PiYo YOLO

I started taking PiYo classes this week.

For those of you who have no idea what that is, let me enlighten you.

PiYo is a combination of Pilates and Yoga that is set to music, more fast paced than traditional yoga, and less intense than a full class of straight Pilates.

I thought it was pretty fun. My abs and thighs think differently, but who listens to those evil, fat collecting spots?

And as I was moving and sweating and stretching and bending (mostly in directions that I'm not sure I was meant to bend), I was considering how odd a thing it was that I do better with exercise when I put myself in a social setting. Go for a run outside? BLECK! Jump around a room with a bunch of other people? Okay, let's give 'er a go.

The classes are at a fitness studio, which I much prefer to the gym. And it's a nice little community. There's no one snobbishly perusing you when you walk by the machines, or move their set of weights. The room is full of people there to do the same thing you are: get some exercise. I like it!

Taking PiYo classes is part of my list of New Year's Resolutions this year. I wanted to get back into Yoga. I used to go on Monday nights with my mom and best friend back home, then I took an awesome yoga class in Laradise. But since then, I haven't been much into to. So I resolved to get back to it. Partly because I need to get into shape (and drop a few pounds...), and partly because I love the routine and structure of pushing your body into certain shapes and positions. I like the rhythm of my breathing, the way it settles my thoughts and pushes me to think on my own physicality. My own bodily interaction with the world around me comes into sharp focus. And it's a great way to break a sweat without being overly rough on my joints, which don't care for a lot of impact.

But as I was stretching into the "wild thing" position tonight (or attempting to, really, since I don't like that very well), I found myself considering the fact that I do best at exercising when I am in a social environment, as mentioned above. That got me thinking about social interaction in general.

I find it fascinating that we live a society that is more connected than ever, and yet devoid of a lot of meaningful interaction. As a teacher, I see this kind of thing a lot. Kids are forever on their phones (adults are too, lest you think I am about to generation-bash), and sometimes they even sit next to each other and text one another.

What?

So we are more socially interactive than ever before. After all, just yesterday, I saw pictures of the baby that was just born to a high school classmate of mine, whom I have not seen or talked to in years. But I know the name of his baby girl, when she was born, and how much she weighed. Connected, right?

But not really.

I'm thrilled for this classmate of mine, and his wife, because a new baby is a blessing. But just because I am "connected" with them, does that mean that I have spent any meaningful time or investment into their lives?

No.

I know lots of details about people's lives because of platforms like Facebook and, in some ways, that's a good thing. But on the other, I know a lot of details that I don't need to know. Announcing the birth of your baby is great, because now I can celebrate with you in your joy. But a short status update that rants cryptically about how you are only going to keep people in your life who don't betray you? Notsomuch.

That kind of post is roughly equivalent in my mind to one of my high school students announcing that they are dating someone, but they aren't going to tell anyone who it is.

That is nothing more than a ploy for attention.

I came across this article and thought the points it made were really great, in general as well as in reference to posting on social media.

We have so much technology and social "connectivity" at hand that I think we often forget the most meaningful connectivity we can have: spending time with other people. Having a face to face conversation with a friend over coffee. Sitting on the couch with your spouse, the TV off, and talking. Playing a board game with your family. Going to an exercise class. Putting your phone away during dinner and sitting around the table together.

C.S. Lewis once said, "We read to know we are not alone."

Humans are creatures that crave contact with other humans. But just as not all food is equal in its ability to nourish our bodies, not all socializing is equal in its ability to slake our needs for attention, love, support, and connectivity.

We have to be mindful and purposeful to take time to connect the way we should.

We have to make decisions in that direction, rather than allowing all the busy-ness of live to sweep us along so fast that we don't know what happened along the way.

Turn the TV and phones off on a regular basis. Find a way to meaningfully connect with someone.