In a busy modern world, it’s truly hard to stop feeling guilty
for ourselves when we try to relax more, and it’s also quite ironic that we,
modern people, have to learn how to relax, which I guess is just kind of
natural habit for ancient human.
At times our passion to what we have been doing might turn
us blind, but some healthy symptoms or the
weakened immune system may act as a wake-up call to remind us that we need to
take action to boost our energy or keep balance, then the relaxation becomes a
necessary technique to learn apart from other ‘’professional skills’’.
Anyway, for the past three months, I’ve been almost a “’hermit’’
to my regular creative working life. I did not do anything specifically linked
to my normal task; instead, I chose to focus more on the basic things in my
life, such as eating, sleeping, and relaxing, etc., and becoming more aware of
my life style. I reflect more, and learn how to meditate more to go against the
racing mind, to find a way becoming a little bit laid-back style people, which
is unbelievable for me in some cases. In a word, I try to slow down.
Three months look like a test to let me incorporate some
relaxation techniques into my daily life.
- Enjoy relaxation sounds
---- At the very beginning of three months, I collected some wonderful
natural sounds albums / app, such as heavy rain, grandfather’s old clock, fire
crackles, etc.,. The rain in the woods containing noise like water hitting
the tent or cracked woods sounds truly amazing!! It is so refreshing. The
interesting thing is, even reading those comments seems to be pleasant
enough! Someone also comments that she might just read those comments to
“restore her faith in humanity”. Indeed, where can we relax in a world
full of haters?
- Guided Imagery Meditation --- Again, this is another fantastic experience that is really effective to restore my energy. Living in the world where sheer number of information could bombard us, a simple yet deep breath may be powerful enough to save us when we feel life is almost getting out of control. A person like me who is used to be heavily relied on visual experience, Guided Imagery Meditation definitely suits me well. To paint a scenario in the brain when closing the eyes, along with the guided voiceover, has helped me to recharge whenever I want. 20 mins a day is a lovely virtual journey , coupled with some other mini meditations such as 2 mins, 5 mins or 10 mins calming or body scanning. All of them act as fabulous stimulants in my recent life. Also, Guided Imagery Meditation could be used for power nap after lunch break…
- Savoring --- If you google ‘’savoring’’, you might find whole bunch of explanations over this technique. To me, the most unique aspect of savoring is to help me ‘’appreciate the beauty of the world”. By mindfully engaging in our chosen activity such as drinking tea or appreciating a flower, we can enjoy the various layers of its beauty. Once we have ‘’observed the thing’’ thoroughly, we are able to immerse ourselves into the ‘’present’’. So this is also a great practice for ‘’being present’’. I used to be a student to learn how to taste the wine a couple of years ago, our teacher asked us if the wine delivers the flavor layer of oak, is the wine soft with sweet fruit concentration? Back then I didn’t know ‘’savoring’’ is kind of positive psychology. Now I believe we can ‘’savor’’ many things in real life just like savoring wine. What is the color of the green tea? The shape of tea leaves? How thick is it? And the smell? What is the color of sunset? The texture of chocolate?
- Yoga ----
20 mins Yoga a day can’t be skipped if you really want a flexible
body and a calming mental state. No need for too fancy pose, just some basic
poses would absolutely benefit us. For me, some of my favourite Yoga poses
include: Sun Salutation, Tree Pose, Boat Pose, Sphinx Pose, Child Pose,
etc., if time is too limited, a complete Sun Salutation alone could be a
powerful stretch to keep me revitalized.
- 30 mins Resistance Band (every
other day) ---- This may not sound like a typical relaxation, but
considering its aerobatic effect I would like to include in my list here.
Anyway, it’s a new attempt for me to use Resistance Band. Work out at GYM
is absolutely unrealistic to me at the moment, yet the soft Resistance
Band certainly adds flavor to daily workout on body toning --- if you
care about that.
- Walking --- The magic
result of a brisk walking shouldn’t be underestimated. I’ve been a ‘daily
walker’ for over 15 years, regardless of where I live in. To find a nice
and nearby path like a detective (sort of) is a happy must, this is a
‘’field work”. Recently, I’ve tried to increase the daily walking time from
30 mins to 45 mins or 1 hour, morning and afternoon. Walking might be more
of aerobatic exercise, but having said that walking could be kind of meditation
as well, which I haven’t started to put into practice so far. However, at least
for me, a brisk walking is beyond a pleasure. I tend to reflect and
organize the cluster of my chaotic thoughts.
It’s such a wonderful journey to find out there are actually
so many relaxation techniques we can experiment in real life. Most of time, I
only use visual sensation. What I have learned during the past three months, is
actually we need to focus more on a life style which makes full use of five
senses, plus imagination. In this way, I think, at least I can be a person more
‘’organic’’.
Tips:
- In any busy day, a deep breath can be a lifebuoy.
- Use nature sound as ambient sound when you stay indoor.
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