The sun has yet to rise when Tulsi Gabbard pulls her car into a near-empty parking lot here on Oahus windy eastern shore, walks toward the water and unfurls a yoga mat on the beach.
As gently crashing waves break the morning stillness, the congresswoman stands straight and salutes the tip of the glowing sun as it rises into the clouds and flashes a light upon the water.
For 30 minutes, she mediates in silence, shifting yoga positions while the sun rises higher in the sky.
Washington is -- and certainly feels -- 4,000 miles away.
An hour later, Gabbard is geared up in a wet suit and rashguard, a surfboard under her arm, looking out over the surf near Waikiki.