The Workout

Some people get hits of emotional oxygen by running marathons, dancing all night at a favorite club, hours-long gab-a-thons with friends or bursting into speech in an unfamiliar language at church. I get mine in boot camp rehearsals. 

Nearly everyone I know has a favorite method of achieving a body-mind-spirit high by undertaking an extreme challenge, being "all there" during the work, and relishing the triumph upon overcoming obstacles and meeting goals. For some of us, doing this as part of a team enhances the satisfaction immeasurably. These days my workout consists of rehearsals with an ensemble of about 30 singers from several community choirs working on Benjamin Britten's Hymn to St. Cecilia, possibly the most difficult piece I've ever encountered. 

The Britten piece is part of a season finale joint concert by my own group, Vancouver USA Singers and the Clark College Chorale, and will be sung by a small ensemble consisting of members from both groups. Each ensemble member attends not only his or her group's regular rehearsals, but also that of the other group, plus an intense 3-hour practice every Saturday. It's a big committment. And the Saturday director works us hard. 

However, after each energetic, sweaty Saturday workout, we leave with the satisfaction of having accomplished something major. Every bit of tricky timing, every chromatic run, every tongue-twisting phrase we've mastered brings the same feeling that I remember having after a 3-mile run, when I still ran, only this feels even better because I'm surrounded by a gang of other equally happy people. 

I think we all need an activity where we commit to pushing ourselves to excellence, work harder than we think we can stand, break through barriers and savor our victories with kindred spirits. Such an activity can help us survive rocky times during relationships, toxic jobs, financial difficulties and other less welcome challenges. It's easy to drop out of "extracurriculars" when problems threaten to sweep us overboard. But those times are, in fact, the times when we need most need an energy-infusing workout for mind, body and spirit. 

When the air in your life gets stale or you feel like you can't breathe, you need your source of emotional oxygen more than ever.