morning routine, pinnacles, poipu, kauai, hawaii

"And we talking about practice." ~ Allen Iverson

I really enjoy sports and my favorites are college football (Ole Miss) and NBA basketball (Lakers). So anytime I think about practice, or  just the word practice I gotta give props to AI because his practice rant is so classic.  In the sports world practice is the thing you do when you aren't playing the game. Even though you are playing and running your body through game simulations and strategies, practice is the time when the results, technically, don't matter. That's reserved for the game when wins and losses are recorded and referenced. But the reality is the results of practice actually influence the game in terms of how well you are prepared to play. In this context AI's infamous practice rant-- while certainly entertaining-- represents a true misunderstanding. Shunryu Suzuki, author of my favorite book-- Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind-- would even encourage you to believe that it's all practice and that there is no game. I imagine he would say something like the game is little mind playing tricks.

overflow, pinnacles, poipu, kauai, hawaii

I've been thinking about practice recently because I am slowly getting back into my practice-- yoga and meditation. After opening my gallery my mat time dropped significantly. Or as one of my yoga friends likes to say, "I fell of the mat". But I'm slowly getting back on, re-establishing my practice and intentions. And my photography is benefitting. Of course it should. The practice brings peace and clarity and helps me see, which in turn helps me to communicate more precisely and thematically more consistently. 

blending in, poipu, kauai, hawaii

winter solstice rolls in, poipu, kauai, hawaii 

a splash at sunrise, along the heritage trail, poipu, kauai, hawaii

floating rainbows and bokeh, ironwoods pine, poipu, kauai, hawaii

thoughts, ironwoods pine, poipu, kauai, hawaii 

Oh, and yoga has definitely helped me on the hikes and squats and stretches to get that unique shot and perspective. Now, I just gotta keep the practice going. 

Aloha, 

lee