Relax, Dear Reader…

Before I detail today’s walk , I want to tell you about my Pilates class last night……As you know I am an avid fan now of Pilates and I have noticed changes as a result. My gluteal and abdominal muscles are certainly stronger than before – although the six pack still eludes me. At the end of the class last evening we had a relaxation session – problematic for me, for several reasons. Firstly switching off doesn’t come easy to me and secondly, whilst I have an imagination, it is not expansive enough to follow the relaxation path set. Let me explain. We are laid on the floor on mats – so far so good! Then the instruction comes –

Imagine you’re on a beautiful beach ……..which beach to choose ? Quick, think……that beach in the Caribbean from the television series you love … Saint Marie, that’s it ! So there I am on that beach enjoying the imaginary sun……..- wait , just a minute, someone gets murdered there every week …that’s no good ( imagine, woman from Pilates class in Barnsley found dead on beach in Saint Marie …even DI Neville Parker would struggle with that one!) Quick think of another beach …you’re being told to imagine the sun shining and feeling the sand…okay , let’s go Cornwall and hope the weather’s nice ( I think by now you can see why relaxation for me is problematic 😉😉) ….

…….now you are aware of the water lapping on the sea shore …..yes I’ve got that now, beginning to feel calmer ……….and you hear the seagulls calling …….SEAGULLS …NO , they might get my chips, my ice cream or worse still, answer a call of nature whilst swooping over me . Despite then trying desperately hard to move on from that, I fail. I can’t possibly imagine my feet and legs sinking into the sand now, I’ve spent so much time choosing an appropriate beach, then worrying about a seagull attack …..there’s no way my shoulder blades are going anywhere in the sand let alone sinking into it! The instruction continues ……let your head feel heavy, feel the warmth of the sun on your body ( my hands are on the cold floor of the Pilates studio and no matter how much I imagine the warm sun they remain like two blocks of ice) Then imagine that clouds appear in the lovely blue sky and pass in front of the lovely warm sun…..( oh no ,it’s either going to tip it down or a seagull will swoop……stop it Jane, you’ve nearly finished…) Now I slept like a log last night , not because I was deeply relaxed at the end of class, rather all the worry is exhausting!!!

To the business in hand – today’s walk……I thought I might walk behind the river today, but there again it would be very muddy. So we settled for …you’ve guessed it , the trail. Well you’ll have heard the saying if Mohammed can’t go to the mountain, the mountain will come to Mohammed …..look at this …