parents' getaway condo in Miami Beach, where my boyfriend N and I were visiting them for fall break. I left the class fairly confident that I would not likely venture it again, but that is not to say that no lessons were learned, or experiences gained. And you know how much I love those lessons...
There was something almost therapeutic about the rhythm of the sword traveling up, back and down, over and over again. With each strike, the silhouette of your target became more clear, and the burden of the weapon less apparent. The pain in your wrists and ache in your forearms faded with every added ounce of satisfaction in each completed swing. And in the simplicity of each symmetric set, there was a peacefulness, a wholesomeness, so very juxtapose to the aggression of the act.
I may enjoy the endorphin rush of a good run, or the muscle burn after a session of heavy lifting, but mixing things up can be good for anyone.