Photograph of Karen Rudiger in her signature pose; hand balancing on a ball.


What are you working on? RM

      In my late forties, I was 'working on...' foot balancing on a ball and had a fantasy of becoming a hand balancer on a ball.  I was not a hand balancer at the time and the idea became a playful inspiration. It was fun exploring the physics and figuring out the mechanics. Along the way, I created an exercise regiment dissecting and correcting my postures until reaching the finished posing on a ball. Unlike fast extreme sport passions pursued in my past, balancing on a ball became an extreme slow sport. While working on the skills to support the goal, exercise time became a mirror of how important it is to stay dedicated to the "work and practice." Balancing on a ball has become a midlife self-portrait; an illustration of focus, desire and ability to learn anything new.
Now I am 'working on...' doing pushups while maintaining the plank pose.