Color Orange

My favorite color has been orange for a very long time.  Over the years, it faded to the background a little but the fact that it is my favorite color has never changed.  The color orange cheers me up and puts a smile on my face.  Wearing a bright orange jacket does not make me feel like a traffic cone, instead, it makes me feel vibrant and happy.  I admit that those years of having something orange on me ALL THE TIME have passed.  Now a days, I carry the color more selectively, on or with me. Interestingly enough, my son’s favorite color is also orange since the day he could talk.  Maybe there was some unconscious conditioning given that there was always something orange on me when he was a baby. :)

In the month of April, my favorite color moved back to the forefront because it was also Addie’s favorite color.  Addie was my daughter’s good friend from the ski team who died at the end of last month.  I spent the entire month of April to process my feelings around loosing her.  One of the things that helped me a lot was my favorite color.  Initially, Ela and I put on something orange to memorialize Addie.  Then, my favorite color evolved into being my reminder of life and my strength for the life’s curveballs.  Now, whenever I feel anxious, I look at the orange on me (or around me) and let my cheer defeat the negative feelings.  So far, it is working most of the time.  After all, I am still a “work in progress”.

What is interesting with colors is that they are not as tangible as single objects.  They could appear anywhere around us, without us knowing.  They could be in the sunrise, they could be on a flower or randomly drawn on the sidewalk. The joy I get from finding my color hiding around me, is very similar to the joy I get after a good workout (minus the sweat).  A good workout is a continuous reminder of life in the sense of breathing, moving and achieving.  That is why I value celebrating birthdays or mourning losses in my classes.

My first Train and Smile class for April was dedicated to Addie, where we used a “gallon of water”.  It was a great tool to celebrate a life of a 7-year old.  It was heavy but fluid.  It was hard but playful.  The water in the bottle signified the tears and the sweat.  It made us breathe hard but also gave us the chance to appreciate the single breath. That class ended up becoming the “Addie Workout” and became my weekly routine.  If you would like to give it a try, here is the link:

Addie was a joyful kid who was up for trying anything, even if it made her anxious.  She did it with a mischievous smile on her face. Having this session dedicated to her is a constant reminder of her joyfulness and bravery.

High five to you all for finding the joy in life, one breath at a time…

Orange in nature

Can you spot our oranges??

And the orange is very forefront!