Alone With the Girya: Life Lessons Within Four Walls

Girya - (weightlifting) A kettlebell; a weight consisting of a cast iron ball with a single handle for gripping the weight during exercise. Men who lifted these weights were called girevik, from the Russian word for kettlebell, girya.

If these walls could talk, they would have a story to tell.

I've spent the last twelve years being alone with my thoughts while either standing in the small space of an apartment bedroom or pacing back and forth on the cold, concrete floor of a garage with loud music playing and kettlebells being thrown around. There have been victories, there have been defeats. There have been memories made, there have been barriers surpassed, there have been blood blisters broken and calluses torn. There have been feats of strength that I've performed which I never would have thought possible simply because I kept showing up. There have been times where I've dropped to the floor in complete agony while drenched in sweat with my eyes closed and didn't want to move for 15 minutes, all for the sake of doing just a little better than last time. And of course, that still happens. I wouldn't change it for the world. It has all made me a better, tougher, and more resilient person. It has molded me into who I am and the character that I have come to embrace.

Just as the samurai warrior must live in accordance with bushido, the girevik must also adhere to certain principles and a guiding philosophy in everyday practice for the purpose of living honorably. I am convinced that all the average person needs is a couple of kettlebells and an 8' x 8' space in their home not only to become as physically fit as they will ever need to be, but also to serve as a catalyst for self-discovery.

Author: Zakary Morris

Publisher: Independently Published

Publication Date: Oct 21, 2022

Number of Pages: 226 pages

Binding: Paperback or Softback

ISBN-10: NA

ISBN-13: 9798357379498