The My Favorite! column is a weekly celebration of all things joyful. The parameters are simple. I asked some creative friends to write a few sentences about something that gives them great joy. Could be anything. An album or painting. The touch and feel of cotton. Or in this case, yoga in the sun.
Maria Ciampa
“I love yoga in the grass in a wide open space under the warm sun. Last time I did yoga at the park, kids were playing soccer to my right, and the ball rolled into me. I kicked it back. A huge drone buzzed, hovered and dipped maybe 10 feet above my head. I could see the guy controlling it across the park. Bees crawled all over the clovers surrounding my mat. None of that mattered. I breathe, hear the birds, feel the sun and air on my face and move.
“I’m so so so happy that this meat suit I haul around and call “my body” is able to move this way. Because when I move it this way, and breathe, and think about nothing else but those two things, I feel better. I feel genuine joy. I have absolutely no idea why or how. I don’t want to know anymore – I used to want to know so I could explain it, share it, not apologize for it to the people who give me shit about it -“Oh look at you, you’re so healthy, don’t you think you’re all that.” No I don’t think I’m all that, but I hope I do someday. Now, I don’t have to know why. I’m not here to explain. I’m not here to proselytize. I just know this: I can move around in the grass under the sun and feel pretty good. Yaaaay great job.”
Maria is an actor, improviser, and comedy writer in LA. She performs and makes vids with Radcliffe Comedy. Her dream is to be a sitcom mom, preferably set the 70s, 80s, or the future, so that her wardrobe options are fun. She’s done yoga since 2001.
Want to share your joy?
You can participate in the My Favorite! column. Just send me a paragraph or two about something that makes you delightfully happy, a short bio, and a photo of yourself. If you have a photo of the happy-making thing, that would be great to. Get in touch at nick@nickzaino.com