It was hovering around 70 when I got off work so I threw on some shorts, a tee shirt and running shoes and off I went. The wind was very strong (it is Kansas after all) and because I was running west, it was blowing east (of course). It has been several weeks since I last ran or worked the ellipse. I am always surprised when I run after a lay off as I usually pick up right where I was, sometimes I even seem to have more energy than usual. I sit on my butt in an office all day and I had trouble sleeping last night so it was a nice surprise.

“What causes stress?” my Tai Chi teacher asked in class recently. He looked at me and I answered “Thinking.” A true enough answer that he had said himself on many occasions.

Today he said, “Complexity.”

I should have known. He never says what you think he might, even if it’s the same question and answer that he’s said before. He will change it, twist it slightly and look at you like you weren’t paying attention.

Several studies show long term benefits for beating depression with aerobic workouts.

At one time or another everyone gets the blues. We feel sad when a lover leaves us, there’s trouble at work, a friend or family member dies, we’re lonely, etc. In other words life happens. Unpleasant feelings are part of our natural condition and can be an effective tool in motivating us to change. But when these feelings linger on and become more severe they start to affect every aspect of our lives and even the lives of people we know.

One of the unfortunate byproducts of modern life is depression. It has become an epidemic affecting about 121 million people worldwide and is among the the leading causes of disability.