Relaxing?

So before I get my massage today (I finally decided to treat myself), Courtney asks what I've been doing to make my back and legs stiff.

"Oh, the usual--tae kwon do and ballet."

"Well, the ballet must be relaxing, anyway," she says.

Relaxing?

I love ballet, and those first few pliés feel great. But relaxing?

I sometimes tell my writing students that writing well might not be fun, but it can be deeply satisfying.

To me, that's ballet, too. Challenging barre work, dancing in center floor, finally getting a difficult petit allegro combination: it may be exhausting and difficult, but it is also deeply satisfying!